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CES: D-Link launches USB 3.0 HD media routers

D-Link announces three HD media routers, two of which come with USB 3.0.

Dong Ngo SF Labs Manager, Editor / Reviews
CNET editor Dong Ngo has been involved with technology since 2000, starting with testing gadgets and writing code for CNET Labs' benchmarks. He now manages CNET San Francisco Labs, reviews 3D printers, networking/storage devices, and also writes about other topics from online security to new gadgets and how technology impacts the life of people around the world.
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The new DIR-857 HD media router from D-Link. It's super sleek.
The new DIR-857 HD media router from D-Link. It's super sleek. Dong Ngo/CNET

The DIR-857 is one of the first routers with a built-in USB 3.0 port.
The DIR-857 is one of the first routers with a built-in USB 3.0 port. Dong Ngo/CNET

The new HD media routers all come with an SD card slot, Wireless-N, and Gigabit Ethernet. Two of them come with a USB 3.0 port, which is a first among routers, and this likely means much better network storage performance.

According to D-Link, the new HD media routers feature a new sharing platform powered by MiiiCasa, a cloudlike server that enables household members to manage their content among IP-connected devices.

The new HD Media Router family includes:

  • HD Media Router 1000 (DIR-657): A single-band 300Mbps Wireless-N router with a USB 2.0 SharePort Plus port.

  • HD Media Router 2000 (DIR-827): A true dual-band Wireless-N router with USB 3.0 that offers up to 2Gbps transfer rates.

  • HD Media Router 3000 (DIR-857): This is the top, uncompromising, true dual-band router that has all that the DIR-827 has, plus offering up to 450Mbps on the 5GHz band, similar to the WNDR4000 from Netgear.

D-Link says that its new HD media routers will provide the best possible video quality for wireless streaming across set-top boxes (like TiVo, Slingbox, and Boxee Box by D-Link), as well as for network storage devices and PC-to-PC traffic. Consumers can expect a consistent streaming experience in the home.

The DIR-657 is slated to be available during the first quarter of the year and will cost less than $140. The other two models, DIR-827 and DIR-857, will be available during the second and third quarter, respectively. Currently their prices are to be determined.