Time for a new router, I think

cwa107


Retired Staff
Joined
Dec 20, 2006
Messages
27,042
Reaction score
812
Points
113
Location
Lake Mary, Florida
Your Mac's Specs
14" MacBook Pro M1 Pro, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD
So, although my trust DIR-655 is still working perfectly, I've been pining for one of the latest 450Mb/s models, particularly a dual-band model that can work simultaneously in 5/2.4GHz. Aside from the AirPort Extreme, which I have given plenty of thought to - what other models should I be looking at?

Maximum PC seems particularly entranced with Netgear's latest high end routers, but as I'm sure most of you networking enthusiasts know, I'm not a fan of their products (or Belkin for that matter).
 

BrianLachoreVPI


Retired Staff
Joined
Feb 24, 2011
Messages
3,733
Reaction score
124
Points
63
Location
Maryland
Your Mac's Specs
March 2011 15" MBP 2.3GHz i7 Quad Core 8GB Ram | Mid 2011 27" iMac 3.4 GHz i7 16 GB RAM 2 TB HDD
I've been happy with my Linksys 4200 thus far - although I haven't used any of the external drive features as of yet. Netgear came out with this one just recently - Netgear's N750 wireless router Newspeaks its way to 750Mbps -- Engadget which looks at first glance to have very similar features.

I don't think you can go wrong with the Airport Extreme though. If they put a Thunderbolt port on one - I'll pick one up. :)
 
Joined
Oct 27, 2002
Messages
13,172
Reaction score
348
Points
83
Location
Cleveland, Ohio
Your Mac's Specs
MacBook Pro | LED Cinema Display | iPhone 4 | iPad 2
Why do you hate the Airport Extreme? :p
 
Joined
Jan 19, 2008
Messages
4,695
Reaction score
73
Points
48
Location
houston texas
Your Mac's Specs
09 MBP 8GB ram 500GB HD OS 10.9 32B iPad 4 32GB iPhone 5 iOs7 2TB TC Apple TV3
My new AEBS has worked great so far and we are in the process of trying out Netgear's
newest models in the field to early to give a grade.
 
OP
cwa107

cwa107


Retired Staff
Joined
Dec 20, 2006
Messages
27,042
Reaction score
812
Points
113
Location
Lake Mary, Florida
Your Mac's Specs
14" MacBook Pro M1 Pro, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD
Why do you hate the Airport Extreme? :p

I don't hate it! I have philosophical differences with it, let's just say :D

EDIT: Seriously though... aside from the lack of a built-in web interface, the only other shortcoming as I see it is that I can't wall-mount it, and the antennas can't be repositioned for such. They do sell 3rd-party brackets, however, and I have been considering that.
 
Joined
Jan 19, 2008
Messages
4,695
Reaction score
73
Points
48
Location
houston texas
Your Mac's Specs
09 MBP 8GB ram 500GB HD OS 10.9 32B iPad 4 32GB iPhone 5 iOs7 2TB TC Apple TV3
I will say having simultaneous radios in the AEBS works like a charm and back-ups via
usb seem a lot quicker.
 

dtravis7


Retired Staff
Joined
Jan 4, 2005
Messages
30,133
Reaction score
703
Points
113
Location
Modesto, Ca.
Your Mac's Specs
MacMini M-1 MacOS Monterey, iMac 2010 27"Quad I7 , MBPLate2011, iPad Pro10.5", iPhoneSE
I have not kept up with the latest Dlink models but wonder if the latest from is as good as the DIR-655 and has all the features, but also the new features you are looking for? I will do some reading and see what I can find.

The Airport Extreme is a great router but I much prefer the firewall on the Dlink routers I have used of late, also the WWW interface and MAC address cloning which every review I have seen said the AE does not have and needed here where I live.
 
OP
cwa107

cwa107


Retired Staff
Joined
Dec 20, 2006
Messages
27,042
Reaction score
812
Points
113
Location
Lake Mary, Florida
Your Mac's Specs
14" MacBook Pro M1 Pro, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD
I have not kept up with the latest Dlink models but wonder if the latest from is as good as the DIR-655 and has all the features, but also the new features you are looking for? I will do some reading and see what I can find.

