In Brief

The D-Link DI-624 won't win any design awards, but under that drab exterior is a true speed demon with features to spare. It's the best overall value in a very crowded wireless router field. Our only real quibbles are that the much-vaunted 108Mbps mode only works with D-Link client adapters, and performance takes a big hit when 802.11b clients are in the area. But even if you have a mixed b/g network, it's still faster than the competition.

In Depth

Right out of the box, the D-Link impresses, with its excellent Quick Installation Guide that tells you exactly what you need to know to get it up and running in minutes. No fumbling around figuring out where to plug what with this router, and no software to install on your computer. Even better, you can set it up either horizontally or vertically, to save desk space, or get it off your desk entirely with the included wall-mount screws. We just wish it wasn't such an ugly duckling (the software could use better art direction too).

Configuration is a breeze, thanks to the Setup Wizard embedded in the router software. It handles static, dynamic and PPoE connections with equal ease. Experts can skip the Wizard if they like, and get down and dirty with the D-Link's deep array of filters and firewall features, including remote management. With help from the excellent manual and online training, even beginners can figure out things like how to open a port for an online game. And parents can easily lock out the kids from certain Web sites, or even from Internet access altogether (a fate worse than grounding!). Support for both 128-bit WEP encryption and WPA conforms to the very latest wireless security protocols, so be sure you take advantage of them. The Setup Wizard wisely prompts you to turn encryption on, and choose a password for your network.

But don't worry if you have no idea what a Virtual Server is. All you really need to know about the D-Link is that it's freaking fast, has great range, and has enough firewall features to do just about anything you need. In our Lab tests, the D-Link was by far the fastest of the 802.11g routers we've reviewed when used in g-only environments. It also had astounding range, getting a good signal even 50 feet away from the base station -- again the best of the lot. And that isn't even counting the D-Link's proprietary 108Mbps mode, which kicks performance even higher for wireless clients equipped with D-Link's XtremeG adapters. But note that real-world speeds will drop drastically if 802.11b clients are in the area. An annoyance, but even with mixed b/g networks, the D-Link is the fastest thing going.

(Note: D-Link has issued three major hardware revisions of the DI-624 since its introduction, and countless firmware updates. This review applies to Revision C of the hardware, which supports the 108Mbps mode, and has a single antenna, compared to the dual antennae in Revisions A and B.)