The D-Link DI-704 is a broadband home and small business gateway with four switched Fast Ethernet ports. It allows multiple computers to share a cable or DSL Internet connection. It provides security as a firewall between a Local Network and the Internet. The DI-704 is targeted at small businesses and home users. The DI-704 allows up to 32 computers to simultaneously connect to the Internet through the same ISP account. The Di-704 employs a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) that provides dynamic allocation of IP addresses for up to 128 clients on your network. Being very flexible, the DI-704 will connect to any Ethernet devices and multiple types of machines and operating systems.
Designed for home or small-business PCs, the D-Link DI-704 is a broadband gateway with four switched Fast Ethernet ports that delivers complete hardware firewall protection for a PC. Allowing multiple computers to share one IP address to access the Internet via a cable or DSL modem, the DI-704 provides four 10/100 dual-speed Ethernet ports and one 10/100 Mbps Ethernet port for a cable or DSL modem or other broadband access device. The DI-704 can support up to 32 computers with firewall protection using the same ISP through its Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) that provides dynamic allocation of IP addresses.
Installing the system is easy: simply plug the DI-704 into your DSL or cable modem, then plug your computer's Ethernet cable into the DI-704.
The DI-704 acts as a natural firewall to protect your computer from intruders. Once your computer is set up to access the Internet through the DI-704, your network is invisible behind the DI-704. However, because some games and Internet applications work only with direct computer interaction, you can open specific ports to operate without the protection of the firewall to ensure that these applications will run properly.
Advanced options, including NAT firewall protection, DMZ host, setting the IP range and domain name for DHCP, and changing access rights for different computers, can be set up via your Web browser. Compliant with IEEE 802.3 standards, the DI-704 works with any Ethernet device and multiple types of machines and operating systems.
D-Link provides a lifetime warranty on the DSL/cable gateway and four-port switch.
1 Great product
I bought this router to replace a Linksys product, and what a difference. Instructions are somewhat suboptimal, but it is very easy to set up. This was my early experience with networking, and have become a D-link fan since. Even though this router has been discontinued, it has served me very well, now approaching a year, and would definitely recommend. Only negative is that once in a great while (it has happened twice), for no apparent reason (I have it set with DHCP enabled and forever renew lease), I am unable to open IE and connect. I am not sure whether it is my router or my cable modem. At any rate, I end up resetting both (turn off then back on), restarting my computer, and Voila! I do not perceive this however as a major problem, certainly less of a nuisance than when Windows freezes (and you get the dreaded blue screen). Some complain about the "ugly, bland, metal" look/shape, but I see it as a sturdy and well built piece of equipment. Sorry, but I never purchased computer/networking "stuff" with the idea to have it double as art for display. Definitely recommend, or the new revision DI-604.
2 Outstanding Customer Service
Absolutely the best customer service, and at 3 am to boot. I read a lot of the comments posted here and agree with all the positive and NONE of the negative. The doc's for the router could have been a little better. My problem was that I didn't use the "clone MAC address" which a call to customer service revealed and was quickly taken care of. D-Link has absolutely the best CS I have ever called. No questions about where I bought it or was it registered, just good down to earth help. I will be putting D-Link products at the top of my list for new toys wanted!! I only wish I had used their NIC card and not the one from Belkin who has absolutely the worst warranty procedure I have ever encountered!
3 Very Easy to use
This is a no frills very easy to use router. It does all that it is supose to do. I was up and running in under 5 minutes.
4 Very Easy to Use
If you want a simple no frills router, this is the one for you. You will be up and running in under 5 minutes.
5 Very Easy to Use
If you want a simple no frills router, this is the one for you. You will be up and running in under 5 minutes.
6 Very Easy to Use
If you want a simple no frills router, this is the one for you. You will be up and running in under 5 minutes.
7 Impressive
I have used this product for a year and have had no complaints. It has worked flawlessly.
The Gateway is so much better than a standard router.
8 Works like a champ!
Well, I've just replaced my second broken Linksys router with this model, and all I can say is it's WONDERFUL. Simple to setup, and works flawlessly. Has some great advanced features if you want to use them, and it's so damn cheap!
You really can't go wrong with this model.
9 Good tight product, few tricky bits easily surmounted
This is an easily configured router, gateway and firewall. It took 10 minutes to get up and running. I now have a web, ftp and email server available to the public on one PC, and everything else locked down. The firewall works a treat, the DHCP and DNS work well, no problems.
As a relative novice to networking at home (but experienced with most other IT matters) I found it a breeze. The only difficulty I had was getting it to work with the ADSL modem, which took about 2 hours of cursing, but eventually came good. That wasn't entirely the DI-704P's problem though.
The only thing that I couldn't get to work, was being able to hit my DSL-300 modem through the router. This means I have to plug the modem in directly to the computer to configure it which is a minor inconvenience.
10 ok
My DSL line has little problem to me so far. However, after I install this product, I connect my PC and laptop with it. I start my bad days. my pc and laptop freeze frequency. At the very beginning, I don't know know what happen. After trouble shooting on computers, I find nothing wrong but when I work on internet, email or doing the files transfer to my office. Later, I disconnect my DSL router and everything work fine now. I rate this product to 2 stars because it is easy to install.
11 Very stable and affordable
I am 4th year computer science major at Berkeley, and I bought this product back when it was having a huge rebate... I bought it to split a DSL connection among me and 3 other roomates. My friends also bought it too for the rebate. It's a pretty solid working gateway, but it will once in awhile kill your connection. It happened to both me and my friends who bought it, and after we simply turned in on and off, things were good to go again (of course, this might have to do with other problems, but I'm pretty certain it's the gateway).
The configuration is pretty straightforward, though if you're not sure what you're doing (not tech savy), it might be difficult to wade through. It gives you a host of options, and the company has even updated the firmware. As for the firewall, it blocks out all besides the standard ports pretty well. So well in fact, that some applications (such as sending through AIM) fail to work unless configured correctly. I think people without enough computer knowledge might find this annoying.
Also, a tip for cable modem users, I had to search through the companies FAQ online to figure out how to make it work with AT&T modems. I hope by now, they've included this in the manual. Overall, it's a good product, but a better FAQ or manual would help make it easier ot use.
