It’s been a long wait, but Wi-Fi buffs here are finally going to get their hands on D-Link’s DIR-855 Xtreme N Duo Media Router at the IT Show, which runs from this Thursday to Sunday.
This is a simultaneous dual-band router, which means it runs both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands at the same time. This gives you both the compatibility of good, old 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and “freedom from unfriendly neighbours” with the less congested 5GHz airwaves.
So far, Wireless N routers have mostly not come with “simultaneous” dual-band operations, except for Linksys’ WRT610N, launched here some months back.
To be sure, I was tempted by Linksys’ “UFO router” at the last Sitex show in November. But being a D-Link DGL-4300 gaming router user for years now, my target was always the DIR-855 – even if I had to buy it from the United States, where it was launched last year.
The simultaneous dual-band feature will let me hook up my PDA, which goes online on 2.4GHz, as well as my Fujitsu S6520 laptop that can run on the 5GHz spectrum. My other PCs and game consoles at home are mostly hooked up via a wired network, except my wife’s Compaq, which I can move over to 5GHz with a new add-on card.
Why do I need to go on 5GHz? Because my “friendly” neighbours are blasting their Wi-Fi signals from their irritating 2Wire routers to my apartment, covering large parts of it with signals that sometimes reach 40 per cent strength. That’s higher than my own signals at certain places in my apartment.
Sure, they might “escalate” with their own 5GHz routers in future. But for a while, I’ll be one of a few using both 5GHz and 2.4GHz… so I have a choice of response!
The only bad news from D-Link’s DIR-855, besides being delayed for so long after several revisions of its firmware and testing with the local authorities, is that it costs a bomb. It will go for S$349, which will buy you Linksys’ S$235 WRT-610N, PLUS 17 Fillet-O-Fish meals from McDonald’s.
[update: D-Link has said that the DIR-855 will go for a discounted price of S$299 at the show, S$50 less than the usual S$349}
Since I like burgers, and I’ve already overspent over the New Year, I might just wait for the cheaper D-Link DIR-825. It is similar to the DIR-855, but without the costly OLED screen, which I think catches your eye more than it does anything really practical.
Okay, on to the IT Show… and check back here for our goondu finds this Thursday!
Unless you’re a geek, router is a device that gets tucked in one corner next to your modem once you have it properly configured. Over-priced OLED model really makes no sense here as a router is not something you fiddle with every day.