Conclusion: if you have a dial-up connection and don't stay connected while being idle, this is a good product. If you have a cable modem and don't shut down your computer all the time, try a different router.

Ugh, why didn't I read about the insipid disconnection problem of this router BEFORE I bought it??

Save yourself the trouble and don't get this thing. Even with the latest firmware, and various tweaks to the router settings, I still lose connection randomly. And it's not just the wireless connection! Even my desktop and its CAT5 line will get dropped from time to time WITHOUT WARNING.

There is a ton of people with the same problem, and D-LINK knows it. Check out broadbandreports.com and save yourself the hassle.

I've had these problems with PCs running Windows XP and 98 using D-Link and Microsoft 802.11g wireless cards.

Also, it is impossible for computers hooked to the wired LAN to communicate with those on the wireless one, and vice versa.

I'm running the absolute latest firmware on the access point and the latest firmware and drivers on the wireless cards.

This thing is garbage, don't buy it.

As other reviewers have stated, the help files aren't the best. It would be nice to see a router help menu that stays current with each new firmware update and feature set. There is additional help information on D-Link's web site if you desire more information, such as settings for WPA and what it means for your home or business network. There was a bug in the configuration wizard in earlier firmware versions, but I'm not sure if it has been fixed since. Nonetheless, manual configuration is what I've always used to apply changes.

I strongly recommend before you finalize your network, you apply any available firmware updates to both your router *and* computer hardware (wireless card). A router firmware update will wipe out any MAC filtering data, settings, etc. There are two firmware updates for this model, so be sure to note how to tell what file you need and only apply the correct one. Jot down information that you might need to enter after the update. Complete the router upgrade over a wired network, not on a wireless connection. Update your operating system and drivers first thing, as always.

Let's see:

WPA-PSK does not work. It worked for a few hours then randomly stopped working. Not sure if it's the router or the D-LINK XtremeG cardbus card. Other people have the same issue.

The web interface is dog slow from one of the wired ports for no apparent reason. Works fine over wireless.

This is a treat: I just tried to enable WEP from my wired desktop, and the router REBOOTS. I don't even 'apply' the setting, I just click "enabled" and my network drops and the POS reboots.

Steer clear, wish I had.

D-Link support decided to RMA it (after 3 phone calls) and the *refurbished* replacement does the same thing. I later found out through various forums and my own testing that in "high" traffic environments, the D-Link is known for rebooting in what some say is a self-defense mechanism against attacks, but I suspect to be nothing more than poor hardware design.

The poor (or just cheap) hardware design is evident in that wireless/wired clients appear to be bridged on the same internal interface because the MAC filtering list applies to both types of clients which is really annoying if you ever have guests that need to use the Internet, or if you work with computers; you will constantly find yourself maintaining a list of MAC addresses for wired/wireless clients alike.

For light, home use, this may be a decent router because you'll probably never notice the reboots/drops like I did. The Linksys WRT54G is next on my list (cheaper, runs linux and is made by Cisco now).

One thing to note here is that even at 108Mbps, file transfer is not as fast as wired 10/100 network at all. File transfer is just the same as in 11Mbps network. If file transfer inside LAN is what you need, simply stick with your current 802.11b network.

Overall, upgrading from 802.11b to 802.11g was wasting money.

The 2.42 version of the software supports DDNS. I happen to use No-IP.com. The DI-624 supports this whereas many routers only support DynDNS.org or TZO.com. This was a nice surprise.

I had question concerning the DDNS and called customer support. I was on hold for maybe a minute before my call was answered. The tech then told me exactly how long I had to wait for him to get the answer and, sure enough, within the promised two minutes, he returned with the answer. Contrast that to the previous night where I spent my evening on hold with linksys and suffered through two disconnects.

The firmware may not appear as visually polished as the firmware in the various linksys products but don't let that fool you. Feature for feature, the DI-624 delivers.

I did not yet have a chance to try the Super G mode with combines channels and performs other performance enhancements. But at 802.11g rates and after my experiences with other products, I'm quite happy with the native performance.

I am writing this on my Mac PowerBook and also have a Windows XP machine so, as you can see, the router is compatible with the Airport card in the Mac.

If you are looking for a solid performer, I definitely would recommend the DI-624.

-Later