12 Very poor, especially since Linksys is so good
I purchased this router because it was on sale, and I was forced to return it after it failed to function consistently. It took me nearly two hours to configure. After returning it, I got a Linksys and it was 5000% easier to install and didn't have any of the problems this had. Yes, D-Link has good customer service, but they hire so many employees for that department only because they know their products are bound to fail and the customers will send frequent complaints.
13 Great product / Terrible Tech support
I bought this router for [not much after rebate] I got the 704P, with the added print server. The network was a breeze (5 minutes) to set up - I am running a win 98 desktop, and a win XP laptop. The web interface is easy to use, and handles the connection with my DSL provider.
Everything was great until I tried to install the print server, when I encountered D-Link's ... tech support. I had to call twice, once to set up each computer to the print server. My XP laptop would have been no problem at all, except that D-Link doesn't include the XP drivers. It took a full 30 minutes on the phone before they could figure out that the XP drivers are hidden on their website under another product (for a while they told me there were no drivers, and bumbled along trying to install it with no drivers). With the win 98 desktop, the tech guy was so bad that after 40 minutes he was stumped. I eventually figured it out myself.
In summary: if you don't get the print server you will have no problems whatsoever. Even with those problems though, it is a great deal. Just pray, that you don't have to talk to the morons that D-link passes off as "tech support".
14 Not if you want to host servers
I was looking for a small office appliance when I purchased this item. We host two web servers. I was misled by the statement that the device supports NAT. It does, but not in a typical way. You can map an inbound TCP port to an IP Address on the internal network. You cannot, therefore, host more than one IP address that exposes port 80. THerefore, you cannot host more than one web site. Also, you get no real control over the NAT, and no way to turn it off. We returned the product and and looking at the DLink DFL 300 instead. On the other hand, this device would probably work really well on my Cable modem at home.
15 Tech Support needs a lot
I got the DI-704 last Oct. After a lot of problems, I got it up and running. It quit working in April. After many e-mails and voice mail tag with their tech support, I bought a new Linksys. It was up and running in five minutes. I am very discouraged with their product which has lifetmie warranty. There was no good documentation with the D-link product(no manual). Had to download off the web. The tech support kept wanting me to reset the router. I finally convinced them it was not a reset issue. In short. Don't waste your money on D-Link product when there are better suppliers out there at same price with seamless installation and proper documentation.
16 LESS POPULAR MORE TECH READY
As a tester of Soho voip equipment, I,ve dealt with the 3 mayor brands and find the D-link is z-best, others like NG are horrible in assigning ip addresses when a varierity of equipments,computers, ipphones consoles are on board they cannot handle it and then require some knowledge about port mapping to get most of these equipments work,also there dmz are horrible, if there was a half a star more available, I would of add it to the d-link.
17 Trusty one
I have the DI704 for a year now and can conclude this: it's a sharp little device that does exactly what it's designed for: realizing plug-n-play hi speed communication between your home pc's and shielding them from outside port scans.
Blocking port scans is extremely important, as an uncontrolled response may attract a hostile, targeted attack. I'm on cable, and believe me, the D-link crunches and records dozens of port scans every day.
The D-Link allows for fine-grained configuration through a clear Web interface, and does not try to be smart and make automatic choices. You have every bit under control.
What I am saying is: a basic understanding of what ports and protocols are won't harm. It's not really explained in the documentation though. Once you figure that out, you can make the D-Link block, pass, trigger whatever you want.
At the other hand, I consider the firewall capabilities of ZoneAlarm superior to what hardware firewalls can do. ZoneAlarm is capable to bind ports to applications, to follow complex port trigger schemes, and to produce detailed reports. You'll see that the D-Link can't handle the port dance of e.g. Messenger Voice and that Terrarium .net game. You have to lift the 704's firewall capability at that point (easy to do).
ZoneAlarm may be better, yet I prefer that not my precious work station, but rather that little gray 704 gladiator fights the fight with external aggressors on a every day basis. Runs continuously for ages, and makes a great hub for the LAN.
18 Overall, a very good product
I bought this router becuase i wanted to link my laptop and my desktop to my cable modem. I am now going wireless with my laptop...but anyway this router is amazingly fast(probably depending on your connection)and I love it now, but when i got it, it was a different story.
I knew NOTHING of networks and all the technical stuff, and I bought this because the Linksys routers werent in stock at the store i went to. I took it home and I was really excited, so i set to work straight away. Now I'm a bright kid, i'm 15 and a straight A student. But when it came to the technical part of the installation i was COMPLETELY LOST. after a couple hours of basically screwing up my computer trying to get it to work, i was almost crying in exasperation. In the end i re-did all the instructions and I had to call my service provider to obtain all my information(it doesn't mention this in the instruction manual) so that was the step i had missed.
This product is amazing and has great features once you get it running...also the tech support is great...one of the reviews degrades the tech support..this person was definetly not dialing the number I dialed! the number on the website is very good. I have had no wait for any of the 3 times that I have called.
Overall, a very good product, just needs a bit more in the instruction manual on how to obtain your numbers. Lacks a print server, but that isnt the biggest deal in the world, you just need to leave the computer on that the printer is hooked up to.
19 Good Functionality, Poor Packaging
I purchased this product in order to share my cablemodem over two machines. It worked well and was easy to set up but it began to give me problems after a week. The case of the gateway is poorly grounded and is very sensitive to static electricity discharges. After a few accidental shocks, the unit began to fail. I would recommend that if you live in the desert and your house is prone to generating static in the summer, purchase the Netgear product. The Netgear Gateway has the same functionality, but has a better case design.
20 No problem here
This is a nice cable/dsl router. I like the internal configuration program it's got. It allows you to adapt to your network. Awesome!!
21 Working just fine, very easy to set up...
Setup of this product was a breeze. Up and running, literally, within 10 minutes. Like most of these SOHO network products, the config is done through a web interface. Just point your browser to the default gateway, enter a password and you're in. It doesn't get any easier. The documentation, though not fancy, does an adequate job of explaining the process of getting into the config. Once there, it's all self-explanatory. [coping] the MAC address is nice, saves a lot of hassles.
