D-Link's newest pre-draft 802.11ac router, the Wireless AC1750 Dual Band Gigabit Cloud Router (DIR-868L) does not deliver the powerful performance of some competing 11ac routers I've tested, but the device offers good enough performance and adds some feature improvements over D-Link's lackluster introductory 11ac router?the Amplifi Cloud Router 5700 (DIR-865L).
Specs
One noticeable difference between the DIR-865L and the 868L is the physical shape. The DIR-865L is a traditional square router. The DIR-868L has a cylindrical housing reminiscent of a large coffee grinder. The design is very similar to another D-link networking product I've tested, the D-Link Amplifi DAP-1625 Wi-Fi Booster. This shape is intended to enhance a D-Link feature called AC SmartBeam, D-Link's version of beamforming?a technology that helps wireless performance by guiding a wireless signal to the wireless clients. The height of the DIR-868L also is conducive to housing high-power amplifiers. The router measures 8.5 by 3.5 by 4 inches (HWD). The front panel has two LEDs: One indicates power status and the other, WAN activity.
The 868L is a dual-band router, supporting up to a theoretical 450 Mbps at the 2.4GHz band and up to 1300 Mbps at 5GHz. It has four Gigabit LAN ports, a Gigabit WAN port, one USB 2.0 port for connecting external storage and printers. The device also supports
Setup
There are two setup options for the AC1750:? You can either use a Web-browser-based setup wizard or you can perform a QRS Mobile setup. The latter uses D-Link's QRS Mobile app for Android or iOS to allow setup of the router from a smartphone or tablet.?
The router ships with a Quick Connect guide that includes a QRS code. You scan the code from a smartphone and your phone's browser is redirected to Google Play or iTunes to download the D-Link QRS mobile app. Unfortunately, no Windows Phone version is yet available. Once the app is installed, you connect to the router with the phone using the preconfigured SSID and passphrase. That information is printed on a small card that slips in and out of a slot at the bottom of the router.
Once I had the app installed on my Android phone, tapping it open displayed a welcome screen that guided me through setting up the router. From this screen, I could set my own wireless network passphrase and change the admin password to the router?as you should always do.
After using the app to configure the router that way you want, the app applies the changes and throws the router a reboot?or at least it's supposed to. Although I saw confirmation of a reboot in the app's interface, as I stared at the router it never rebooted. I confirmed my smart phone and router were connected to the same Wi-Fi. They were, but the app was unable to reboot the router and apply the changes I made.
So, after all that, I had to go through the browser-based setup anyway. The app not only did not work, but it seems like a time-waster since you have to go into an app store, download, install, and then set up the router. I prefer connecting a laptop or tablet and just using the browser to configure it.
Interface and Features
D-Link's interface has not changed since I had the D-Link DIR-655 Gaming Router back in 2007. The interface is adequate but looks dated and cluttered and could use a refresh. It is, however, still feature-packed as I noted in the review of the DIR-865L. D-Link's routers have always been a favorite among gamers and techies because of advanced capabilities such as QoS that, according to my testing, really does improve buffering time and lag. Other advanced features include robust IPv6 support, the ability to enable IPv4 or IPv6 multicast streams, virtual servers and inbound filtering rules.
I was pleased to see that one feature I'd previously found not up-to-par when reviewing the DIR-856L has improved: the mydlink app. This app allows you to remotely manage the router. When I last tested it, I had problems just signing into the D-Link cloud service the app uses. This time I was able to sign in and easily associate the DIR-868L to the remote management cloud service. The mydlink app and service are convenient for managing the router and monitoring connections remotely from a mobile device or PC.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/8Su8c-_U7nw/0,2817,2422521,00.asp
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