D-Link introduces a router
tweaked for gamers
D-Link DGL-4300 wireless gaming router
The product: Stream on, you gamers. D-Link's new DGL-4300 wireless gaming router is designed to deliver throughput to the applications that need it most. A routing engine integrated into the unit prioritizes bandwidth-intensive applications, such as those for gaming, VoIP, and teleconferencing, so that file transfers, downloads, and Web page requests don't chop up your streaming activities. The router also touts an SPI firewall and parental controls that let you bar your children from accessing certain sites. Other new features and key specs include:

• Integrated 802.11g access point
• Four-port Gigabit Ethernet switch
• 5dBi antenna
• WPA security
• New Web-based GUI with Enhanced Effects

The price: The D-Link DWL-4300 is offered through a host of retailers and currently sells for about $150.

The prospects: Providing for enhanced quality of service on small networks will be increasingly important as more and more bandwidth-intensive applications find their way into the home. D-Link's DWL-4300 looks like a good stopgap toward addressing that need. The unit's weak link is the access point, which lacks the new MIMO technology aimed at providing high throughput in challenging wireless environments. Expect a MIMO rendition of this router before year's end.

By Allen Fear, senior editor, CNET Reviews