No problems to report, though I was warned off this router by someone who purchased a small hub from this manufacturer and had nothing but trouble. A couple of reviews here mention reliablity problems too, hope that's not a sign of things to come...
Four stars instead of five -- low price, but no built-in print server either.
22 Firewall Less But a good buy
The D-link is a great connection with the internet if using DSL or you have a network in your office or home office. It does not provide however, a good firewall. You have to do a bunch of monkeying around with its software to insert ISP numbers, but if you are using random seeking DSL, you can't possible insert all the numbers. Half the time my computer was vulnerable while I thought it was protected. Since then I have purchased Norton Firewall. Now it's got full time coverage against hackers.
23 Difficult to install for beginners...
My father-in-law purchased the D-link becasue it was on sale. I myself have a router(Linksys) at have used it for many applications & I love it.
Since I already installed my Linksys, I volunteered to install his D-Link. I had very little dificulty with my router,but this was not the case with the D-Link.
The D-Link has EXTREMELY POOR INSTRUCTIONS. My father-in-law has Cable and after over an hour of re-reading the instructions, over & over & over again, I was ready to give up, return the D-link & get him [other product].
Fortunatly, I checked D-Link's website... navigated onto the troubleshooting & found a link explaining the steps I needed to to for my... cable. Completely different instructions than the one in the box.
SUMMARY
Unless you know what your doing, have someone to install it, and it's on sale... I would rather spend a few more bucks than to purchase anything else from d-link. There are always sales/rebates, just wait for the Linksys. Other than that, it is working (after a frustrating hastle) rather well...
24 Worked first time, internet and file sharing
Hooked it up to my cable modem and to my main computer. Made the few simple data entries through the browser interface & presto the internet was up & running. Ran a second cable to the old computer and the internet was up on it instantly. File and printer sharing between the two computers only took a little bit of struggling with the Windows XP and Windows 98 control panel options. Definitely worth the price.
25 Great product great price
I knew very little about networking when I started installing this router. I was the cause of most of my problems. I now know much more about networking. Two windows XP computers share a cable access, a printer, files and after installing firmware 257 build 3 messenger runs in the DMZ without problems.
I never spoke with anyone from d-link but they did respond to two emails within 24 hours each time. The router runs 8-12 hours each day without any problems. I would recommend this product.
26 great little package
It's truly amazing how much has been put into such a convenient package. Setting up and using the DI 704 was simple. The firewall seems to be impenetrable. My only criticism is there is no way to remove the firewall completely.
27 Straight forward, easy to set-up little hub/firewall
Got this little hub over Christmas at great price (discount) and installed onto my cable modem broadband connection.
1. it immediately recognized the Internet Provider's DHCP server and gets a lease every time
2. it immediately recognized my 2 new, 1 old Win boxes and 1 portable once they were set to DHCP.
3. the firewall defaults to full security. grc.com verified it.
total time: less than 30 min (including reboots)
- setting up the firewall is pretty easy too, but as with many of these things, the terminology is a little goofy. overall, reasonably flexible
- the d-link folk are worthless by phone, but got fairly quick response to some questions by e-mail.
- early on the hub did hang a few times (voltage spikes?) but simple off/on fixed it. since, its on a small UPS and no such problems.
overall - sweet little hub/firewall. i'll probably pick up a few more for simple projects at home/work.
28 A very decent router
Cheap, fast, rugged, you name it. Made it run with Windows XP Home. Had to reflash the firmware and reset it first, though. So if you are buying it for the fun of installation, you may want to go with a linksys. Honestly, I love it.
29 Netgear RP-114 better than DI-704
I bought the D-Link DI-704 for my home network, to share my DSL connection to four computers running Linux, Mac OS-X and Windows 2000 and XP. The DI-704 seemed to have all the features needed (NAT for my server, web-based configuration) for the task.
Unfortunately, it wouldn't run for more than about 6 hours before freezing the network. Sometimes the subnet (inside the firewall) would remain working, sometimes not. I upgraded the firmware, tried several different configurations, reset the thing repeatedly, and always had the same problem: when network traffic got heavy (say, when my web server got several requests or when several of us were using the network), the thing would freeze, requiring a hardware reset.
I ended up buying ther NetGear equivalent product (the RP-114), plugged it in, configured it and haven't had a single problem with it. It's worth the extra cash.
30 Great Product, but not very user friendly
First off, I have to say, for the price, there is no better piece of hardware out there. I am a network administrator, and had it up and running virtually, without reading the instructions that came with it. I did get a chance to look them over, and I have to say, that I don't know how your average PC literate person could figure out how to get this thing running, given the limited instructions. If you understand networking, firewalls, and DHCP, this is your baby. If you don't, this product is so good, that it probably would be worth paying someone to come in and configure it for you. I have no qualms with it, but I can clearly understand the level of frustration that many must feel from the installation of this product.
31 Dissapointed
Difficult to configure for a PC and Mac. It worked for about a month then died. I sent it in and when it returned I set it up and it worked for about 2 days then died again. Haven't decided if I should dig a hole and bury it or send it in again.
32 Great product, great price, useless documentation
Now that I have this product up and running, I have to say it works great. However, this is not one of those "works right out of the box" products if you are a first timer. Setup is not intuitive, in my opinion, and the quick start guide and manual give conflicting instructions. As a matter of fact, I was going to send it back when I went onto this forum and discovered that you have to fire up your browser to complete the installation. Once that dawned on me, it took about 3 minutes to network 3 computers. It handles 3 teen age daughters downloading mp3's at the same time with no sweat. I would recommend this product with no hesitation, PROVIDED you are patient enough to work through some lousy documentation
33 Not a newby friendly item!
I bought it thinking it was user friendly to set up. Its not. It took me several attempts at setting it up to decide I had no hope.I am comfortable around computers but this thing kicked my butt. The directions are next to useless that come with it. I had a friend that runs a banks networking come over and it took him a long evening to figure it all out. Now that its running it does work pretty good for me. I have to turn it off once inwhile from it losing its settings or something. Other than that I can only hope the firewall is working(not sure how to check). Good item? up to you to decide.
