| D-Link DI-524 Wireless 54 Mbps High Speed Router (802.11g) |
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Model: DI-524
Brand: D-Link
Manufacturer: D-Link
Average Rating: 
(submit your review here)
Total Reviews: 263
Form factor: External
Hardware platform: PC
Data link protocol: Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g
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| Features: |
Share your Internet connection with built-in 4-Port switch
Compatible with 802.11g and 802.11b networks
Advanced Firewall and Security Controls
Built-in 4-Port SwitchOperating range of up to 328 feet indoors, up to 1,312 feet outdoors
Quick and easy set-up |
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| Description: |
| D-Link AirPlus G 802.11g Wireless Router - The DI-524 from D-Link can handle all of your networking needs. Utilizing the built-in 4-port 10/100 Ethernet switch, you can wire your computers together in the standard fashion, or you can go wireless with 802.11g technology. Transferring data through the air at up to 54Mbps! The router and built-in firewall portion of the DI-524 allows for easy & safe broadband Internet sharing. Advanced Firewall Features - NAT with VPN Pass-through (Network Address Translation) MAC Filtering IP Filtering URL Filtering Domain Blocking Scheduling Dimensions - 5.6 (l) x 4.3 (w) x 1.2 (h) Weight - 7.8 oz. |
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| User Reviews (263 total): |
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Tech support in 20 minutes, September 28, 2004
By user (Pennsylvania, USA)
I was on the phone with D-Link Tech Support within 20 minutes of setting this thing up. I unplugged a Wired Netgear router that was working fine. Brought the entire system down and then installed. I followed the directions and being a Computer and Network support person at a Major Corporation I know how to set things like this up. Well Nothing worked.
I got on the phone with tech support (very nice people but heavy accents) and we began troubleshooting. Effectively i could talk to the ISP and get a IP addy from them but no name resolution. Finally after 40 minutes the thing seemed to start working and that lasted all of about 10 minutes. I had nothing more than 2 wireless laptops and a single Wired desktop on the switch. Oddly enough I took one of the laptops up to my daughters room and it found one of my neighbors Linksys network and connected to that with no problems.
My reccomendation is spend the few extra dollars and get the Linksys, i know from first hand experience the D-Link doesnt work and the linksys does. The D-link is on its way back right now.
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Be Warned!, September 25, 2004
By user (Edison, NJ)
I bought this item to replace the Linksys version that I was using at the time. Since I was utilizing the D-Link card, I wanted to keep the "brand continuity." I really should have left well enough alone! Even after upgrading the firmware of both the card and router, I lose connectivity almost every half an hour (no exaggeration.) I happen to be a Network Engineer and still find this to be beyond frustrating! "Hard wired," I have no problems but I didn't buy a WIRELESS router to be "hard wired!" What compounds the problem is that I have a wireless print-server in my printer so when the router goes down, I can't print! Thank G*d my VOIP phone does not go through the router but, even though the gateway is D-Link as well, I seem to have no problems with that (knock on wood.)
To make matters worse, as if the issues I'm having with their equipment aren't enough, D-Link just sent me a notice saying that they won't honor my rebate claim because they can't find the UPC label that I sent them. Lovely! I used to think highly of D-Link but now all I can say is save yourself the aggravation.
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Works great unless you want to use it with a 802.11b, September 19, 2004
By user (Davidson, NC)
The router seemed easy to set up including adding a WEP for security. It turns out that although I set up a WEP through the 'wizard,' the WEP was not turned on. Calling technical support was easy and they helped fix that.
The main problem was we were using two laptops with wireless cards; one with a 802.11b and one with 802.11g. Even though the packaging and the tech people said that it should work with both, we had problems with the 802.11b. After spending the weekend on the phone with tech people without solving the problem, I went online and found out that this router has problems with 802.11b.
So it's a great router if you don't have mixed platforms.
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this one has tech problem!, September 16, 2004
By user
first the instruction is bad, and you better call during the setup which may save your time. after setup, it has been off for several time though the wired still in the net surfing. after 3 wk of heavy downloading, the whole thing crashed. I called the tech, and they basically tell you just followed troubleshooting guide to test yourself because the tech is doing the same thing. what a waste time. they always tried to point to us for the failure of the product. WRONG ATTITUDE! I am waiting for the replacement, which cost me 8 dollars. they won't accept the US postal service, which you can pay less. Final word, this machine may only for those who only light net surfing. If you use it heavily, it can not perform the job as you expect. that's why cheap and small.
I AM LOKING FOR A GOOD ONE THAT CAN ALLOW ME TO USE BOTH DESKTOP AND LAPTOP FOR HEAVY DOWNLOADING. ANYONE KNOW, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
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Piece of Junk, September 6, 2004
By user (Over there)
This thing is a piece of junk. I bought a brand new one. Had the issue of being disconnected from my internet randomly. Sometimes every 5 mins sometimes i could go for a few hours before being dropped. But very annoying. I'm not talking wireless either. im talking ALL internet for wired connections too.
