| 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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Easy to install, easy to configure, easy to use. :-), October 16, 2005
By user (Virginia Beach, VA)
I purchased this item because I didn't want to spend a lot of money. Unpacked it, followed the simple installation instruction and bingo, I was on my way to fully functional, full fledged wired Ethernet/Wireless network. I used to have a Ad-Hoc network and wanted to upgrade to a secured wireless network. In order to do that, all I had to do was to assign the network security key and that's it, in less than 5 minutes, my entire network was up and running. Originally DI-524 came with version 3.02 firmware, I upgraded it to the newest version. If you don't know anything about hex numbers, you will have to spend some time creating security key for the network Overall, I have Intel 801.X a,b,g wireless adapter in my laptop and I am able to connect at 54MBPS, OVerall, excellent features, ease of use, price to features ration. Thums up to this router.
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Unstable product - buy something different, October 15, 2005
By user (plano, tx)
DI-524 wireless router: Bad choice! I bought this router due to the low price after rebate, about $24. After 10+ hours of troubleshooting and calls to Dlink support, the wireless connection relentlessly continues to drop every 5 to 15 minutes. My field is in systems engineering; I now refer my friends and family away from this product and tell them to do their research on Dlink home routers - something I should have done. I am in the process of pulling this DI-524 piece of cr_p and replacing it with a Linksys.
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Works Perfectly, October 15, 2005
By user (Illinois United States)
If you follow the instructions that are in the provided booklet, you will not have a problem at all. The only problem that I encountered was with my own network settings in Windows XP. One quick call to D-Link support at 3:30 AM (yes 3:30 in the middle of the night) and my issue was fixed within 5 minutes. Great Customer Support! You can set your network name, security settings functions and everything from the FTP site that D-Link has you go to when you are installing the router.
It works perfectly with the D-Link USB adapter from across my house, and signal strength.....when the box says up to 54mbps they are telling the truth. The lowest signal that I had was 48mbps. This is a great product and I'm amazed at how easy it was to set up, and it actually works. I'm thrilled!
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Good Choice, October 12, 2005
By user
In the market, this is the easiest of setup, efficient
Very good
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Crappiest router ever made, October 7, 2005
By user (Chicago, IL USA)
I am writing this review after a thorough research done in the past 2-3 weeks. As it clearly stands out, this is the worst product I ever used. The network connection drops all the time. No reason whatsoever. The router admin page is very poorly designed. Like someone else mentioned, you can't practically do anything with this router. Currently, I connected my old Netgear 802.11b router as my main router and added this one to it. I got it in a deal where I paid only $20 for this. So I have no hesitation in trashing this.
Stay away from this router - I dont know about other D-Link products.
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Unstable, October 2, 2005
By user
First off, I have used countless firewalls and have been involved in computers and networks for 30 years. Maybe if you use this product absolutely without configuring any of the security or filtering features, it works, but if you do anything else, it's unstable and flakes out. I spent about 10 hours with this product and reset it to the factory defaults at least 8 times in order to get it to work where I could reconfigure it all over again. The DNS proxying flakes out. Once you apply any filtering rules such as IP or MAC, it intermittently crashes/flakes out, and if you add firewall rules, there is no way to delete them other than factory restore. I don't have the patience to reboot and reconfigure this thing everytime my wife complains the network is not working. The higher-end D-Link models have received a lot of terrible comments about their stability and bugs, but I figured it was just with the "bleeding edge" versions. My mistake, anything more than an out-of-box configuration is unstable. Don't waste your time because you want to do some configuration if you have any clue about security.
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Easy to install and flawless performance, September 15, 2005
By user (Caracas, Venezuela)
This is my second D-Link router, and they seem to be getting better...
