| D-Link Super G with MIMO Wireless Router DI-634M - wireless router ( DI-634M ) |
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Model: DI-634M
Brand: D-Link
Manufacturer: D-Link Systems, Inc.
Average Rating: 
(submit your review here)
Total Reviews: 62
Form factor: External
Hardware platform: PC
Data link protocol: Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, 802.11 Super G
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| Features: |
Double XR (2XR) technology for whole house coverage
Built-in packet prioritization engine maximizes VoIP clarity
New quick router setup wizzard
Advanced security features
Great performance for multiple simultaneous network users |
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| Description: |
| D-Link introduces the revolutionary DI-634M Wireless 108G MIMO Router. Wirelessly share an Internet connection throughout your entire home with groundbreaking wireless performance! Its incredible new Double XR (2XR) Technology provides whole house coverage, while a built-in Packet Prioritization Engine will maximize VoIP clarity. When communicating over and across the Internet, the DI-634M features integrated network security including advanced firewall functionality using both NAT and Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI). Advanced Parental Controls are also included to monitor Internet usage and block inappropriate websites. Combined with the new Quick Router Setup Wizard and wide range of security features, the DI-634M raises the bar for all other wireless routers. Security - 64/128-bit WEP, WPA, WPA2, WPA-PSK, WPA2-PSK Advanced Parental Controls are also included to monitor Internet usage and block inappropriate websites Double XR (2XR) Technology for Whole House Coverage - Infused with Double XR (2XR) Technology, the DI-634M boasts Xccelerated Rates at Xtended Ranges that provides extreme wireless coverage for your entire home. Based on cutting-edge MIMO (Multiple In, Multiple Out) technology, the DI-634M utilizes a Quad Smart Antenna Design featuring four antennas (two vertical and two horizontal). These four antennas distribute radio signals in both the vertical and linear planes to fully maximize the wireless coverage area. With total compatibility with standard 802.11g and 802.11b networking devices, you don't have to replace your existing client devices to experience enhanced coverage Built-in Packet Prioritization Engine Maximizes VoIP Clarity New Quick Router Setup Wizard Dimensions(LxWxH) - 7.5 x 4.6 x 1.375 (190.5 x 116.84 x 35 mm) / Weight - 10.56 oz. |
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| User Reviews (62 total): |
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Good feature set, poor long-term reliability, February 17, 2008
By Michael Teper
I purchased this router last year and it has served me well for about 6 months. The feature set is comprehensive, flexible, and the configuration is reasonably straght-forward.
After about 6 months of flawless service, the router has gone flaky and fails to pass through DNS server info to DHCP clients after it has been up for a while. The router itself reports the DNS servers fine and everything can be fixed with a reboot.
D-Link support is outsourced, but can speak and understand english well. However, even with level 2 support, they have not yet been able to come up with a fix.
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This is my last D-Link Product, September 13, 2007
By MCSC IT Tech (Columbia, SC)
This will be my last D-Link router. For some reason they have the uncanny ability to fail right after the warranty period is over! I had a 524, a 624G and now this one do almost the same thing after the same amount of time. The power led comes on but the router won't respond nor pass traffic. R.I.P. D-Link, i'm going to Netgear!
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Lasted just over one year, August 11, 2007
By S. Edmiston
While it worked, it worked pretty well. I would have to reset it every couple of months. Too bad it died just about three weeks after the one year anniversary.
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Smooth & stable in two households on DSL, July 18, 2007
By B. Roberts (New Mexico)
After dealing with Netgear products at home and Linksys at work I decided to try D-Link. Bought the DI-634M with wireless card bundle, since I didn't really need to wait for a Wireless N router. What a pleasant surprise!
Primary consideration was a router that would stay up, as I bought a DI-634M both for my own home, and for my in-laws to use wireless with their laptops. The router HAD to stay up, as I couldn't be doing support for them once a month like I did with Netgear products.
My inlaws are complete technophobes, so for them the router had to just work or I was going to be over there every time supporting it. So far the DI-634M has been going strong for them for over 1 year no intervention on my part. Only once after the phone line went down for two days did it require restarting, but that was just a hard power off, power on for the DSL modem and router and off it went. 3MB DSL in both houses.