Called tech support 4 times. While i admit their tech support is better than linksys. it was still worthless. They told me to switch cabls, change settings, etc. None of which worked. Finally they said to take it back.
I took it back got a replacement. Guess what. same deal. I'm not even going to bother calling tech support again. Back to the store you go. Don't waste your money on this piece of crap.
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Simply didn't work and customer support was useless ..., August 31, 2004
By user (Wash, DC)
I meticulously followed the instructions, and it didn't work. I called customer service, which (after lengthly holds) referred me to my ISP provider. After confirming with my ISP provider that everything was fine on their end, I called back customer service for the router(and again waited forever). The advice was fairly simple -- try power cycling, checking some basic (obvious) settings, telling me to substitute different ethernet cables, etc., and equally useless. At the end -- the "customer service" representative basically said -- sorry sir -- frankly some of our routers just aren't compatible with certain cable modems." He then gave numerous examples (not relating to my provider -- Starpower -- with a 3-Com Cable Modem) and then suggested that I should return it and maybe try a few other D-Link models which "might" work --- what a waste of effort, money and time ... Ridiculous.
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An Oxymoron - Simple yet Robust, August 19, 2004
By user
I know it doesn't make sense, but this router is inexpensive, easy to use, small in size, and doesn't take much time to setup, yet it's fairly giving with it's features, is 802.11g (54Mbps) standard, and has adequate wireless range for a home.
I don't know what else to say expect I like this small wireless router. it does it's job without all the bells and whistles of Overclocking/Turbo/Break-Neck/eXtreme/Ultra/whatever the next marketing term is name and fancy configurations.
it just plain works. And for a reasonable price.
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Fine wireless router for both newbies and experienced users., August 2, 2004
By user (Bay Area, California)
I am very happy with this product, my first wireless router. Set-up was simple; both my Ethernet and wireless computers acess it easily and have no problems.
I would recommend reading the instructions to anyone who feels they are having problems with the setup. Routers are not completely plug and play - by definition it would be difficult for them to be completely so.
One down side - customer support is not very supportive. On the other hand, with a product this simple and powerful, you probably won't need them.
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Nice design but rebooting sucks.., July 24, 2004
By user
I have an old Linksys Router w/o WLAN. I got this to replace my router as well as 11b AP. Nice design on the outside but everytime you make a change, it needs to reboot. For example, if I add a MAC address of a PC to the router, it reboots each time I add one. So if I have 3 PCs, it needs to reboot 3 times. And reboot isn't fast - maybe 30 secs. or so. I've found it annoying.
I guess once it's set up and if you don't plan on making any changes, it's alright. But I am going to get a Linksys Router w/11g and returning this.
Oh, btw, instruction manual says, turn off both cable modem and router, turn cable modem on, leave router off for 2 minutes, and turn the router on, and wait 30 secs. It works but what is this about??? :-(
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Nice little wireless router, July 18, 2004
By user (Charleston, SC USA)
I'm not sure if the other reviewers have problems reading instructions or if they just skipped steps. Had no problems at all getting this unit set up and establishing connections between my desktop and Inspiron 5150. Take it out of the box, connect an ethernet cable between the desktop and router and plug it in. Use your favourite browser to connect to 198.168.1.1 and run through the setup wizard. Then once you've got everything set up, read through the manual, go through the various setup options and tweak as desired. I opted to go with the WPA-PSK authentication protocol because its supposed to be more secure, but if you have other devices that don't support it, you'll probably have to stick with WEP.It can be laid flat on the desk, or propped up on end vertically using the little rubber feet that are supplied. There are 4 ethernet ports that allow you to connect via 10/100 Ethernet and the WAN port to connect to cable, DSL or LAN. The antenna is on a swivel and can be rotated to just about any convenient orientation. The only thing I don't like about the router is that it doesn't have an internal clock, so every time it is powered off the router's system time goes back to it's default start value. It can be configured to set the time from an NTP server, but only if it's connected to a WAN network (via DSL, cable or LAN). It's only a minor inconvenience though. The other thing is that the router's web interface only seems to work properly if you use IE. Using Netscape/Mozilla/Firefox sort of works for most things, but not everything.
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Hope you're patient, July 11, 2004
By user (Berkeley, CA USA)
Either I'm stupid or the reviewers who found this thing easy to set up are just lucky. I fought with this thing for several hours and two calls to customer service. Both useless, by the way. The instructions are beyond horrible. They're inadequate clues at best. The encryption process is cruel. You have to do it in the proper order - I believe the base computer you're using for set up and then the your wireless computer. No mention of the order in the directions. Learned by trial and error. Do it backwards and you lose your connection. No instructions for the event you just want to set up your wireless computer without a base 'setup' computer. Having never done encryption I didn't realize that I supply the encryption code. Finally figured that out. Possibly the others out there are just as bad. Now that I've got it set up, it generally works fine. I also set up a d-link wireless printer adaptor. Equally frustrating and directions better but left out one very important fact.
