DI-714P+ AirPlus Enhanced 2.4GHz Wireless Router, 802.11b
1 Print Server is not APPLE compatible
I bought this router because of its print server, however, this doesn't work with my Powerbook...it is a real disappointment!
2 Novice installer
Have had the router for a week now and after the setup hassle, it's worked well. My old Lexmark Z32 inkjet printer works fine after turning off bi-directional connection. I'm using a Netgear MA521 notebook adapter after incredible frustration with the D-Link adapter originally purchased.
I thought the Quick Installation Guide could be more clear-then again I've never done this before. Use the D-Link FAQ site-it helped me figure out how to attach to AOL.
3 Works fine with my Canon i850 !!!
The 714p+ print server works fine with my Canon i850 !!!
4 Works great - firmware issues to know about....
Setup: fairly straightforward. There is a "wizard" setup for those who don't like to go through every single option screen. The screen navigation is laid out in a simple, but not intuitive manner - it takes a few moments to realize the buttons on the left change with tab options at the top, but the buttons on the left don't change if there are multiple screens on the right (like "next page" or a button to press). There is no "go back a page" - they expect you to hit the button to the right that is still visible. All my complaining about that aside - it's as easy, if not easier, to navigate and find settings than both netgear and linksys.
Print server: no setup available on the router - it either is or is not plugged in. Software setup for PC works fine. Did not try it with linux yet.
Wireless: finally, something that works with 64/128 bit WEP. Netgear never worked. Linksys was so-so. This works. NOTE: For those who want to limit ACCESS to the WIRELESS by MAC ADDRESS - this unit cannot do it. It can limit by MAC to the INTERNET, but that will also limit who can attach to the unit, both with wireless and with a physical connection. Most other units only use this filter to limit access to the wireless portion. If used, you have to put in all the machines connecting to it - both wireless and physical....
Firewall: Syslog, email logs available. Nice. SPI works. DMZ support. Passthrough ports available. Works great with my nortel VPN client (this is always a good test of PPTP and so on).
FIRMWARE NOTE: I had the hardest time getting this thing to work with windows terminal services. No matter what setting I used, it would lock up then drop the connection until I rebooted the router (software reboot). Some settings would go longer, but I could get it to lock up within 2 minutes. Nothing seemed to fix it - a few people have reported this on the internet, but since most people aren't using the terminal services part of windows on a regular basis - they would never know it.
The fix was to load the 1.22 firmware, not the 1.23 that came with it. This REMOVES the 802.1X authentication tab (some type of shared radius key BS - if you want radius support, get a REAL wireless device) and it removes the 4X mode for the B+ series of wireless adapters (which I do not have anyway).
TO LOAD FIRMWARE: you would need to run either executable (one for MAC or the other for PC) OR use the web browser to upload the file (requires either java or activeX - not sure) because it opens up the "open file" dialog box - meaning - experimental browsers, like those in my beloved linux box - don't work well with this. ALSO - it states in no unclear terms DO NOT UPGRADE USING A WIRELESS LINK. Use a hard wired computer. I went from 1.23 to 1.22 and back and forth and so on testing this remote desktop issue.
FINAL FIX: load 1.23, hit the button to reset the router to the defaults, load 1.22, reboot, hit the button to reset the router to the defaults, then type all your configuration back in.
Why the crazy steps? If you loaded 1.23, typed ANYTHING in the boxes that aren't available in 1.22 - it remembers and will cause problems, even though that option isn't availble in 1.22 (I tried this - several times for fun). 1.23 -> load setup defaults -> load 1.22 -> load setup defaults -> configure.
Live without their crippled version of RADIUS (if you don't know what this is you don't need it) and who cares about the crappy 4X mode for the B+ stuff? Another marketing ploy anyway.
Bottom line - with some experimentation, I figured out the firmware thing. IT has worked BETTER than the linksys ever did (can we say firmware of the week?) and improved over the netgears I have used (you can print and not be disconnected from the internet - thanks a lot netgear).
4 stars because firmware is supposed to fix stuff, and their two listed updates should not have affected the RDP stuff in 2000/XP. But it did.
