X

D-Link to ship new budget N router

D-Link announces that it's about to ship the DIR-651, a budget Gigabit wireless router that costs less than $100.

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.
See full bio
Dong Ngo

The new budget Gigabit wireless router, model DIR-651, from D-Link.
The new DIR-651 budget Gigabit wireless router from D-Link. D-Link

It looks like D-Link wants to offer a competitor to Cisco's new Linksys E1500 budget router

According to D-Link, this new single-band router features multiple intelligent antennas, and supports Intelligent Quality of Service, which aids in optimizing Internet traffic for services such as VoIP or gaming.

Related links
• Full review of the Linksys E1500 Wireless-N Router with SpeedBoost
• Full review of the Asus RT-N56U Dual-Band Gigabit Wireless-N Router
• Read about D-Link's hybrid DHP-1320 Wireless-N PowerLine Router

Most significant, however, is the fact that D-Link's new router supports Gigabit Ethernet, which the E1500 doesn't. This means wired clients can enjoy network speeds of up to 1000Mbps, and those with a home server can enjoy media streaming to multiple devices without worrying about clogging their networks.

Like most wireless routers, the DIR-651 comes with four LAN ports and one WAN port. For security, the router also supports all variations of WPA and WPA2 standards. In addition, it supports Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS), so you can add WPS-enabled clients to the network with the push of a button.

The DIR-651 Wireless N 300 Gigabit Router is slated to be available next month for an estimated price of $90, about the same as that of the Linksys E1500.