Works on both floors of the inlaws 2 story house (router on ground floor), and works over our entire house and yard. We've got an adobe with 16 inch thick walls, but it makes it from the back off the house, through the interior walls and out to the front yard no problems.
Router has worked fine with the current DLink wifi cards bundled with the router, Dell 1390 WLAN a/b/g cards, Apple iBook and Powerbook internal wifi, and some really old Linksys cards. Some cards didn't like if I hid the SSID of the router, but I blame the card there.
Most machines I have ever had connected at once to a single DI-634M is 4 via CAT5 and 4 laptops at the same time. Still no overheat issues, QOS seems to work great to balance load, give priority to streaming media, etc.
Watching video from Netflix "Watch Now" service on the laptop on the opposite side of the house works great. And someone else can even surf the web on other machines at the same time (video stream gets priority so other person's web browsing is slowed but thats how it should work).
Using WPA2 on both setups. Even set up DynDNS at home with port forwards and was able to remote to my home machines, push files etc. No problems, no router overheat, no weirdness.
Only oddness was that with VPN Passthrough enabled I was not able to connect to my work VPN (yeah I know that doesn't make sense.) Turn off the passthrough and it worked fine.
On the whole probably one of the best products I've used of any kind. It just works, out of the box, and keeps working.
Only con for me as a knowledgable user was the bundled Network Magic software - it generates a lot more network traffic than I need as it constantly pings out from machines to search the network for new devices and monitor status. But that's what its supposed to do, I just don't need it. For a newb though it makes managing your network traffic and tracking network activity, even sharing files much easier, so even though I don't use it it adds value to the bundle in my opinion.
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pretty reliable so far, May 15, 2007
By Gormenghast (Boston, MA)
I got the DI-634M after being totally frustrated with the Linksys WRT54GS that I tried after my old Linksys WRT54G died. I never got the new Linksys to work reliably despite lots of trying. The DI-634M has had some setup glitches, but overall I have had a much better experience with it. It is faster than the Linksys that I had before, and the signal strength is stronger through a greater region of the house. If you have other D-Link cards, that will be another plus because they can operate faster together.
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Fairly decent router, May 7, 2007
By H. Bidwe
I've been using this router for about 3 months now and I'd say that its a fairly decent router. Its extremely easy to setup and get going on the default mode of 54 mbps. Though if you need to boost performance to 108 mbps and make full use of its capabilites such as virtaul servers you have to dig deep and read the manual. One of the cons of this router is that even with its MIMO technology, signal range is still poor. I coupled mine with a DWL-G650M MIMO adapter card and I cant seem to get a good range in my house when I go in the living room (on the same floor).
Also, the router takes a long time to get started (about 3 minutes). Another con is that I cant seem to open one particular port for an application installed on all devices connected to the router. For example I have an application installed on my home PC and on my official notebook. Now the ports that this application uses are blocked on the router and I can open it only for the home PC or the notebook but not both.
Among the pros is its robustness, ease of setup and a great technical support. Overall this is a good buy but for a little more you could get yourself something much better!
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Fast and easy, April 2, 2007
By E. Smith (Cambridge, MA USA)
I have used all of the available home wireless brands, various models within each brand, and the only ones that haven't continually disappointed me were the D-Links.
When I lived in Bermuda, it took one of them nearly 3 years to finally die - which in the high humidity there (kills all electronics faster than usual), is excellent. That was my first exposure to them, and had thought they were a no-name low end brand.
But now I always recommend these to users (I am a tech consultant) and they are what I use in my offices.
I had recently used a Netgear at home due to it being all that was available on short notice, and it is very nearly useless. I will be replacing it with one of these instead.
All wireless routers that I have had to date have an issue of dropping the connections, so it is a matter of which ones do it in the least offensive manner, and the least frequently.
So far, this unit is the one that meets that criteria for me.
