Experience with D-Link DIR-825?

I was wondering if anyone had any experience with the D-Link DIR-825. I am deciding whether or not to replace my aging DGL-4300. My main concern is the number of connections the DIR-825 can handle, as now my DGL-4300 seems to be dropping signals very often both wired and wireless.
I have 2 desktops connected directly to the router, 3 laptops connected wireless, an Xbox 360 connected wireless (DGL-3420), and occasionally an iPod Touch. This router has to cover about a 4500 square feet home and the DGL-4300 has been able to do this, however like I mentioned, the dropping signals have been a problem.
If anyone has other recommendations for good routers, feel free to suggest what you have used. Thanks!

 

Have you added anything new to the house like cordless phones or a microwave oven or anything else 'wireless'.

 

If you are looking for WiFi range I would not recommend the DIR-825. Maybe if you get range extenders. On the other hand if you are looking for throughput that is a totally different story. You dont see to need the dual band feature however so might as well get a DIR-655.

 

@newsposter - I have been using the same cordless phones and microwaves in my home. The only obvious culprit is the wireless mice that are being used with one desktop and one laptop, but even when I remove those to see if there is interference, I still cannot connect wirelessly from my laptop to my router. In fact, even if my laptop detects the router, it cannot connect because it says connection keeps timing out. I have two choices from there, either wait to see if I connect again (ie. keep trying to reconnect) or reboot the router, which usually works.

@lixuelai - How is the range with the DIR-825? My main concerns are range and the number of hardware that will be sharing the router's connection (throughput??). I understand that the 5GHz will have a shorter range due to its higher frequency than the 2.4GHz. Running dual band does sound plausible, however how will I know which hardware can support 5GHz and 2.4GHz? I will have 2 laptops that have wireless N cards that will be using the 5GHz band upstairs and a desktop and iPod Touch using wireless G upstairs as well. The remaining two desktops will be wired.

Has anyone tried out the Apple Airport Extreme MB763LL/A?

 

Well I cannot say for the range of the DIR-825 since I use it in my dorm in college and the room is pretty small. However it should have no issues handling 5+ computers. I often have more than that connected when friends get on my network. It has the fastest processor in a home router. That said the DIR-655 might be better for your needs. The processor in it is clocked lower but should not make much difference.

p.s. N != 5.8Ghz. N with A compatibility does.

 

Ok, you've done the basic troubleshooting.

Is the router placed near any other electronics like a TV or home entertainment center?

 

I'm running a DIR-825, its a great router but if your after range, I would go with the DIR-655 or DGL-4500, these two are much better for range then the 825, I've also owned the 4500 and 655, if price is a problem go with the 655 and it does an excellent job, the 4500 is nothing but supurb and I loved it, the only reason I went with the 825 is I needed the simultaneous dual radio in order to run some of my older wireless stuff and also run my Intel 4965AGN at 5GHZ for full through put to my MediaSmart server, now that I am shortly going to be dropping some of my older wireless equipment and may go back to the 4500, the 825 is still a great router if range is not a concern to you, the 855 in my mind is too expensive for what it does.
Depending on the house construction and your planed router placement in a 4500 sq ft house, I'm sure you are going to run shy on signal especially in 5 GHZ.

 

@newsposter - My router is located inside the office which is adjacent to the family room where my TV and sound system is located. The position of all the electronics has not changed, therefore I do not think there is interference between my router and TV/sound system. I haven't been having issues with dropping connections until lately.

@Kurat - Do you know what the range is for the 5GHz band on the DIR-825? I would like to use 2.4GHz and 5GHz simultaneously, however DIR-655 and DGL-4500 do not support this. I have two laptops that have wireless N cards, so I would like to utilize 5GHz where with all other wireless hardware will be running wireless G on the 2.4GHz band. Both laptops will be upstairs about 200-300 feet away from the router.

Even though my office is located adjacent to my family room, the family room is an open 2 story one, so there is plenty of open space for the signal to travel to the bedrooms upstairs. What do you think?