5 Not perfect, but close
I've had the DI-714P+ for about 3 months. I'm retired and live in a small ranch house, and have excellent results everywhere, including the deck and yard, front porch and basement. The router sits on an upper shelf in my den/office, about 2 feet from the ceiling. I use my HP Pavilion laptop in the wireless mode 95% of the time. Both my LAN and wireless are integrated, so no cards to mess with. I download very large files and applications (750 Mb was the largest so far) with no interuption whatsoever in downloading. However, it has dropped connections when idle, but mostly after coming out of hibernation or standby. Re-booting the router fixes this. It has gone for a couple of weeks without needing a reboot. Instllation was a breeze, having it up and running in less than 30 minutes. The print server worked for a while, then stopped working. I actually think it was something I did when messing around with configurations, and haven't gotten it fixed yet - I just dock it when I want to print something. As for conflicting with my 2.4 Ghz phone, I've not noticed any problems. It's not perfect, but for my needs does an excellent job.
6 I will never buy another D-Link Product
The DI-714P+ I purchased was defective from day 1. However, it has now taken me 2 months to go through D-Link's technical support before they finally admited it, and I still have not been able to return it. Trying to get a hold of technical support has been a nightmare. Their email service is of no help, and their phone system habitually disconnects you or does not "understand" your selections. Other times the phone is busy, or the line is dead, or you get dumped into a voicemail box of someone that never calls you. Their technical support is by far the worst I have ever encoutered.
If you need a router with a printer port, I strongly recommend the Netgear FM114P. It is a little more expensive, but it also includes a hardware firewall, and a real technical service department. The time I wasted on the D-Link was worth far more than the price difference.
7 I'd look for other products before choosing
I had the SS2624 Siemens SpeedStream router and before it broke down, it worked really well. It has almost the same features as this D-Link but it's much cheaper.
At the beginning i had little normal problems with it, but now, just sometimes and randomly (like right now), i get low speed problems or disconnected when wireless working.
One wierd thing happens, my computers sometimes gets IP address from the router's DHCP, but cant get internet nor intranet access, and i dont think its the Wireless USB Adaptor's fault. (ATTENTION!! I've found out why this happens) The router comes with Firware 1.22 but once upgraded to 1.23 the router gets flawfull when working wirelessly and there is no way to downgrade it.
I've also noticed that the amber LED from my cable modem is turned on most of the time and more than before with the other router, even when there is no computer turned on.
Look around in forums to see this is no joke!
8 It is working OK in a small LAN
The configuration utility is relatively easy to use. It depends in your knowledge about networks and computers. I assign an static IP from my LAN for the router with access to the internet.
I use the WEP encription with 128 bits. I didn't use the 256 bit encription, because I am using different adapters from differents brands. Some of them didn't support 256 bit encription. Currently, I have conected a Dell truemobile 1300 in a Dell Inspiron 600m, Dell Truemobile 1180 in a Desktop Dell Optiplex SX270, Dlink adapter DWL 650+ in a Laptop Dell inspiron 2650, and a Sony Vaio Z1RA. All of them are conected and working fine. I can access the internet and share files with no problem at all.
Interference? Remember that this device and the adapters use the 2.4Ghz range. Is the same range that some of the long range Cordless Telephones like Panasonic, Sony and other popular brands use. So, if you have this kind of Phones, just dont put the base next to the router. And also, try to locate your router as high as you can.
I still didnt test the print server so I cant tell you anything about it
9 Pleased
I just bought this unit. I've purchased the DI-614 for work, and it has worked flawlessly for nearly 3 months and is still going strong. I was impressed with the Transieved signal.
So tonight, I decided to upgrade my home wireless network. I was running a Linksys with their Signal Booster, but was still unhappy with the range.
I'm now running a D-Link DI-714P+, and the signal has improved considerably. This is in reference to the signal meter application that came with my laptops SMC wireless card.
Setup was easy, but I've had experience setting these things up. It only gets easier the more you do it.
I'm very happy so far, and it goes great with my Tungsten C, I can know read my e-mail while I sit on the toilet! Hahahaha...