Its range isn't as impressive as I thought it would be, but it is sufficient for most needs. (if you are in a wood home, it will be great - if you are in a concrete and steel environment, it greatly depends - if you have an elevator shaft between your computer and this router - expect problems every time the car passes your floor)
The number on thing that makes me love this router is that its reboot/save speed is great. Many routers have incredibly slow web interfaces, which doesn't at all need to be the case - this unit is fast and easy to setup.
The only feature it is missing, and that is understandable since this is really a home unit, is full VPN functionality and maybe better logging/firewall features - all of which are more of a higher end office router.
If you don't need those things and just want something fast and easy, this is great.
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Amazing Performance, March 21, 2007
By Josh T. Risler (Menomonie, WI United States)
I have had no trouble with my router. I have two PC's connected via Ethernet and have 3 wireless laptops and experience to lag or slow down. The router is stable and I don't get any interference in my connects. It stays connected all the time. This was my 1st Dlink product but I would buy it over Linksys anytime from here on out.
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Dlink Mimo Router, March 9, 2007
By Roger L. Russell (Hammond, LA)
Not impressed with this thing. I've had too many problems getting it to work properly, with tech support from Dlink. It tends to drop connections when you least expect it!
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Excellent -- if you update your firmware!, February 15, 2007
By Crazyquilt (Ohio)
I have a large house, with a fairly extensive home network (four desktops, a laptop, a Squeezebox digital music player, and a network printer.) Further, as a musician & artist, I send big files around regularly. My old Linksys WRT54G just wasn't cutting it anymore; poor range, many dropouts, continual messing with & reconfiguring of the network to get the printer to operate consistently, etc. I researched a lot of routers, and decided on either this model, or a comparable Netgear. I found the D-Link first, so that's what I got.
I already use the Network Magic software that is bundled with this router, and the 4.0 version is very good, although it wasn't perfect with my Linksys. However, I did at least manage to make the printer consistently available. As an aside, I would highly recommend this software to anyone who isn't very well versed in network administration, as it makes many tasks easily accessible within a single program, as well as streamlining Windows' somewhat arcane, confusing, and generally annoying network management features.
After I installed the D-link -- which was a fairly simple process -- the network was very good, at first. Improved range and speed and, for a few hours, good reliability. Then, my wife's laptop started getting bumped off regularly. Then my PC, along with the Squeezebox (which gets its music files from my hard drive via the network.) In addition, Network Magic couldn't access the router directly, which limits its ability to manage the network. I attempted several tweaks in the web interface for the router, but to no avail. Indeed, the web interface was extremely flakey, and several parts didn't seem to function properly.
Then, I noticed that the firmware was only v2.0. I checked D-Link's site, and there was a 2.01 patch available. I downloaded it to the laptop, hardwired it to the router, and updated the firmware. Since you'll have to have a PC hardwired to the router, anyway, to set it up, I would highly recommend downloading the newer firmware before you even start the set-up, and update it as soon as you complete the initial set-up.
Simply put, problem solved.
Network Magic could access the router, the network has been stable for the past week, and the router's web interface works properly. Coverage and performance are significantly improved, and I am not using D-link access points (although I may upgrade several anyway, so that I can get the advantage of double the standard speed of 54Mbps for 802.11g.) This last is important because, frequently, product from one vendor will not work and play well with products from other vendors.
I still haven't tried any more advanced router tricks (port forwarding, setting up any network security other than turning off SSID broadcast, and so on.) I will append any experience to my review in several months, as network hardware has a bad habit of working well for a while, and then suddenly choosing to stop functioning properly, for no ostensible reason. Assuming the D-Link doesn't do that, I'll be a very satisfied owner, with no great urge to upgrade to the Next Big Thing: 802.11n, whenever it is finally ratified & decent hardware begins to flood the market.
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Compact, Great Value Router, February 12, 2007
By L. J. Leovic (Reno, NV USA)
Have owned three previous iterations of the D-Link routers, all of which have been good performers. This particular router seems to have better range as well as being smaller and more compact in size. It is has thus far been the easiest router to get up and running, especially with the software provided to assist in network set-up. Performance/Price ratio seems to be very high. Highly recommended.