The Airport Extreme is a great router but I much prefer the firewall on the Dlink routers I have used of late, also the WWW interface and MAC address cloning which every review I have seen said the AE does not have and needed here where I live.

Yeah, that's another good point - I still don't believe the AEBS has an SPI firewall, and I'm a big believer in those.
 

bobtomay

,
Retired Staff
Joined
Dec 22, 2006
Messages
26,561
Reaction score
677
Points
113
Location
Texas, where else?
Your Mac's Specs
15" MBP '06 2.33 C2D 4GB 10.7; 13" MBA '14 1.8 i7 8GB 10.11; 21" iMac '13 2.9 i5 8GB 10.11; 6S
Been eyeing this one. You could try it out for the rest of us and let us know if this one should become the new Mac-Forums standard bearer or not. ;D

This one's even more high dollar than the 655 was when we all got it 4 yrs ago.


edit:
Amazon actually has it for just a few bucks less than I think I paid for the 655.
 
OP
cwa107

cwa107


Retired Staff
Joined
Dec 20, 2006
Messages
27,042
Reaction score
812
Points
113
Location
Lake Mary, Florida
Your Mac's Specs
14" MacBook Pro M1 Pro, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD
Been eyeing this one. You could try it out for the rest of us and let us know if this one should become the new Mac-Forums standard bearer or not. ;D

This one's even more high dollar than the 655 was when we all got it 4 yrs ago.


edit:
Amazon actually has it for just a few bucks less than I think I paid for the 655.

Saw that one, but it doesn't look like it can do simultaneous 5/2.4, it's like two different networks essentially.

Maximum PC just raves about the WNDR3700, and it's priced right too. I'm seriously thinking about buying another Netgear product (heaven help me!).

I really trust their reviews and they have not steered me wrong yet (The DIR-655 purchase was as the result of their recommendation).
 
Joined
Oct 27, 2002
Messages
13,172
Reaction score
348
Points
83
Location
Cleveland, Ohio
Your Mac's Specs
MacBook Pro | LED Cinema Display | iPhone 4 | iPad 2
I just don't know if I could ever put another netgear anything in my home. :p
 

dtravis7


Retired Staff
Joined
Jan 4, 2005
Messages
30,133
Reaction score
703
Points
113
Location
Modesto, Ca.
Your Mac's Specs
MacMini M-1 MacOS Monterey, iMac 2010 27"Quad I7 , MBPLate2011, iPad Pro10.5", iPhoneSE
That Netgear sure gets a great review from Maximum PC, but I echo Schweb's concerns about Netgear from past experience. The Dlink DIR-665 has a lot of bad reviews and also CWA, you are right, it's not Simultaneous Dual Band.
 
Joined
Jan 19, 2008
Messages
4,695
Reaction score
73
Points
48
Location
houston texas
Your Mac's Specs
09 MBP 8GB ram 500GB HD OS 10.9 32B iPad 4 32GB iPhone 5 iOs7 2TB TC Apple TV3
What ever you pick I would make sure its IPv6 ready here is a test for those who think they are. Test your IPv6.
 

pigoo3

Well-known member
Staff member
Admin
Joined
May 20, 2008
Messages
44,210
Reaction score
1,418
Points
113
Location
U.S.
Your Mac's Specs
2017 15" MBP, 16gig ram, 1TB SSD, OS 10.15
I was looking at this router (DIR-655 XTreme N Gigabit Router):

D-Link Xtreme N Gigabit Router

- Is this the same DIR-655 that everyone has been recommending for years...or is it an upgraded version of the DIR-655?

I would really like to get a router with wireless printer sharing (I have an older non-wireless HP laser printer that I would like to share over my home network). This DIR-655 "XTreme" seems to have wireless printer sharing...

- Does anyone know how easy it is to set up a printer with it? I usually find that non-Apple products seem to be extremely difficult to set up wireless printer sharing when working in Macintosh environments.

Thanks,

- Nick
 

dtravis7


Retired Staff
Joined
Jan 4, 2005
Messages
30,133
Reaction score
703
Points
113
Location
Modesto, Ca.
Your Mac's Specs
MacMini M-1 MacOS Monterey, iMac 2010 27"Quad I7 , MBPLate2011, iPad Pro10.5", iPhoneSE
Nick, the newer one is supposed to be a revision II and have IVP 6 support, but should be the same otherwise.

