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D-Link DI-701D-Link DI-701 DSL/Cable Residential Gateway - a router with built-in firewall, DHCP, NAT and a 10/100 Local Port
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Firmware One thing I want to touch on here is the difficulty at which is required to upgrade the firmware on this Router. From using Linksys' Router for so long now and upgrading and downgrading firmware a lot to figure out the best one that works for me I found the D-Links upgrade process tedious and demanding. On the Linksys Router it is a simple matter of downloading the firmware package which includes the firmware itself and the program to upgrade the firmware. You simply install the program on ANY client machine behind the router on the LAN and just run the program and tell it where the firmware is on your PC and what the IP and password is for the Router and it installs it nice and easy. However it's not so easy on the D-Link. D-Link thought this might be a security risk by allowing anyone to gain access to such sensitive features of the router through the Ethernet Ports, so they put a Serial Port on the Router that you have to hook up to a PC and communicate directly with that. Now this kind of baffles me as the D-Link offering is meant for the Home user and NOT the Business user, now in Home use Security of this matter isn't really that necessary. If this Router where meant for a Business setting instead of a home setting then I could totally agree with this serial port, but because this is a Home offering I just don't see the need for such tight security. Then you can hook your router back up and all should be well with the new firmware fully installed, it is a bitchin process that I wish was made easier.
Services On to the Services! Ok, how did this thing work when running things like ICQ, FTP or mIRC? Well it performed very nicely actually. All I had to do in a few cases was forward the correct ports through the Virtual Server feature and the applications worked flawlessly. ICQ2000 worked like a charm after I set it up appropriately, I was able to send and receive files just fine in ICQ. mIRC worked just fine after forwarding a Port for it I was able to connect to any server. FTP worked just fine if I forwarded the correct port to the PC running the FTP Client. All in all any of the services you need to work all you have to do is forward the correct port and it should work. One feature this router doesn't have though and I would have liked to see is the ability to place one ore more PC's completely out of the protection of the Firewall, in a DMZ type of setup.
Some more cool shots This is my networking bookshelf, here right now you will find my Linksys Router, Switch with the D-Link Router on top and my Motorola Cable Modem:
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