Router D-Link DIR-620: overview, specifications, setup and reviews

In the market of network equipment, there are a lot of interesting products in the budget segment for both home use and office installation. Each well-known brand tried to provide a potential buyer with several modifications of routers that can satisfy all the user's needs.

However, only the company D-Link managed to surprise the future owner, who allowed herself to unite several completely different devices under the same router model, which will be discussed in this article. The reader will get acquainted with the routers of the DIR-620 line, learn their characteristics, functional and algorithms for correct tuning. Feedback from owners will allow you to see the advantages and disadvantages of interesting routers.

Marketing course

Many users are sure that the famous Taiwanese manufacturer simply made a mistake in marking new products, assigning the same modification to different devices. But with more thorough investigation, taking into account the abundant advertising in the media, many experts came to the conclusion that D-Link had done it intends.

It is enough to imagine a situation where all potential customers, regardless of the needs, the seller offers only one router - D-Link DIR-620. After all, it is impossible that one device can ensure the fulfillment of all the tasks set. And if under one marking several completely different devices?

Representative of the elite

It is quite difficult to classify a device as "business" at a cost of 2000 rubles, but this is how the Taiwanese manufacturer positions its DIR-620A product. The router is more like a stereo system than a network equipment. It is the appearance of the router that attracts many buyers. As for the characteristics of the device, here is the complete order:

• Standard Wi-Fi 802.11n with the ability to quickly connect devices (WPS);
• Network switch for 4 ports;
• A USB port with support for all devices, including printers and 3G / 4G modems;
• Work with all types of data encryption;
• The organization of connections on any channel, including private virtual networks.

In addition to its attractive appearance and excellent features, the DIR-620 has a lot of interesting functionality, which is not mentioned in the manual. In their responses, many owners claim that the router supports remote management (Telnet or PuTTY), and also supports the open standard IEEE 802.1q, which is very popular among system administrators of many enterprises.

Light version

But for the buyers who are accustomed to using inexpensive network equipment, which does not stand out for its appearance against the background of computer equipment, the manufacturer made a small surprise by releasing the DIR-620 router without any marking. In fact, according to technical characteristics and functional, it is the same representative of the business class. The only change was the appearance - the technologists installed the hardware in another plastic case.

However, with a detailed study of the product, it will be found out that in addition to the cheapening (1000 rubles), the router lost some interesting functions that IT specialists might be interested in. It's about working with virtual private networks and the possibility of remote management. On the other hand, this user does not need such functionality at home.

A look into the future

But the network equipment D-Link DIR-620S / G1 is aimed at a completely different audience. The manufacturer preferred to present the router in the form of a retro-device. The fact is that the router looks more like a radio receiver of the 20th century than a powerful network device with a large and interesting functionality.

The network equipment is positioned in the business class, as the basic criterion is for the router to provide a high-quality coverage of the premises with unhindered access to the Wi-Fi network via the 802.11n channel. Strange-looking device worth 2500 rubles perfectly conveys the signal through the reinforced concrete walls, which attracts the attention of many buyers, judging by their feedback. As for the technical characteristics, there are no restrictions - an excellent network tool for the system administrator.

An interesting player

Another representative of the company D-Link with the WiFi marking DIR-620D / F1 deserves attention of potential buyers. The matter is that this modification by its appearance and functionality strongly resembles the 620S router. The difference is only in color and cost - network equipment worth 1,000 rubles more relates to the budget class.

A bit incomprehensible is the policy of the manufacturer who tries to sell the same product in different price segments. The only negative that was found to customers is unstable work of the firmware, it needs to be reinstalled immediately after purchasing the router.

Features of all D-Link routers

When connecting the router for the first time , regardless of the modification, it is recommended to go to the official website of the manufacturer, download the latest software for the device and install it using a personal computer.

If upgrading the software of all D-Link routers improves the security of the network device, the firmware of the DIR-620 D is capable of eliminating the problems of connecting several devices via the Wi-Fi 802.11n channel and eliminating the hangups when transferring large files.

First steps

For some reason, many users are sure that in the network equipment you just need to configure the wireless connection for comfortable work, leaving the rest of the functionality unchanged. It is this solution that leads to the hacking of private networks by intruders who have unimpeded access to all personal files of users.

Setting up the D-Link DIR-620 always begins with changing the password for accessing the device parameters. To do this, go to the "Administration" menu and select "Change access settings". If the user does not plan to remotely control the network device, then this functionality should also be disabled.

Internet access

For any DIR-620 device, the setup begins with the download of the Smart Assistant software, which prompts the user to configure the network automatically. Yes, such a solution will allow you to quickly determine the parameters needed for the Internet, but this program also has disadvantages - the configuration is performed using one algorithm on all D-Link devices, which means that an attacker can intercept the management of the router.

On the other hand, if the provider does not provide a direct connection but uses virtual networks, the user may have problems that can be solved only by knowing the remote server address, login and password for access.

The most important parameters

Setting up the D-Link DIR-620 in the Wi-Fi section should not be limited to setting a password for access. The user, who worries about the safety of his data, should take care of renaming the access point (set a convenient name in Latin letters, removing the model of the router from the name). As for encryption and password, it is up to the owner to decide which technologies are preferable for him.

Naturally, WPA2 will be more reliable, but not all home appliances (TV tuner, TV, refrigerator) support this type of encryption - you need to find a compromise. Do not forget about the function WPS, which allows you to connect mobile devices to the router without entering a password.

Own local area network

For the DIR-620 router, the setting should not be limited to changing Wi-Fi settings. Many users recommend using the function "Demilitarized zone" in their responses. This option allows you to configure a virtual private network based on a network device with limited access to it by IP or MAC address. In fact, this setting is guaranteed to protect all computers connected to the DMZ network.

Port forwarding to DIR-620 for games, file server, IPTV, static routing, firewall and NAT are a pleasant bonus not only for the average user, but for the real system administrator. Naturally, without additional knowledge in network equipment to the uninitiated buyer is unlikely to be able to deal with such settings.

Finally

Network equipment DIR-620 is really capable to surprise any buyer not only with an affordable price, but with a decent functionality. True, the company's policy regarding the professional settings of the device for system administration is not quite clear. But this is better attributed to the merits, because from year to year the level of security of network devices is steadily growing.