34 Works out of the box
I ordered this item to allow sharing of three PCs with a single cable/modem. Before this I had a normal hub which allowed only one PC to share the cable modem at a time. It took me about 10 minutes to get the D-Link hooked up and have all the 3 PCs share the single IP!!!
35 Great Product
Absolutley great product. Dead easy to set up and configure. I just plugged all my machines and cable modem into the router, copied the MAC address of the PC that was previously my router via Microsoft Internet Connection Sharing and I was up and running. The only reason I did not give it 5 stars was that the documentation is not great and the ports in the front do make it cumbersome to connect all the necessary wires for a local network. Other than those two minor issues I would highly recommend this product. A great value after the mail in rebate!
36 Best buy around
Unit works perfectly right out of the box. If you are having problems is probably due to your ISP. If you are working with one computer connected to your cable modem then all you need to do is insert the DI-704, set your PC to DHCP and you should be good to go.
Light documentation is hardly needed. If you are looking for a box with tons of tweaking this is not for you - buy an expensive box and have fun!
37 Satisfied
I have 2 PC's that now share a cable connection using the D-Link router. Setting it up was very informative, and while I did not do it all on my own D-Links technical assistance was excellent.
I consider myself to be very computer literate, and the instructions weren't all together clear. However, not only did their tech support determine that I had a bad network card, but they also taught me some trouble shooting tips for future use, which I consider invaluable.
When I was deciding it came down between the Linksys Cable Router and the D-Link, given D-Links support I would make the same choice again.
38 What an awesome router
This router is awesome! I was using Wingate program but was tired of leaving the server computer 24/7. Out of the box, it took me less than 5 minutes to get this baby running!
No problems at all, just good gamin' and internet surfin'
39 Buy this product at your own risk!
I've spent the last two days and countless hours working to get this router to work with my ISP and cable modem. What a nightmare! No one should suffer this level of torture from a single product. I've never encountered such perfectly opaque directions before. Even users with experience networking and confidence in their ability to puzzle things out should avoid the DI-704. I'm not even convinced that it's working properly now. What a waste!
40 Easier than i imagined
... I've found this to be a wonderful product. I'm only sharing a desktop and a laptop that occasionally bring home, but it's been worth it. I literally shut the machines down, hooked up the cable modem to the back of the router, turned on the router and the machines, and it's as if they already knew what had happened. BOth machines are running XP professional, which might help me out, but this will be the standard scenario very soon. Excellent product, ...
41 Simple to Use, if You get the right Help!!
Awesome product. I had it up and running in literally 3 minutes. I had done some research at the FAQ's at the D-Link Website, and found how to make the Switch work with my cable provider, and didn't even look at the manual. Awesome product for the cost!! Lifetime warranty and support...only 1 year with the DI-804.
42 Broadband sharing simplified
Out of the box to installed and operational in 5 minutes - without any configuration (ISP uses dynamic addressing). Two computers, one running Win98, the other WinMe. I don't see how another unit could be more effective or easier to set up. An aside: when I first connected the unit it was not functional - which I later realized was strictly my fault. Reply to an e-mail sent to D-Link was received in under an hour.
Bravo D-Link!
43 Dlink 704 v 804
I just got a dlink 704, running pretty well no complaints. I would get it again. maybe would have gotten the 804 over the 704?
the 804 (newer) is 15 bucks cheaper. the design is more geared to the consumer (lan ports in back, can be placed on a desk/table with less clutter) and is in a black plastic case as opposed to metal. two less indicator lights on the 804,
and one less cat-5 cable included (about $5). Will have universal plug and play Win ME support. plus one of the lan ports can double as an uplink (instead of buying a crossover cable). not many reviews about it on the web. rack mountable. updated web interface
704 - fairly good reviews on the net. industrial type design lan ports in front, wall mountable, metal case. little more information (lights). tested and tried (newer is not always better). the 704 also has a lifetime warrenty instead of one year for the 804 (well i don't know how much this is worth, these prices are dropping fast, but i am sure if your 704 breaks in a year or two they will send you a new one, maybe an 804? d-link has so-so quality ratings). currently more user support on the web.
44 Documentation terrible. Too difficult for a newbie to use.
I had a home network with my dial up internet access and when I switched to Comcast@Home was told to go out and buy a router with a firewall. I bought the D-Link 704 in large part because I was under the impression that it integrated seamlessly with my cable service. Setting up the port and attaching it to the PCs was a snap as was getting the network to work. In about 30 minutes,I was up and running. However, the firewall built into the hardware required constant tweaking to get things like mIRC and other software programs that my son uses to work. The package comes with a quick start guide and manual but they were virtually indecipherable to me, an admitted non-techie. After a few days of trying to tweak the firewall, getting a completely unhelpful response from the tech department of D-Link and emailing with some other users who had the same problems (based on usenet posts), I gave up and put everything back in the box. I ended up buying a simple port and using Live Alarm Pro as my firewall. Works like a charm. I will be selling my D-Link 704 on Amazon in a few moments if anyone wants a used one that is virtually brand new!
45 Horrible Documentation, Good Product
If you aren't into having your network equipment look good (this product runs circa 1983 in design), the network hub works well and provides all the functionality you need for an at home network with shared broadband access. However, the documentation pretty much stinks if you hit any glitch. Also, all of the screenshots were for Win 98, not 2000 which is very different. I am not a "network guy" but reasonably tech savvy and couldn't make the network work on my own (I have @home which is problematic for this product). Essentially, the tech guy at D-Link told me I had to uninstall all of the @home software to make this work and that finally did it. I might try Linksys if I had to do it over.
46 Great product, mediocre documentation
I purchased a D-Link DI-704 to replace a software firewall/router package that I had been using. The -704 worked right out of the box, and I had my network back on line in less than 15 minutes. The advertised features of the -704 work very well, and the current firmware (v2.55b15) supports PPTP VPN connections with no problems. Things I'd like to see in the -704 (but don't) include downloadable access logs and the ability to forward a connection on one port to a different port on the local network. The web-based configuration tool is straightforward to use; that's a good thing, since the user's manual is not very detailed, out of date in places, and omits some important topics (firmware upgrades, console mode features) entirely. If you have computer networking experience, you won't have any problem installing the -704. If you don't, it would be good to learn a little about networking first. But overall, I'm very impressed -- the D-Link DI-704 is a great product at a very reasonable price.