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Hate it!, January 28, 2007
By Chris M. Jacobson (Sunland, CA United States)
I've had this for over a year now and I absolutely hate it! The range isn't very good, connecting to my Powerbook G4 (late 2005 version, just before the Macbook Pro). Every other day or so the internet connection drops and I have to log into the control panel and reboot the system. Occasionally I can't even connect wirelessly and have to pull the power on the back of the unit. They haven't updated the firmware in a year (version 2.01), and I would wait to see if they fix these issues before I would recommend anyone buy it.
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Good Range, Great Setup, Best Value, January 20, 2007
By Power Blue (Garland, TX)
Linksys finally lost my business with their last few releases of shoddy hardware, firmware and hot-and-cold tech support.
This router is a dream in every aspect.
- Took me 10 minutes to set up, even though I unsuccessfully attempted to set it up without the instructions the first time.
- WPA setup was painless. All 3 laptops, 2 desktops, a wireless Xbox transceiver and a wireless print server connected first time around.
- Signal picks up serviceably in the backyard with the router placed upstairs near the center of the house.
All in all, I couldn't have asked for a better product. This thing rocks!
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D-Link Super G wireless router (Model DI-634), January 20, 2007
By Doug (NY USA)
Very pleased with the easy setup (10 minutes) and the great range and quality of this wireless router. Highly recommend this product.
NOTE: After downloading the Network Magic software from the supplied CD, I would recommend checking for updates from the Network Magic website.
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worth the money, January 10, 2007
By Nain Hwu
I have used this unit for over 2 months now and have never encountered
any failure. The signal is strong. I put it on second floor and have no problem receiving the signal anywhere on my first floor.
The setup is easy.
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It does the job, January 10, 2007
By iUser (WA)
This is a decent router in a good looking package. I do prefer the Linksys routers because they seem to be more robust and the settings interface is much easier to use. I give this unit 3 stars because of its' small footprint, sleek look and because most people with a better connection and less complicated connections than mine will have very few problems.
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Linksys ... Netgear .... None of them worked!, January 9, 2007
By IT Guru ... (Los Angeleles, CA USA)
I have used Linksys and Netgear for few years. I have migrated from 802.11b to 802.11g - Linksys and Netgear kept dropping my signals whenever I used my 3 laptops at home. I finally got tired of them so I decided to give D-Link a test.
The unit came with Version 2.00 firmware so I had to upgrade the router to Version 2.01 to make it work. After firmware was updated I was able to connect to my ISP without any problems.
It has been month and I have not had any dropped signals. Linksys, Netgear dropped on me 5-6 times a day. I tried switching channels, moving the device around - nothing helped.
The best part, I was able to purchase this unit for $[...] with all the rebates in the month of December.
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Easy Set Up, Decent Router-Bad Customer Service, January 9, 2007
By wombat (Wildwood, MO United States)
By the time you reach this review you will have already made up your mind about the purchase. The router itself has run well for about 6 months. In the last week, it started dropping the internet connection. I had previously checked and rechecked the modem to make sure this wasn't the issue, but eventually determined that it was the router. I reset the router after an initial email inquiry about the issue. It kept dropping. I then called and after being on hold for half an hour, they changed one setting and said I should be good to go. Sorry, but no luck, it dropped the connection about a half hour later. I called again and was on hold for a good 45 minutes. Good news though, I'm getting caught up on my back log of The Shield episodes. By the way, don't most reputable companies have a on hold time indicator "your current wait time is 5 minutes...".
Anyway, after two more calls I was guaranteed that my connection would not drop. I asked the guy if he would be willing to bet his job on it and he back pedaled a little. Was I shocked when I got up the next morning to find that the connection had been dropped yet again. Not really. When I find an extra 45 minutes today I will be calling to demand a new router. Wish me luck.
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Not as good as Advertized, January 5, 2007
By Sandeep (Durham , NC USA)
Connection breaks at times. Coverage is good ... but not as good as advertized.
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Great long range router, January 3, 2007
By shopedogg (Pittsburgh, PA)
Very easy setup. The software basically sets everything up for you. Great range - I get a strong signal everywhere in my house and on my deck. Also seems to be very stable. It never requires restarting like some others I have read about.
You can't go wrong with this product.
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