| 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 Systems, Inc.
Average Rating: 
(submit your review here)
Total Reviews: 253
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 (253 total): |
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It is simple and easy to use, November 16, 2004
By AP (San Francisco, CA)
I bought this thing a couple of months back. I had learnt from a friend of mine that it is not a good router. However I could not resist the price at which it was available. THOUGH MY MAIL-IN REBATE HAS NOT REACHED ME EVEN AFTER TWO CALLS.
Anyways, I found this thing to be very simple and easy to use.
Simple English that we have learnt so far is good enough for the installation. I was a first time user so followed the book to the hilt and faced no issues. It is still running happily. I keep power cycling it (once a month) when I'm bored with nothing else to do. And I can catch the signal from my parking lot, don't ask me why i do that.
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I bought this to use while traveling, November 12, 2004
By Imp Artial
This router is very small and weighs nothing. Its power adapter is hardly bigger than a normal plug. I keep it in my laptop bag and its come in very handy for setting up improptu networks during meetings or for use in hotel rooms. Never had any trouble configuring it but I always read the manual first.
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Works for my simple setup, November 11, 2004
By Good Experience (Minneapolis, MN)
I gave this dlink d1-524 router 4 stars because it was easy to setup and configure. I also bought the D-Link DWL-G120 Wireless 802.11g USB Adapter for another desktop machine to go with this router. Only problem I encountered was after going through the setup instructions, I couldn't get a connection to the cable modem so I read the "troubleshooting" section. It instructed me to turn modem off for 2 minutes, turn router off, turn router on, etc. etc. After I did this it worked!
While I'm not a sophisticated user (i.e. multiple wireless clients, complex security setup needs), I would guess my setup is pretty average. For this type of user, I would recommend this router based on it's price and features (security). The user manual is very average and doesn't waste a lot of words explaining to novices what certain features are for. However, the bottom line I got my wireless network setup up on two boxes in less than 1 hour and IT WORKS! Good enough for me!
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Works well for me, November 11, 2004
By BBA (Elizabethton, TN United States)
I just bought the Dl-524 along with DWL-G120 wireless USB adapter for my remote desktop and the DWL-G630 wireless cardbus adapter for my laptop. I already had an established -11b network with 3 desktops on land lines and 2 laptops and 2 desktops connected wireless. I switched out the old router with the new D-link and was up and working immediately. I went ahead and ran the wizard so my laptops would be ok with WEP and have had NO PROBLEMS. The signal for my desktop fluctuates between 24 and 54 mbps. The signal for my 2 laptops runs between 36 and 54 mbps (staying mostly between 48 and 54). My son's desktop that still is connected with an -11b usb adapter seems to run faster, as well. Overall, I'm very pleased. The reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is that the signal strength isn't rock solid at 54....but still way better than 11mbps.
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Lots of trouble making it work, poor web interface too, October 27, 2004
By The Grumpy Hacker (Milwaukee)
I've used wireless equipment from Netgear and Belkin but this was my first experience with D-Link after a friend's glowing recommendation. It simply took too much time to get this unit set up, especially due to the counterintuitive web interface. I could never get the wireless capability to work completely--when any one of my three PCs would connect, the others wouldn't. It especially aggrivated me that I had to manually type in WEP keys rather than the unit generating them for me from a password.
I like that the unit is small, mountable, stackable, and attractive (as wireless routers go); has a removable antenna; and has a lot of advanced configuration features. But since I just couldn't make all my computers work with it I had to take it back. Unless you really need the advanced settings (which I doubt, e.g. wireless transmit power, fragmentation threshhold, beacon interval, preamble size...) or have previously had good luck with D-Link, I'd recommend Netgear or Belkin instead.
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Rough beginning, October 23, 2004
By C. Hayden
After a lot of hair pulling and trying to understand the minimalist instructions, I finally (for now) have this thing working. Setup was tough, unit did not want to communicate with my laptop and stopped transmitting entirely several times. I finally figured that it and SBC DSL don't like each other. Since I've deleted all SBC software it has been working great. Don't just uninstall the DSL connection software, search it out and delete it. I think that their software is like spyware and doesn't give up easily. Worked for me at any rate, after having tried everything I could think of and the booklet/help manual suggested. Hope this helps someone.
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Drops PPPoE DSL Connection Every 20 minutes, October 19, 2004
By Kevin (San Luis Obispo, CA USA)
I have a similar problem to what other users are reporting, it drops the connection every 20 minutes. I would downgrade to firmware 1.03 but that firmware made my FTP uploads extremely slow.
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Buggy firmware makes 524 a poor choice, September 30, 2004
By David E. Whitney (Midwest US)
The 524 is seemingly a good alternative for sharing a cablemodem to multiple clients. However, ongoing problems with firmware that lead to multiple router reboots and configuration loss make this a router to avoid.
DSLReports contains listings from multiple users that indicate firmware release 1.05 to be buggy and unreliable, and certain security features don't work properly. Most users are encouraged to drop back to version 1.03. Both 1.05 and 1.03 firmware releases are available for download from the DLink website.
I've not been able to get the router to maintain its activity logs, time configuration, or even connections for much more than two minutes at a time. Two XP Pro wireless client report innumerable drop/reconnect events; that, combined with the loss of time configuration/log data suggest the router is perhaps not merely dropping connections, but crashing entirely.
Some pages of the internal router webserver don't even identify the correct product, listing the "514+" instead of "524." DLink's technical support has been only marginal helpful, with a promise to forward my debugging steps to their labs but with no return information.
Although I've had good luck with DLink products in the past, this is an exception. I'd have to encourage shoppers to look toward LinkSys or NetGear products as a more reliable alternative. As it is, the frequent reboots/reconnects make connection-dependent network applications, such as certain network games or email downloading, a practical impossibility.
Sad to say, but there are better wireless routers. The 524 is one to avoid.
David
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Tech support in 20 minutes, September 28, 2004
By just trying to help (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 Dissatisfied (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 20, 2004
By Book Lover (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 average joe
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 7, 2004
By Sotonin (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 K. S. Hubli (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 20, 2004
By Eric Sun
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 cynical optimist (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 little wireless router, July 18, 2004
By physics geek (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 know it all (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 damonsterofdreams (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 Northwest girl (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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