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 D-Link RangeBooster ND-Link’s RangeBooster N offers the highest throughput and a very simple setup, making it the hottest router yet. Price:
$130
by John Brandon 
It may be late to the draft 802.11n party, but the D-Link RangeBooster N 650 is one the best routers we’ve tested. It delivers lots of tasty wireless throughput around your entire home. The built-in Quality-of-Service features are just as mouthwatering, providing crystal-clear Skype phone calls, music streaming, and latency-free Xbox 360 multiplayer gaming. Even the setup routine, courtesy of the included Network Magic free trial, works like a charm.
Any Draft N product, including both the DIR-635 router and matching D-Link RangeBooster N DWA-645 notebook card, may or may not comply with the approved 802.11n standard, which is under revision. However, we were very impressed with this router’s performance. Without any other wireless signals present and using Ixia Chariot 6.30, the DIR-635 clocked in at 130 Mbps from five feet. This means the router and many 802.11n products can deliver stunning throughput for transmitting high-def video files in minutes, or doll out enough bandwidth for everyone in your home to exchange files, make Internet phone calls, play online games, and download large files. Surprisingly, even though the DIR-635 uses the same chipset as the Belkin N1, the D-Link’s wireless range was much better. We managed to connect (just barely) from 1,500 feet. The older Belkin Pre-N router actually maintained a good signal at 1,500 feet, so the D-Link DIR-635 can’t compare in that regard. However, bandwidth stayed strong from 50 to 300 feet, running at about 60 to 80 Mbps. Competing 802.11n routers lose throughput sooner, dropping to 40 Mbps or less from those distances. This makes the DIR-635 our top performer. There’s more good news: With the newly improved Quality-of-Service (QoS) features, which help maintain steady throughput for high-latency applications (such as Skype and media streaming), the DIR-635 rated an impressive 4.6 out of 5 in the Ubicom benchmark, compared with ratings of only 2 out of 5 from older routers, such as the Linksys WRT54G. This means digital media looks and sounds better when you use the DIR-635 for all your streaming and movie viewing. Analysts have noted that 802.11n routers are highly susceptible to interference from 802.11g and 802.11b devices. When we tested the DIR-635 with other wireless signals present, speeds dropped to 45Mbps – not a big surprise since the router enters “compatibility mode” in order to allow other clients to function normally. In terms of design, the DIR-635 is not quite as user friendly as the Belkin N1, which has easy-to-identify lights on the front of the router that aid in troubleshooting. However, D-Link wisely included the Network Magic program as part of the default installation, guiding you through even more complex setup procedures, such as connecting a wireless printer or using a network shared folder. In many ways, this is a triple crown for D-Link: excellent speed, impressive QoS, and a great user-friendly interface. Security features are fairly typical: D-Link added WEP support with its latest firmware revision and also supports WPA and WPA2. With Network Magic, you can easily configure security features on the router without going through the mind-boggling process that’s so common with most routers. The only slight ding against the DIR-635 is the warranty, which is just one year from the date of purchase. Sure, the range is not as high as the Belkin Pre-N, but in every other way, the RangeBooster DIR-635 is the best router available. Read User Reviews | Compare Prices | D-Link RangeBooster N Specifications
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