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Lousy router doesnt work with IBM Thinkpad, July 10, 2004
By user (Falls Church, VA United States)
I hate this router already before reading the feedbacks here. If a router wont work with so many devices, it is basically junk. I have used both Microsoft(I know we are against MS) but the router never gave me any problems with any devices, "firmware" also was great. This stupid thing restarts every time I add a MAC address to the filter list. I sneeze and it restarts.
In short, I HATE IT!!!
Go for the little more expensive Netgear or grrr... Microsoft and you will get your money's worth and professionalism.
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Beats Linksys any day!, July 1, 2004
By user (Portland, OR USA)
I am happily sitting in my back yard typing up this review on my new D-Link wireless router, which took me less than a half hour to set up and get running with all three of my laptops (including using WEP security).Previously I had a Linksys router, which was a living nightmare! It constantly dropped the signal and had to be reset, it stopped working altogether one day, then after two hours on the phone with Linksys tech support, I was able to get the Ethernet ports working again - but not the wireless. I've commiserated with many others who've had nothing but trouble with their Linksys products. On top of being easier to set up, the signal from the D-Link router is much stronger throughout my house than the Linksys ever was. I couldn't be happier! :)
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Great inexpensive wireless router - minor trouble setting up, June 25, 2004
By user
This router works flawless. I would have given it 5 stars, but I had trouble getting the WAN to work. The solution was written by a Jack Szwergold. I was about to return this product until I found Jack Szwergold's post. I wasted 3 hours of my time trying to troubleshoot. Thanks Jack Szwergold.I would recommend this product. Read the Jack Szwergold's post if you have cable broadband.
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Total POS, June 25, 2004
By user (Tarzana, CA United States)
The unit was simple to install and I was on-line on the internet in minutes with NO hassles. HOWEVER... it will NOT connect to HP iPaq devices at ALL. All it will do is show the router as Available, but will NOT, EVER connect. Just ask: If you Google the DI-524 and iPaq 4155, you can see more information. The tech support guy actually said that his best suggestion would be to return the router. I unplugged it, popped my Netgear 802.11b back in and voila, I was back on-line with NO problems.I'd avoid D-Links products. I have a PCMCIA card arriving tomorrow which I'm returning without even opening the box. What a bunch of low-budget crap! Go with Netgear or Linksys, you'll never be sorry.
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Love this router!, June 20, 2004
By user (Sacramento, CA USA)
This router is my favorite one out there. (...) I have tried other wireless solutions such as Linksys and Microsoft and this is the best. It's cheaper and has better features. I would recommend this router to anyone who wants one with easy setup and cost effectiveness.
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great wireless router, June 12, 2004
By user
excellent router, easy setup, works well with wireless B card, the signal is even.probably the best thing is that customer service is very friendly and knowledable and you are speaking with live person in CA and not in another country. they are super helpful even if the warranty is out the only note is that firmware and the original set up is set for 100Mbps (in the menu -> Tools/Misc.), make sure you set it to 10Mbps
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Good router work perfect but need little effort on setup, June 6, 2004
By user
This router is pretty good and sent signal to my Microsoft USB wireless receiver with no problem after setup. It provides strong signal all the time with either 64bit or 128 bit WEP security. It works together with Mircosoft products with no compatibility problem. But, the setup take a while to figure out how to load the setup wizard. The CD disc come with the package is useless. At the beginning, I thought it is a driver and will automatic start the setup afte you put the disc in the cdrom. Wrong! the disc just a manuel. You have to open up the web broswer to type a http address to start the setup wizard on you web broswer. It comfused a lot of people. Except this, everything is very smoothly in the setup. Nice product. Remember read the instruction before start the setup. My DSL speed is more than 100 Mbps, so I have no problem on the defaut setting. One of the review below mention about you have to set it back to 10 Mbps, If you need to do this, it means your DSL connection speed is slow. You should upgrade a little more speed.
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DI-524 VPN Passthrough, June 6, 2004
By user
Connection to Checkpoint VPN as well as others is only partial - requires that UDP encapsulation be forced on SecureClient. Still no VPN access to Exchange Server, can't map network drives.
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DHCP is incompatible with numerous NICs, June 5, 2004
By user (Austin, TX USA)
The DI-524's firmware is junk. Its internal router is completely unable to communicate with a number of NICs: . 3Com Etherlink XL 10/100 NIC
. Nvidia nForce2 onboard 10/100 NIC
. Realtek RTL8029AS 10 NIC
. Linksys EPSX3 ethernet print server The symptom is that the router does not hand out an IP to these NICs. One might think that manually setting the IP would work around it. It does not. The router will not communicate at all to these devices. I've diagnosed this for many, many hours. It's not the cabling or anything else in my setup. I have a Netgear router and it works perfectly with all those devices. I literally swapped the Netgear and D-Link routers and left all the cabling intact.
I've found one NIC using an Intel 21140 chipset that DOES work. 1 out of 5 is a darn poor success rate. D-Link's tech support is unresponsive, slow, and generally not helpful. After sending 3 emails, they finally responded saying basically "if there is a bug, our developers will release a new firmware on the web site". Great, no telling how long that will take.
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