D-Link DIR-825 Wireless-N Quadband Home Router

As broadband and Wi-Fi networking become increasingly popular, the airwaves are filling up with signals. With a lot of data transfers, like browsing the internet or downloading, the reduction in speed is little more than an annoyance. But if you’re trying to get top speed from your Wi-Fi for streaming video, gaming or other demanding purposes, it could be critical. This router has been designed to help.

Features:
The D-Link Quadband works by creating two wireless networks that operate concurrently. One uses the standard 2.4GHz frequency, to keep it compatible with any existing Wi-Fi devices you might have, and the other works on 5GHz. This frequency is more commonly used in the UK for baby monitors and also for the 802.11a standard, which was never widely adopted here. The channels should be relatively clear, even if you have lots of Wi-Fi networks around you. This makes it ideal for heavier bandwidth-hungry tasks like media streaming and gaming, but you’ll need a compatible adapter (such as D-Link’s DWA-160).

Performance:
Having two networks at your disposal is certainly going to help reduce any congestion. Despite this, it’s still not as fast as a wired network or even a powerline option, so if speed is really important, it might be worth trying these first. There’s also no ADSL modem option so, while cable customers with Ethernet-based access to the net will be fine, broadband users who connect via the phone line will also need an Ethernet modem (D-Link’s DSL-320B will do the trick for around £30).

Ease of use:
Configuring Wi-Fi products used to be a chore, but D-Link’s set-up wizard makes it a doddle. Because the D-Link Quadband is only a router, your internet connection needs to be up and running already.

Value for money:
Doubling up on networks seems like a good idea but this router is in the mid- to upper-level in terms of price. If speed really is your only consideration, you might be better off spending the money on a cheaper router and a handful of powerline network adapters instead.