There is an app you install and run in OSX that controls the printer sharing from the routers USB port. I tried it once and it worked. That is all I can remember.
 

bobtomay

,
Retired Staff
Joined
Dec 22, 2006
Messages
26,561
Reaction score
677
Points
113
Location
Texas, where else?
Your Mac's Specs
15" MBP '06 2.33 C2D 4GB 10.7; 13" MBA '14 1.8 i7 8GB 10.11; 21" iMac '13 2.9 i5 8GB 10.11; 6S
That's the same one cwa, kash and I all ended up with at about the same time and started recommending - newer revision possibly - have not verified.

My printer is connected to it, but it's connected via ethernet and have never tried it via USB. Via ethernet it has worked with XP, Win7, 10.4, 10.5, 10.6 and the couple of versions of Linux I "very" briefly played with.
 

pigoo3

Well-known member
Staff member
Admin
Joined
May 20, 2008
Messages
44,210
Reaction score
1,418
Points
113
Location
U.S.
Your Mac's Specs
2017 15" MBP, 16gig ram, 1TB SSD, OS 10.15
Nick, the newer one is supposed to be a revision II and have IVP 6 support, but should be the same otherwise.

There is an app you install and run in OSX that controls the printer sharing from the routers USB port. I tried it once and it worked. That is all I can remember.

Thanks man!:) Yes...the D-Link site had this photo...with the "IVP 6" logo:

DIR-655_front.png


What is "IVP 6" (not that I couldn't "Google" it;))?

Does the wireless printer setup "app" you mentioned come with the DIR-655 setup software?

Thanks a bunch,:)

- Nick
 

pigoo3

Well-known member
Staff member
Admin
Joined
May 20, 2008
Messages
44,210
Reaction score
1,418
Points
113
Location
U.S.
Your Mac's Specs
2017 15" MBP, 16gig ram, 1TB SSD, OS 10.15
That's the same one cwa, kash and I all ended up with at about the same time and started recommending - newer revision possibly - have not verified.

My printer is connected to it, but it's connected via ethernet and have never tried it via USB. Via ethernet it has worked with XP, Win7, 10.4, 10.5, 10.6 and the couple of versions of Linux I "very" briefly played with.

I wasn't 100% sure if this was an updated DIR-655 (since I know that the DIR-655 has been out for a while)...and you know how the tech. companies like to come out with new or updated stuff at least every year.

I'm really torn between the DIR-655 (about $80.00) & the dual-band Airport Extreme Base Station ($179.00).

For the AEBS there's the:

- Apple Loyalty
- dual-band
- almost guaranteed ease of setup
- one other interesting feature is the "bandwidth management feature"...which allows you to control the range of the router (down to 1 room if necessary).

Apple AirPort Extreme Base Station 2011 - TopTenREVIEWS

For the DIR-655:

- lots of positive feedback/recommendations from Mac-Forums members
- nice price

Just a really tough decision.

- Nick

p.s. BTW...I know Schweb is a big supporter of the AEBS.;)
 

dtravis7


Retired Staff
Joined
Jan 4, 2005
Messages
30,133
Reaction score
703
Points
113
Location
Modesto, Ca.
Your Mac's Specs
MacMini M-1 MacOS Monterey, iMac 2010 27"Quad I7 , MBPLate2011, iPad Pro10.5", iPhoneSE
Nick, Yes, the app came with the router. Pretty sure it did anyway. If not you can get it from Dlink.

They are both great routers. I just love the firewall in the Dir-655.

The Apple router does work great with a USB Printer and is probably easier to set up for the printer also.
 
Joined
Oct 27, 2002
Messages
13,172
Reaction score
348
Points
83
Location
Cleveland, Ohio
Your Mac's Specs
MacBook Pro | LED Cinema Display | iPhone 4 | iPad 2
If you do any type of video streaming, or ever plan to, a seamless dual-band router has to be considered a must IMHO. Nothing worse than streaming some video and then a G or B device connects and ruins the whole thing :)
 

Shop Amazon


Shop for your Apple, Mac, iPhone and other computer products on Amazon.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
Top