47 Great value for the money
This product was a great deal. It cost me about $60 after a $30 mail-in rebate. Fruitheads on ebay are bidding well over this amount for used versions of this product.
Security is quite good for such a cheap unit. However, it's still a good idea to use a software-based firewall product with this gateway.
The only gripe is that my kit contained 2 of the same type of network cable. Both were "normal" CAT5 cables used to connect a PC to a hub or switch, but I needed a 'reverse' cable to connect the WAN port on the D-Link gateway to my DSL modem. Luckily, I had the proper cable in my box of computer junk.
48 ...you get what you pay for.
I got the box up and running with my DSL connection and my WiFi network in less than half an hour. Didn't even have to read the manual, just the quick startup guide. However the box looks cheap and unattractive. The toggle power switch sticks out more that I would like which makes it susceptible to damage. Also, the DC socket is sandwiched right in between the toggle switch and RS-232 port making the L connecter for the DC socket very inconvenient. And lastly the L connector cannot be pushed all the way into the socket leaving about 1/8' of the contact exposed. This makes the connector fall out pretty easily. My suggestion is to shop around at physical stores before buying online so that you can see and feel the product. I would have preferred to pay $10 more for a better designed box. Of course, this box is marketed as a home gateway ..., so maybe I'm being too picky.
49 Too flaky to be useful
I'm really shocked at the positive reviews I've seen of this product here. I went through two of these units before deciding that DLink has a serious quality assurance problem and switched to LinkSys entirely.
Here's the problem. I set this unit up according to the VERY limited instructions included with the unit. It did not work. So I went to the web site and dug up some detailed instructions (far more detailed than were provided in the printed documentation). By following these to the letter, I was able to get the unit to work.
However, this success was short lived. After a couple of days, the WAN link light just went out for no reason. I tried rebooting the DLink, turning it off and back on, and even turning off my DSL modem and cycling power up the way the FAQ on the DLink site had suggested. Still no link lights.
So I let the unit cool off for a couple of hours and tried it again. This time it worked. But about an hour later, it went down again. The unit had good ventilation the whole time, just sitting on top of a desk with nothing else around it. So I stamped back to the store and exchanged the unit for another one, thinking I had simply gotten "lucky" enough to pick up a defective unit.
Well, the second DLink did the same thing. Please note that I'm not trying to do anything exotic here. I have 3 computers and one DSL modem. No hubs, concentrators, routers, LANS within LANS, etc. I was simply using PPPoE on the WAN side and DHCP on the LAN side. Pretty mundane stuff.
It was after this second failure that I exchanged the DLink for a LinkSys, which I have yet to test. I'll post a review of that unit once I've given it a test drive. One thing is for sure; I'm done with DLink products.
50 Seamless
The D-Link worked perfectly right out of the box.
I have dynamic IP addressing and all it required was to plug the machines in and they were using my DSL immediately. No fuss no muss.
All of these routers in this price range work about the same. It was just too hard to pass on the $...off offer.
51 Great Product
Slight problem w/ configuration but D-link customer support directed me to the web page that answered my question. No problems and provides NAT just as advertised.
52 Excellent for Mac w/ cable modem!
Just got it today. Came with two cables. Hooked up the cable modem with existing wire, then hooked up my printer, G3 and Airport Station (for new G4) to the router with two cables that were supplied and one I purchased ($...). Followed two simple steps from their website, and now I have cable access on both machines, and perfect ethernet communication with the printer. Worth every penny. Easy to set up, Inexpensive, and Works great!
53 Great Router
I picked this router up the other day, brought home, followed the instruction for PPPoE, and it worked perfect first time. All my home computers were instantly running on the net. I can't recommend the combination of ease for the great price on this router.
54 D-Link Web-site has @Home Installation Instructions
I knew from the reviews that the DI-704 was a wonderful device when I bought it, but I was really disappointed with the installation instructions. After two or three frustrating hours of following the manual and experimenting every which way I could think of, all I'd managed to accomplish was to be able to log onto the DI-704 and change its settings via its web page. Regardless of everything I tried, I had no success being able to use the internet.
What finally worked was searching the D-Link website (no, not through the DI-704) where I found detailed instructions in the FAQ's for setting the device up with @home service. After following these instructions everything worked flawlessly. It's amazing what wonders a few detailed instructions can accomplish. For example, after selecting a dynamic IP address it is then necessary to clone the MAC address. Although I'd figured this part out earlier, and also figured out that it was necessary to unplug the cable modem for 30 seconds, I hadn't figured out that it was also necessary to turn power off on the DI-704 for 10 seconds before powering it back up again.
OK, it's a great product, but forget about using the manual. Instead, go to the FAQ's on the D-Link website and download detailed instructions for your broadband service provider.
55 Documentation needs improvement
I've got my DI-704 up and running on a single computer right now and by all appearances it's working fine. Getting to this point, however, was something of a struggle as the documentation - "DI-704 Quick Installation Guide" and a "DI-704 User's Manual" - is somewhat lacking.
The Quick Installation Guide has good step-by-step procedures and illustrations of what you should be seeing on the screen, but makes some assumptions about what you'll see; if the assumption is unmet (as it was in my case) you're left scratching your head asking "what do I do now?" The Quick Installation Guide could also use a more logical layout, as it starts you off directing you to one of two starting points depending on whether you are using "PPPoE" or not, but doesn't help you determine whether you're using PPPoE until you get over to the PPPoE section.
Even though I'm fairly hep when it comes to computers and networking, having a vague notion of what the jargon all means, I couldn't get up and running following the included documentation. I finally had to take the router out of the loop, get myself over to the D-Link web site, and find another set of specific instructions to getting connected to my ISP provider, @Home. If @Home is your ISP I'd recommend downloading these instructions before you even take the DI-704 out of the box.
