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| Most people don't care I about how routers look, but how they perform |
Following closely on the design-led heels of the Asus RT-N56U is the D-Link DIR-636L, which - as you can see from the image - has a similarly radical approach to router fashion. However, its slightly lower price alludes to something less polished.
In fairness, the form is a stand-out element, and since it's likely the area that'll attract purchasers in the first place, it's only right that we consider it first. The cylindrical design is, as with the Asus. almost artistic and ornamental. It's something that won't look entirely out of place in any room of the house, and it looks only vaguely functional (there's a power indicator and a WAN indicator). If having PC equipment out in the open bothers you. this solves that problem.
Let's face it. though, most people don't care about how routers look, but how they perform. Connectors include four gigabit Ethernet ports, a WAN port and a USB port - nothing you won't find on any router. You do get wireless N support, but it's 2.4GHz only. However, the USB port does allow access to storage, which is a feature normally only found on more expensive routers. Better still, this content can be hosted on the web. so you can access it from any internet connection anywhere in the world {as long as you install the right apps first).
The usual security features are also augmented by tight parental controls (the kind normally found at the browser level) and the ability to view recently visited websites in real time through an iPhone/Android app. Performance is reasonable. Connection speeds are consistent and fairly high even at long ranges. You can get faster, but probably not without spending more. There are undeniably areas of weakness, but the expert features combined with the low cost make this a solid choice, if not a universally great one.
This is dummy text. It is not meant to be read. Accordingly, it is difficult to figure out when to end it. But then, this is dummy text. It is not meant to be read. Period.
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