Dlink 655 vs Linksys WRT160N Router

[lazychild]

I am looking for a stable router (using DIR-615) now. I find it quite disappointing and decided to upgrade it to a more reliable one.

I've read good reviews on Dlink-655 on other threads. However, I dont know if I should try Linksys routers. Can someone please give me some suggestions/advices on these. I am comparing these two routers because they seem to be in the same price range. However, if there is another model that you find reliable, please let me know as well.

Thanks! Much appreciated.

[user01]

I have a Dlink-655 but I don't like it much. It's too protective and I can't get my PSP or other 3rd party devices to connect to the router. Someone told me to take off one of the port but that would be too risky for me...

[lazychild]

What about Linksys routers?

[mrwinky]

I've been running a DIR655 for about 14 months now, and I thought over Xmas it was dying... I was getting kicked from hte PSN all the time. Turns out it was my Bit Torrent client kicking me out. This Router has been a rock otherwise... Current connections

Hp laptop hardwired
DNS-323 hardwired
Brother Printer hardwired
PS3 Hardwired
Xbox 360 Wifi
xbox 360 wifi
Apple Touch Wifi
Wii wifi
DSM-510 Wifi
Dell Laptop Wifi
Hp Laptop Wifi

I would recommended it

[number84]

another happy DIR-655 user. have been using it for about a year or so. no issues at all. and the built-in QoS seems to work well. no one complaining at least.

[lazychild]

How is it's range like?

I am placing it in my basement. But I want to be able to access it in my room on third floor. Is this router an ideal choice for it then?

Or should I go for something with range boost or something like that.

[mrwinky]

I have mine in the basement of a bungelow... I can get 4 bars in my bedroom on the oppsite side of my house. Approx 30 feet accross and 10 feet up... with lots of walls in the way


Winky

[Hello-]

I think the comparison is a bit unfair, comparing a $120 dlink with an $80 linksys. The direct competitor of the dir-655 would be the wrt310n. The wrt160n doesn't have gigabit lan.

Personally, I would go with the linksys because of DD-WRT support. D-link will eventually abandon software updates to the dir-655 but dd-wrt updates will continue indefinitely, as long as people keep writing code for it.

[lazychild]

Thanks for your suggestions.

So I believe WTR310N is the one then!

What so special about DD-WRT anyways?

[Hello-]

Be sure to read up on how to flash the firmware to DD-WRT on the linksys before doing it. There's nothing difficult about firmware flashing but it should only be done with proper understanding and preparation. An improper flash could brick your router.

http://dd-wrt.com/

[mrwinky]

I admit DDWRT is nice to use...but to be quite honest if your not tweaking or doing anything special I would go with a 655 and just let it run... IMHO



Winky

[Avatar]

Well. I'll suggest you to hold up for a little while because 802.11N might be approved by the end of this year and new routers will be coming out. Right now there's no guaranteed that any routers will be upgraded to N automatically when it's approved.
I have a DLink DIR655. It's an A1 version. Got it when it first come out. Good things are it's fast, good range and lots of features. But the wireless gives me lots of trouble these day after 2 years of use. Frequent disconnection and reboots. Wire works OK. I tried so many different configurations and still disconnecting. Try to get the dual band if you can't wait to isolate the interference from 2.4G frequencies (phone, microwave etc.) to get better signal. It might have something to do with the disconnection also.

[frankyflwrs]

Turns out it was my Bit Torrent client kicking me out. This Router has been a rock otherwise... Current connections

How on earth did you figure that out?? I have the same problem...I keep getting booted out of my psn and don't know why. I'm gonna turn off my bittorrent thingy when I get home.

[railgrinder]

How on earth did you figure that out?? I have the same problem...I keep getting booted out of my psn and don't know why. I'm gonna turn off my bittorrent thingy when I get home.

Sorry to go off on a tangent here, but I find this all too common on almost any router. Whether it's default or 3rd party firmware, people running BT that don't quite know what they're doing tend to max out their upload bandwidth and everything from there just chokes which eventually leads to an overheating router that you end up power cycling every so often.

Either enable/configure QOS on your router or set your max upload speed on your BT client to only 80% of your max upload bandwidth to give it some headroom. Ex. If your max bandwidth is 1Mbit(125KB/s) set your BT client's max upload speed to only 800Kbit(100KB/s)

[mtl514]

I have a DIR-655, over a year now, great little device.