I'm pretty sure that at some point I'll want to use some of the router's more advanced features (e.g., "DMZ" for playing on-line games) and I'm also pretty sure that I'll have to do a lot of outside studying and a lot of futzing around to get these features to work since the documentation is so thin.
For the price (after rebate) you can't beat this product, as long as you can get it up and running!
56 Disappointed & Frustrated
I was unable to get the DI 704 to function properly. I attempted to email D-link tech support for 3 days with no success. The manual had little troubleshooting info, and the D-link website was not helpful. It could be that the router I recieved was defective, but the total lack of decent technical support from D-link made my decision easy. I returned the product.
57 Works after entering gateway address
This product is good. Just set to DHCP enabled and enter gateway address to 192.168.0.1 to each computer networked and you are surfing internet in no time. I wish they could have taken a little more time to write better installation instruction. Use user manual and not quick installation pamplet and you will be ok.
58 The DI-704 is *easy* to install in 30-minutes
I read ALL these reviews before purchasing my DI-704. It's really very easy to install/configure. The step-by-step instructions are easy to follow for anyone who knows anything about the networking settings of their PC. You essentially copy the static IP address (of your @home or broadband provider) from your PC to the DI-704 (via an easy to access browser-based setup window). You remove all DNS and Gateway settings in your PC's networking setup and copy that info to the DI-704 setup window.
The one trick I discovered to access the DI-704 setup window via my Netscape &/or Internet Explorer browser was to temporarilly turn off any Proxy Server settings. Once I did that, my browser immediately connected to the DI-704 for setup.
At the end of the process, the DI-704 has all the IP address, subnet and gateway settings that @home put into your PC. Each of the PCs you connect to the DI-704 router are simply configured so that it's IP address is dynamically provided (ie: not static).
In less than 30-minutes, both my wife's and my laptop PCs were sharing the same @home cable modem and now both of our PCs are behind a firewall (for added protection from internet hackers).
All in all, a great value and easy to install and enjoy.
Hope this review helps you make the right choice for you.
59 Simple installation
It took me only 5 min. to make my Win ME and 98 computer work. All I did was release and renew my IP address.
60 Easy, effective, cheap,
Excellent equipment. Very easy to set up, manuals are very clear. Works great, checked with "Shields up" at ... and I had a complete "shealth". The best thing is that after rebate it cost me $... and you can't beat this.
Look is not as colorful as on Linksys models but I am minimalist and don't need Neon lights on my desktop.
I only wish that all the ports came out from the rear, it would make wiring easier.
61 Good buy
It took me 30 minutes to get my two computers working over a DSL connection. I had to interpret the documentation and experiment a little with settings but once I did it was easy.
Connection seems very fast on both computers.
A best buy for the price.
62 This thing rocks!!!
I am a seasoned network engineer who has worked with high end boxes costing into the thousands. This router functions flawlessly - easier and faster to configure than the big boys. PPoE support works perfectly with Earthlink/Mindspring - so no problem with xDSL. NAT gives you "no touch" setup on clients. I only wish you could add additional DNS servers into the DHCP config. Firewall works great too! You also get a 4 port 10/100 switch to boot. What more can I say? I also have there wireless gear which I absolutley love. The price/performance ratio is a win-win situation.
63 Great Product...Tricky Manual for Networking Newbies
I use @home and am very familiar with networking and cable modems/dsl in general. That being said, if you have experience in the aformentioned categories this router shouldn't be too tough to install. If not, you might be in for some trouble as the manual offers little to no help if you have difficulty configuring it. Most of the installation is contained on a 7 x 5 setup sheet, the manual just serves as a back-up reference with a few not-so-useful troubleshooting tactics in the back.
The install process is a hit or miss process. The router allows you to configure it in a step-by-step wizard, and it'll prompt you to enter or choose some information...static/dynamic/PPPoe connection, and possibly IP/gateway address or subnet mask. This will all vary as to what kind of connection you have. When you signed up for your service, you were probably given a work order with several numbers on it, which contains much (if not all) of the aforementioned information. If you didn't keep it, you MAY have to give your Internet Service Provider a call. Again, this varies. Some installations are easier and will not require this.
In summary, a top-notch product. The inclusion of a 4 port 10/100 switch and firewall are great for a ... router. If you're a networking guru this is a 5-star product, I had to deduct 1 for the "user's manual" which offers little support for the installation process. I had it running within a half hour of opening the box.
64 Perfect Operation and Simple Installation
I am no computer genius but I was able to install this and get it up and running in about 10 minutes. All I had to do was enter my computer name and host name by cable provider needs and I was able to connect both of our computers to the Internet.
One room is down the hall, and I don't believe it is more than a 100 feet, but they are bale to use the Internet, and shar Files and the Printer, so everything seems to work fine. I am so glad that this Router has a 4-Port switch built in, and is still under [price]. It is simply amazing.
65 Good but.....
Watch out if you use Microsoft's netmeeting with this. Because its a pure NAT router you have to enter the ports you want to let through. However Microsoft have written net meeting to use random ports so you can't configure the router around this. The only thing to do is switch the router off which leaves you completly unprotected while video conferencing. Read up on your firewalls before you buy and find out if they have issues with the internet software you use. I still use it but wish I'd looked into it a bit more before buying
66 You get what you pay for
This is the absoulte cheapest router i could find, but it works for what i need. Most routers can send a signal 100 yards, 300 feet. I sent a Cat 5 cable to my various ports around the house, and ended up needing a signal booster to get it to 98 yards. I called them and they said that there were problems with this router boosting the signal a full 100 yards, what i had to do was get a switch and put right there, and the switch boosted the signal needed. It was still cheaper than buying the linksys, though, and you can assign all 253 addresses, considering i only have 4.
67 Works great once you get it going.
The instructions could be better esoecially about the need to clone the mac address. I had to go to the DLINK site and browse through the faqs and to play aorund with the settings a bit to get it going. It's been working great since. I have 2 windows PC's and a Linux PC on the network using the DHCP server on the router. I even have the Linux box on the internet as a web server and I have set it up so I can telnet to it from work and access my home network.
