My review of the Dlink DGL-4500 Dual Band

Ill get right to the meat of my review, you can connect at 300 Mbps setting the router at 5Ghz using the dual band capable Intel 4965AGN card, but when switching to 5Ghz I lost 20-30% of signal strength at 40ft compared to 2.4 Ghz, but with the lost signal strength I still maintained a 300 Mbps connection, switching to 2.4 Ghz I gained much signal strength back and connected at 130Mbps, obviously in 5Ghz the range is shorter, this is based on my findings in my house, there are obstructions and other electronic around so these are just my results, the router itself is excellent I have used it for 5 days now and I have never dropped out or had any problems with it, what this router basically is a dir-655 and they added 5Ghz and a really good manual QOS control plus a led screen which you can cycle for all kinds of info, if your an information junkie you will love the led screen so much you can take it to bed and geek out with it all you want, I did find the led screen useful for a few things, the bottom line is that this is a very good router, I wanted to go with the 5Ghz as I’m upgrading my entertainment systems such as a large lcd tv and replacing my home theatre receiver and a few other things in order to have streaming video and music a new Mac when I get bored with Windows and amongst other things, the xbox 360 gets the hardwire, the DGL-4500 is a necessary item for my re and re plans, I am now waiting for a gigabit capable network drive to appear at some store, there are still more things to cover in the DGL-4500 and eventually Ill get to it.
I hope this sheds a little light on this router, feel free to pm me.

 

Thanks. Haven't seen a hands on review of the 4500 from anyone till yours. Got it a CC @$150. and haven't even opened yet. Was toying with returning and getting the Linksys $$$ wrt600N since it auto switches Ghz bands.

Most important the Intel 4965AGN will ONLY work in N mode @ 5GHZ.

You say your losing signal strenght but connected stays at 300Mpbs? Wondering if thats accurate i.e. connected at 54 Mbs but will drop to 34Mbs father away but really no in between like 49.0.

Hoping the DGL 855 comes out before 1/1 but I doubt it.

 

the 4965AGN will work in N at 2.4ghz it will not support the 300mbits / second, but 130mbits isn't too shabby.

 

I am wondering the same thing, Im going to try do do some tests if I can get my friend to bring over his laptop gig enabled network card and attach it to the router, Im going to pick up some cat 6 cable and see what happens.

 

Confused cat 5 on a gigabit port will equal1000 mbits / second, and you would have to be hundreds of feet before loss of signal on a wired connection. Wireless at 300 mbits even with a lower signal will be 300 mbits if it connects at that rate unless there are drops.

 

Ok. I had a gig enabled network drive hooked in my router, I don’t have any through put info but this is what I got, sorry I didn’t do any clock timing but just a small test, transferring a large file at 5 Ghz over 2.4 was faster by about 40%, but it fluctuated, don’t forget this is my house and there are different obstructions, this is not that easy to measure, the transfer was done at 40 ft, call me crazy but when the dog walked up the stairs to the room I had my laptop, the transfer went sporadic in up a and down flucuations.
Bottom line is, if you want really fast transfer, keep it at a reasonable length
This router is designed for the home and no more.

 

5Ghz worse than 2.4 at penetrating anything. But it's a less congested freq. That's why you guys are getting better throughput, less errors and dropped packets.

 

I just re-located the DGL-4500 in my house and am receiving full strength signal at 5 Ghz to my laptop in all the rooms where I plan to use it, all in all the router is just fine, no drops no problems and is stable, Ive created the perfect envelope where all my systems will reside, outside in the backyard as expected I have a signal drop but still its sustainable in the laptops location where I plan to use it.

 

Awesome Kurat glad you are happy.

 

Would it make a huge difference if I place the 4500 downstairs instead of upstairs where my desktop is?
What is the exact range to receive full strength signal?

 

Its all about placing it in different areas and testing, 5 Ghz does make it a bit tricky, most of my systems are downstairs in the rec room, at the other end of my rec room is my office room and my laptop floats room to room, I placed the router closest to where most of the action is but I couldnt place it at my first favourate intended spot due to the fact I wanted a good signal upstairs at the other end of the house, I had a concrete wall that divided the rec room to contend with, each place is different so you have to play with it.

P.S I have now had the DGL-4500 for 2 weeks and no drops, no problems, keeps on working.

 

What number should the speed show in XP for the wireless connection for it to be full signal strength?
And I see that you are living in Toronto, where and how did you order it? I guess it doesn't interfere with your other stuff.

 

Hi
I been doing some research about this router and I have read that you have to manuelly switch the band from 2.4 to 5 Ghz. So i also read that wireless n only works on 5Ghz and wireless G only works on 2.4. so you should have only one type of wireless in your house.
So if i have both types of wireless in my house and i leave this router on 2.4ghz will i beable to use my computers with wireless G and use my computers with wireless N? what about leaving it on 5 GHz? Will i not beable to use wireless g?

thanks

 

I all depends, the latest intel 4965AGN will connect at 300Mbps at 5 Ghz and 130 to 144Mbps at 2.4. to get 300Mbps at 2.4 you need a dedicated Dlink card.
I picked the router up at Circut City in Buffalo on Union Rd near Walden and the Walden Galleria, paid 199.00 US

In 5Ghz you can run mixed N and A, in 2.4 you can run mixed n g b or mixed n g or mixed g b or each one by them selves, no g in 5 Ghz

 

@ Beck 23: I also found this router at Circut City in Buford, GA. Same price as Kurat.

@ Kurat: Are you using this router w/Intel 4965agn card?
I have yet to unbox mine. I am a total rookie and am anxious about hooking up, etc.

 

Yes Im using with a 4965agn, but first do a firmware upgrade to 1.02 when you take it out, go to dlinks site and get and have it ready.

 

You guys have any idea why it isn't released in Canada at the same time?
Do they do shipping to Canada at Circuit City? I would doubt it since they have The Source up here.

 

I just picked up a Dlink DNS-323 NAS drive box and a pair of 500 gig drives, Im doing testing and tweaking all week, I should have some results on gigabit hard wire transfer times and wireless transfer times in both 2.4 and 5Ghz, Im finding out the best way to to check speed is with a good old stop watch and calculator

 

So you can dedicate 5Ghz for N,A and 2.4Ghz for B,G? or only all in one mix mode where everything has to run in 2.4Ghz?

I have a B wireless printer, 2 G laptop and one N laptop. I been looking into upgrading to a N router, but looks like the only way where you don't get screwed in speed is if you get a dual-band router. So my question is, can i get a full 300mbit on the N laptop while keeping B,G stuff connected?

 

Unfortunately the DGL-4500 does not have dual radios, only one radio, so you have to make a choice between mixed mode a/b/g/n at 2.4GHz or just a/n at 5GHz.

The DIR-855 will be able to do both modes simultaneously, due to it's dual radio design, but the DGL-4500's design is based off of the DIR-655.

 

That's pretty bad news to me, so is there another router that was dual radio besides the DIR-855? it seems that sells for $300+ atm.

 

I'm not sure. The only one I know of for sure is the D-Link. Other manufacturers might have a dual-radio model, but I've not done the research yet to find out.