The first one works fine but installation was troublesome, this DI-524 installed easily and works perfect. A good buy
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Not bad, but lacks performance a bit..., September 15, 2005
By user (Upstate NY)
I bought myself D-Link media player (DSM-320RD), and due to the fact that it required a "g" standard router, I had to upgrade my existing Linksys, which was a "b" standard (slower). Also, I thought that since the media player is made by D-Link, it could be beneficial to have a router by the same company, in case I would have to call support for example. The router was a part of a wireless kit - it also came with the DWL-G630 wireless card adapter. The router is not bad by any means. I have a wireless network in my house, and it works well with it. The setup was fairly easy and straight forward, even for a wireless connection; however, I did notice a lack of performance. I do run some utilities on my laptop to measure the network performance (download/upload speeds, etc.), and I noticed that it is virtually equal to what I previously had when I used supposedly "slower" Linksys router. I know for a fact that this is mostly card adapter's fault, but the router has a "part" in it also. Like I said before, the router by itself is not all that bad. It's easy to use, and for the most part it'll get you what you need. The web utility is also very nice and user-friendly, however, it only seems to be working properly with Internet Explorer, and not Netscape or any other browser. The bottom line is I would probably recommend this router on its own, but would still pick Linksys over it.
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Very nice product, ridiculously easy set-up, September 9, 2005
By user (Maplewood, NJ)
I bought this with some trepidation as to how the heck I would set it up. The concept seemed daunting. The reality, however, was that I had the thing up and running in less than 30 minutes. The set-up wizard was very straightforward, and thankfully with very little technobabble.
The only issue I had was in setting the encryption key, so I called the D-Link tech support number (on a Sunday, no less!) and they patiently and nimbly walked me through the process in 10 minutes.
So now I can surf on the laptop in front of the TV! The signal is strong, the connection flawless and with no apparent interference with my desktop base PC. Very happy guy here.
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It's all good here....lovin' the wireless, August 25, 2005
By user
After reading some reviews, I've come the conclusion that (exactly like cell phones) you simply can't buy a wireless router based on user reviews. There's 1 star reviews followed by 5 star reviews. From what I can tell, the three big companies (linksys, d-link, and netgear) mostly make good products but also all have their problems too. Of course, you can blame users or service providers for some of the problems.
Anyway, I've recently set up a Netgear WGR614 (with Yahoo/SBC DSL) and this D-Link 524 (with Insight cable modem). Both use dynamic IP addresses. For whatever reason, the Netgear one had problems, some of which were addressed on their FAQ specifically with Y/SBC, but still, it needs to be reset every once or two weeks. At least that was better than every day before the FAQ fix. This D-Link one had minimal problems. I did the Wizard and then I had to run the Insight connection program to get back on the internet. Then the next day, I had to shutdown ZoneAlarm before I could get on the internet. But who needs a software firewall when you have a router...
So I have to say I'm happy with this router but I could also see people just simply getting defective products and being very unhappy with them. At least the price is good so it's worth it to buy it and try it.
Cheers.
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Awesome router, the best, August 18, 2005
By user (Seattle, WA)
This is a great router. I chose this over netgear and linksys because I heard a lot of people having problems with those two; particularly the linksys. My laptop manufacturer's forums are chock full of people having problems with the linksys routers. I am running my Dell inspiron 6000, HP 3115 pocket pc, and my home desktop pc (wired) all off this router, and have had absolutely zero problems.
Also, setup was incredibly easy using the built-in wizard. The router's admin menu is very intuitive as well, much better than the one on the (wired) linksys one I had a couple of years ago.
Highly recommended.
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piece of junk, August 16, 2005
By user
this router is not worth it. here are my two quirks with it:
1) i would lose signal once every 2-3 hours
2) the antenna was so cheaply mounted that it just broke off. i moved the router around quite a bit, but the di-524's physical structure vulnerability is needless.
3) the router has very bad ventilation. it gets HOT. my linksys wrt54g is much cooler, and i've yet to lose signal on it (had it for about 3 weeks now)
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Extremely Poor Wireless Connection, August 8, 2005
By user (San Jose, CA)
The reason people install wireless networks in their homes is to provide access to their broadband connection throughout the home. While this router has a nice form factor (very small) and fairly easy installation, the wireless link is terrible. I installed this in my office. I tried to access the wireless link in my living room--through 1 wall and less than 30 feet away. NO signal. Only when I was in line of sight of the router was I able to get a link. My old, cheap Linksys router provides much greater wireless coverage. Don't buy this wireless AP/router--it is a useless piece of junk.
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UPDATE:Terrific Value and Great User Interface, But Reboots, July 30, 2005
By user (San Jose, CA)
UPDATE: I have now installed 10 of these routers for various people. Normally, it works fine, but if there are issues such as a poor DSL line or certain kinds of radio interference (nearby 2.4 GHz cordless phone), the DI-524 reacts by rebooting to clear errors, I guess. People who have Cable seem to have fewer problems. In a couple of cases, the rebooting required me to change to a different router. So, check the router log carefully in the first few days of operation to ensure you will not have an issue.