68 Easy to install, fire-and-forget Internet solution
This product is superb. Once you remove the packaging and connect the power it comes straight up. connect the UTP cables to your PC(s) and set the TCP/IP on the PC(s) to do DHCP and you're done on the LAN side.
Next connect your Cable modem or DSL to the WAN port, and you are done there. My cable modem had been in use for a while and I had to ask my ISP to reset it for me, once done everything came up no problem. This D-Link box is terrific. Previously I used USB to connect to the cable modem, via the D-Link the speed of access is appreciably quicker. The NAT and other security features of the firewall are transparent in use, and easily configured by a Web browser interface.
If you know anything at all about networking, this should be a breeze to set up. It comes with power adapter/cable and two cat 5 UTP cables suitable for 10/100 Mbit operation, an installation poster and manual.
Highly recommended.
69 Easy to Set-up and Works Great for Me.
I ordered this online and received it in about 5 days, and the same day I got it I had it up and running in about 30 minutes. I have never set-up a router before, which is why I opted for the least expensive one (I didn't want a very expensive paper weight), so this time was my first, but like any other product I buy on the Internet I read up on it as much as possible.
This one seamed, to me, to be the best router for the job. And I know D-Link's name is there to back it up. Even reading other D-Link reviews makes me appreciate the comrodery customers feel once they have bought a D-Link product. I am proud to say I am now part of the family.
70 Horrible documentation & customer support. Try another brand
I wish I had read the reviews here before I bought my DI-704. Its curious how some reviewers make it very clear how frustrating installation is, and others (maybe on the payroll for D-Link?) rave about the product's performance. Well, maybe the experts appreciate it, but the guys that have never seen (much less installed and configured) a router are in for a headache. Here's my experience with it....
Physical setup is, actually, pretty simple. Reroute your cable modem connection from the back of your computer to the back of the router. Connect cables from your NICs to the front of the router, connect a power cord, flip a switch. Thats it. Now for the hard part...configuration.
The configuration is done through a web browser, which appears to communicate directly with the guts inside the router, so even if you cant access the internet yet, you can access configuration through your browser. Documentation provided STINKS. It seems this router can probably do a hell of a lot for you IF you understand network administration. But if, like me, you just want to hook up your two home computers to the same cable modem and share the connection, the documentation will leave you feeling completely lost. I managed to get the internet connection on 2 computers working without too much trouble, but the documentation does not even mention the word "email". So I spent about 2 hours trying to get email access through the router. FORGET ABOUT calling tech support! I was on hold for tech support for about 45 minutes before someone came on and offered to help me (they dont provide a toll-free number). That person turned out to be a "customer service" person, not a tech person. I had already tried the suggestion he provided (it didnt work) and so he offered to put me back on hold for tech support. After holding another 10-15 minutes, I assumed I was placed at the back of the line again so I hung-up. With the help of other online resources (the "practicallynetworked" website) I finally got properly configured for internet access and email on both computers. It seems to be working fine now, and doesnt seem to be slowing my system at all. However, I have NO IDEA if the firewall within the router is working, and so I am keeping zonelabs running on both machines just in case. I also have no idea of how (or why) I should make use of the many other extensive features provided by the router. In short, the product seems to be very good, but due to the very poor documentation (provided in print, and on-line) and worse customer support, I'd STRONGLY recommend any potential router buyers look to a different company.
71 I'm Upgrading My Previous Rating of this Product
The product works great once you get it working. Unfortunately, the included documentation didn't provide enough information to get it working with my system.
I remedied this by first registering the product electronically on the D-Link Web site. (Lack of registration was apparently the reason for my email tech support requests having been ignored.) Once the product was registered, I received technical support by telephone. The entire staff was very courteous and helpful. The LAN was up and working within minutes of speaking with a technical support representative.
72 Go with Linksys!
I was unable to install this by manufacturer's instructions. Instructions are, in places, unclear, ambiguous, misleading, incomplete, and inconsistant with the D-Link website. I then changed to Linsys BEFSR11. The installation was done in 30 minutes. This is the first time I ever set up a router, and based on my experience, I would suggest Linksys over D-Link.
73 Great for Cable Modem ISP Optimum Online
This is a great product with good price. It comes with 2 cat5 cables, a poster Installation Guide and a User's Manual. The instruction provided on the user's manual is quite easy to follow. I am using optimum Online and it doesn't require me to configure PPPoE. (if you can turn on computer and go online immediately without sign-on like Dialing-up, you probably don't need to configure PPPoE)
If you don't need IP-forwarding, you can set your computer to use the DHCP service provided by this router (by default). If you want to use IP-forwarding feature with static IP, be sure to acquire DNS sevrer address from your broadband ISP and enter it into yout TCP-IP protocol DNS property. (a requirement)
Router configuration is Web-based. Be aware of a few things that are important in the manual, such as: 1) you may need to clone the MAC address during configuration and click on the reboot button to take effect. If your router can't RENEW a Dynamic IP from your modem, chance is that you need to clone MAC address. 2) If you want to use the IP-Forwarding feature, you need to select a static IP (a number betwen 192.168.0.2-192.168.0.99 by default) and obtain DNS data from your ISP to enter into the TCP-IP protocol property page. 3)By default, you should select the "Dynamic Ip Address" option to configure your WAN IP (connected to ISP via cable modem).
I am a programmer with networking experence and therefore I feel comfortable with this product. If your have mutiple PCs, I suggest that you try to set up the first PC with DHCP because it is easier and doesn't require DNS data from your ISP.
I hope this info will help you to configure it without spending unnecessary hours .....
74 Unable to install product on cable modem setup
Was anable to install this by manufacturer's instructions. Instructions are, in places, unclear, ambiguous, misleading, or incomplete.
No technical support response from D-Link.
75 Absolutely Horrible! Avoid At All Costs
I purchased this cable router and it failed in almost every respect. This so-called router is a huge headache to setup (dlink customer service will do everything in their power to get you off the phone rather than solve your problem) and it will significantly slow down your internet connection.
Take it from someone who purchased and returned this product...go with a competitor to save yourself time and money.