 

I've used a DIR-825, and found that the stability of its wireless connection is spotty. It'd be fine at first, then over the course of the day internet browsing would start to get dodgy. No idea why, and I left all the router settings at default. I even upgraded it to the latest firmware, and no help.

Also the range on the 5ghz band was extremely crappy.

Mine's might be faulty, but I still wouldn't recommend it to others.

 

As for the recommendation of the DIR-655, I have it and loved it but recently it has started dropping connections. I thinks it's dying.

 

Yeah, I think the same has been happening with my DGL-4300. It has been a great router, but I think it's starting to show its age..sometimes I can't even connect! I've been looking at the DIR-655 and DIR-825. I noticed alot of people getting good range from the DIR-655, but I really would like the simultaneous dual band that is offered by the DIR-825. However, looking at the range of the 5GHz band, I don't think it will make it to the two bedrooms which we have laptops running.

Does anyone have experience with the range of the 5GHz band of the DIR-825?

 

Right now the 825 is about 40 ft to the furthest room I like using the laptop, there are a few obstructions as the router is downstairs, I am getting a constant 3-4 bars, when the 825 was first setup originaly, it was about 55 feet away and had to penetrate a concrete wall and other usuall stuff like floor and panel walls, I was getting 1-2 bars with some drop outs, but not many, there are better antennas out there, go to a ham radio site becuase the ham boys are very good at what they do and they have figured out how to extend wifi at a minimal cost.
If you have an open concept or somthing like it, you might be ok

Remember with the 825, dont go by a favorate convenient spot, this router is all location orientated if your in a house, you have to move it around for the sweet spot, if you cant relocate the router, you have to find alternatives.

Ray

 

Personally, I would recommend staying away from D-Link routers. I've had 2 in the past and both ended up having horrible performance issues 1-2 years later. Right now, I have 2 linksys routers, and they have been performing top notch since day 1. my 2 cents.

 

Thanks for the input. Well my modem stays in the office, so naturally my router won't stray far. I don't have any concrete flooring or walls for the signal to travel through, so obstruction shouldn't be TOO much of an issue. I'm just worrying about the distance from the router to the bedrooms if I will utilize the 5GHz band. Do you run 5GHz and 2.4GHz simultaneously? If so, how is the 2.4GHz performance?

 

Yes I run 5GHz and 2.4GHz simultaneously, the 2.4 works well and has better range by about 2 bars from router to furthest room, my 5GHz is set for N only, so I can get a full 300mbit/sec for large file transfers to my HP MediaSmart Server, but once in a while it drops to 270mbit/sec, my 2.4GHz is set for G only for my wireless Xbox 360, Blackberry Bold and a Meade LX200 GPS telescope as I do amature astronomy and astro photography, so Im using both radios to the fullest, when I have my telescope setup for photography, the whole setup looks like a sloppy one man version of NASA, if I didnt have all this crap to work with, I would have stayed with the dual band single radio DGL-4500.
You may want to look at purchasing the 825 from a place like Best Buy and take advantage of thier return policy if the 825 doesn't do what you want.
By the way, the 825 reaches my telescope and other equipment in my backyard, and this is all due to good placement of the router, mind you it was a complete pain in the butt relocating the router, the problem wasn't the drilling, relocation and fishing of cable, the biggest problem was testing for signal strength by myself, make sure you have a second person helping you do the testing.

 

Have you tried 2.4GHz mixed G/N? What advantage does 5GHz N have over 2.4GHz N besides the ability to transfer larger amount of data?

 

Yes Ive tried mixed G/N in 2.4GHz, it works good but for myself personaly, it all comes down to transfering of large files.
Running N in 5GHz gives you the advantage of having less interference then what 2.4GHz has, such as wireless game controllers, phones and other household things that run in that range, but give it time and the 5GHz range will be prone to interfearance.

 

Yeah, I use alot of wireless devices like mice. I think my cordless phones run on 2.4GHz as well, so interference is an issue as I think more about it. I don't want to spend too much money although I do care about performance. I noticed DIR-655 does have good range, especially with the 3 antennas. The DIR-825 has the simultaneous dual band, which is helpful to avoid all the interference near my laptops. I'm really stuck between the two.