Prior review from June 2005:
I have purchased several of these units for friends because they seem to be rock-solid and very well priced. I don't think a lot of people realize that to get the higher speed (beyond 802.11g 54 Mbps) advertised with higher priced routers that the terminal equipment has to match the router, which of course is almost never the case. Besides, 54Mbps, even de-rated for real world conditions, is way beyond almost all consumer-grade broadband connections. The combination of a 4-port wired router with a solid wireless access point at this price is hard to beat. If you need to do port forwarding for games or remote access, this router is one of the easiest I have seen to set up. Rather than requiring you to set up the target computer with a fixed IP address, the router allows you to easily assign the MAC address for that computer to a reseved IP assignment on the DHCP server.
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Solid product, July 28, 2005
By user (New Jersey)
Took me about 5 minutes to install and set up. Gives me a slightly better range than my last Netgear 802.11b router. It's been running smoothly for 2 weeks since I had it - no dropoffs, fade outs. 5 Stars for my experience so far.
Haven't really used DLink support (didn't need it) or read the product documentation (again no need), so I can't really comment on those.
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Works great..., July 25, 2005
By user (Chicago, IL USA)
Worked correctly as soon as I plugged the cable modem into it. My main computer had access to the internet without touching anything and so did all the wireless stuff. Running the Automatic setup did mess up the routers connection to the cable modem somehow, so I had to reset it and configure network keys manually. It was really easy though, and I get great speeds and signals. The router is in my basement almost against the ceiling (where it's actually under a few pipes and lights), and I get full signal and speed up on the 2nd floor. Works on my patio (where the signal is traveling partially through cement) and in the yard. Best of all, after rebates it was like $15. Very glad I didn't listen to most of these reviews and went ahead and got it. It has never dropped out and lost my connection!
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Total frustration, July 20, 2005
By user (Los Angeles, CA United States)
After an hour of trying to get this to work, I gave up. Although I got a signal, I couldn't get on the internet. So I returned it and got Netgear's version instead (WGR614). I had the Netgear product up and running in less than 10 minutes. Don't waste your money on the D-Link product unless you have a degree in computer science. If you want plug and play simplicity, go with Netgear.
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Rock Solid, July 18, 2005
By user (Carlisle, Pennsylvania)
I wanted to upgrade my entire home network from "b" to "g" and WPA encryption. I initially bought a Netgear 54 MB router and four cards. It was a disaster--couldn't get one of the remove systems online and Netgear's tech support was worthless. The system I did get online had dropped signals. Took the whole thing back for equivalent D-Link. It's been rock solid. Good range, no dropped signals. Installation was fairly easy. The control interface isn't great, but is eacceptable. Lots of bang for the buck.
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Excellent equipment, June 12, 2005
By user (San Juan, PR USA)
I bought the DI-524 with a DWL-G122 USB adapter (bundle kit). I was thinking if a USB adapter will be working fine as a wireless card. It's great, excellent, with an USB extension cable you may put the USB adapter in a better place near to the laptop for a better recepcion. I have signal in all areas of my house, and after two weeks of the installation, I don't needed to restart the router at any time. I prefer Linksys equipment, but if you want a good equipment with lower price, you have to consider D-Link. I give four star, because the installation guide should have more information. Make sure to read the manual in the installation CD or the Internet. After you read the instalation instruction, the process is very easy and quickly. Remember that WEP encryption if not activate by default.
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D-Link? DI-524 - revision A, B, or C ?, June 5, 2005
By user (Chicago, IL)
with the rev.C being the newest one, it would be nice to know if the seller is offering the older revision A & B .. or if they are selling the rev C ! Had good success with all the revisions whether installing it on a xDSL or cable broadband Internet, but the older ones usually tend to have more unfixed vulnerability issues. In response to the WEP & MAC filtering messages below, c'mon be real! WEP and WPA have been dead for a few years now.. they are not real security measures (just a deterrent factor.) Same with MAC filtering - any MAC can be easily impersonated on the fly. Tight security does not exist especially with Wireless.
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