G.
76 Simple and Secure
It took me barely anytime at all to set this up and like all the other people who bought this, I am very satisfied and am glad D-Link makes such high quality products.
77 Fast and Simple
The speed difference I experienced from using this instead of my one port cable/dsl router and a hub is amazing. I didn't get much difference as far as "Internet" speed but I did get a major improvement in the "File Sharing" department. I can now make a CDR over the network. (I have a CDR ROM on computer 1 and the files are on computer 2. Instead of taking the time to transfer 650MB of files to the computer 1 the CDR-ROM just reads off of computer 2 and makes the CD.)
It works great. Never thought it could actually go this fast. Set-up was very easy also. Simply follow instructions and you are up and running in about 5-10 min.
78 Quickest Install I ever Had to do.
I haven't installed a whole bunch of hardware/networking products before, but I have done my share. But this was one of the fastest, if not the fastest installation times I have ever done. All I had to do was power down, plug it all in, power up and magically it worked. I don't guarantee it will work this way for everyone, but for me the default settings worked just fine. I then accessed the switch/firewall with my web browser and changed some settings and then changed some settings on my other computers (just by following the instructions) and my other computers were able to access the Internet and I was soon on my way to shareing files and printers.
It hasn't slowed my cable modem conection to the Internet any and I can share files and printers real easy and best of all it is all protected by a firewall. For under a hundred dollars this precious D-Link product is a steal.
79 Awesome look and Performs Great
What attracted me the most about the D-Link Cable/DSL Router w/Firewall besides all the other ones out there is the physical look and the performance. I have seen great results in other reviews on the Internet.
It looks and feels like the casing is bulletproof or something. The case is flat (so I can stack my modem and another switch on top) and is made of metal not plastic. This gives me a good feeling, like I bought something that is going to last. I like that feeling.
It was just as easy to set-up as most Switches/Firewalls and it is faster and cheaper. What more do you want? Or need?
80 Great Protection and Fast enough for anyone
After reading a few reviews here on amazon and other sites, I figured this is just the product I need. I was so happy to be correct, the DI-704 is super fast, very secure, and it made of hard metal. I didn't like the plastic casings other products had. It makes me feel more secure.
I recommend this to anyone who has a Cable or DSL connection, even if you only have one computer. That way you have protection and room to grow. the DI-704 provides blazing speeds and great security at a low low price. I don't see anything wrong with it.
81 Good Firewall Protection
Quickly sum it up, this router is easy to manage, easy to setup, has excellent security features (PORT RANGE BLOCKING & SECURITY LOGGING), and has an added bonus like two Cat5 network cables included its package.
82 A must for any home network.....
This is a neat little router idealy for a small home network. It comes with four RJ45 10/100 ports on the front and a connection in the back for a DSL or cable modem. Two CAT-5 cables were included as well.
I have a networking background, but the quickstart guide has screen shots for Windows95/98 and easy to follow instructions. I was already using DHCP to connect to my cable modem, so I didn't need to change any settings to use this router. I literally plugged it in, restarted, and was up and running with one Windows 95 and one Windows 98 computer....
The advanced options can be setup via your web browser. It supports such options as NAT firewall protection (you can limit which ports are accessed), DMZ host (allows one computer to operate without the "protection" of the firewall), set the IP range and domain name for DHCP, and change access rights for different computers. It also has a "virtual server" which lets you rout services to different computers such as HTML to one, FTP to another, etc.
83 Great product
I'm a proud owner of a DI-704. I would recommend this product to those who know what they're doing. This product is focused on consumers who have some knowledge on networking. I admit the tech support if horrible and the instruction manual doesnt say much. Like I said this product assumes that you know what you are doing. The DI-704 offers great features, reliability, and stability. If DI-704 doesnt work for you....i suggest buying a LYNKSYS Router. Beware the LYNKSYS promises PPPoE support, but its features are limited when it comes to PPPoE. The DI-704 fully supports this protocol and you shouldnt have any problems. I also suggest the NETGEAR RT314 and if you are on a budget, i suggest purchasing the DI-704.
84 DI-713 died. No tech support from D-Link. Back it goes.
The request for tech support below was sent to D-Link three times with no response. Purchase with caution.
To D-Link:
On January 10 I purchased a D-Link DI-713 Wireless Router from Xxxxxxxx. The serial number is 0T00C00495; the firmware version is 2.51 build 9.
I configured the router and demonstrated internet connectivity by connecting to external sites. Since the signal was weak at one client machine, needed to relocate the DI-713 to a place where all clients could receive a strong signal. This required several iterations of powering the 713 off, relocating it, powering it on, checking the signal strength at the client. After I found the optimal location, I found that I had lost internet connectivity. When I attempted to examine the router settings, I was unsuccessful.
I attempted to reconfigure the DI-713 starting with the reset procedure. At the end of the reset procedure, M1 and M2 were solid on, flashing off twice approximately every 10 seconds. I was also unable to ping the unit. Prior to my signal testing, I had successfully configured the unit, and per the manual M1 blinked once per second.
Please advise me how to proceed. My preference would be to receive a replacement unit and a prepaid mailer to ship my current unit to you.
85 Great product - easy to configure
I didn't have any problems at all setting up this router. Since I already had my computers set up for DHCP, I just took the old ethernet hub out, plugged this one in, and I was up and running. Five minutes tops.
86 Great product - easy to configure and good warranty
I picked this up last week and couldn't be happier. It took about 20 minutes to get it configured with my DSL connection and four PCs running Win98 and Windows 2000. I formerly had a fifth PC acting as the gateway to the internet, but this allowed me to dump that. It also includes a hardware firewall for security. DLink has a liftime warranty, so you can't go wrong! (assuming they'll still be around for your lifetime...)
87 I love dlink
Even though I'm good with computers I don't know why you would have problems setting this devise up. it took me about 1 hour to get it running, and now all three of my computers are online.
88 Review of 704 model Dlink cable/Dsl Router
I just wanted to say I opened it up, set it up according to the instructions and spent 5 hours trying to get it all setup.
TO no avail still can't get it working!!