In conclusion, after reading the mulitude of reviews, it seems that these things fail after a few months according to a few (very few) people. We'll see.
10 junk
i thought this router was a great fit because it included a print server and port. worked on and off for a couple of hours then could not connect. notice two amber lights. read the manual and learned they have a LED dedicated just to inform you that their product is defective. i think that speaks for itself.
11 a great simple product
I purchased this product a few months ago and have been extremely happy with it since. Everything works as advertised right out of the box. The only problems I have experienced are related to dropped connections by my ISP or DSL modem, not the actual router (although it appears some folks believe it is actually the router's fault, but in my case that has been the wrong assumption every time). The print server works flawlessly with my older laser printer and speeds between my workstation and laptop are excellent. I can use my laptop anywhere on my 1/4 acre property and 2000 sq. foot home and get at least a 'GOOD' connection which far away exceeds my DSL speeds anyway. Additionally, I found the help manual from D-Link was very good and easy to read. I highly recommend this product for anyone like me who is new to the wireless/home networking world.
12 This product beat ALL of my expectations!
I have the LinkSys BEFW11S4 wireless broadband router at home, and it has been working great for 2 years. But, I needed a product that had a print server for all the computers on my home network. Though, there aren't a lot of choices out there for a combined router & print server - I found this D-Link DI-714P+ at Amazon... This product worked PERFECTLY right out of the box. The setup took about 15 minutes total, and anybody could do it! Just install the printer driver found on the CD on all your computers and you are printing in minutes! Do yourself a favor and GET THIS PRODUCT! Inexpensive, easy to setup, easy to maintain, range is great, and it has many of the features that the LinkSys product has...
13 Bad start -- Good product
It appeared to work well for about a week. Then the firmware chip crapped out. It ook a difficult negotiation with their tech support to get things ironed out. Works flawlessly now.
14 My Excellent Router
I've had nothing but pleasure from this device. It's been running for three weeks now, without a hitch. I'm using all aspects of it: wired switch, wireless switch, print server, firewall with DMZ.
Configuration was fairly straightforward, but the "Quick Installation Guide" is poorly written. If you follow the Configuration Wizard, though, it walks you through everything you need to get started. Mmm... I take that back. I had to power-cycle my modem before it would work. I don't think that was mentioned in the Quick guide or in the Wizard. Also, firewall port configuration is not covered in the quick start guide or the wizard, but it's well-explained in the manual.
A word about the manual. As I mentioned, the Quick guide is VERY poorly written. The english is bad, the examples are poor, and not all topics are covered. The Configuration Wizard does it's job well though. However, there is an EXCELLENT manual on the CD. IT's 84 pages long and it documents everything you need to configure all aspects of this router, in plain, easy-to-read language, including "for Dummies"-style explanations of the technologies and installation considerations.
I get good signal strength all over my house, and i'm using a Netgear A/B card (model WAB501) in my laptop.
And -- the price is outstanding for everything you're getting in this one box. When it first came out, it was over $200 and that was a stretch. Today (6/22/03), it's $70, after rebates. Can you beat that!?! With a print server to boot!?!? What a deal!
For the sake of this review, I called D-Link Tech Support. I didn't have a problem to report, so I can't speak to some of the other reviewers' concerns that they get a different answer for the same question each time they call. But I called on a Saturday afternoon and got a technician after about 3 minutes on hold. That seems reasonable to me. They advertise 24/7 support, and it doesn't expire.
If you purchase this hardware, I hope you have the same good experience I have had. Good luck.
15 Great Wireless Router and Print Server!
This router is great! I have used it to link FOUR computers together (3 PC's and 1 PowerBook G4). All the computers work together... all can print to ONE central printer... and they all share the same internet connection WIRELESSLY!
*-Still haven't been able to share files between the PowerBook G4 and the PC's... but not a big deal to me.
16 Pain in the "you know what"
I purchased this product on February and it worked great after the initial set up but then started to drop the internet connection every few days so I had to reconfigure everything over and over. Tech support was helpful to a point but seemed to give a different answer to the problem everytime I phoned: maybe it's Microsoft...maybe it's your 2.4GHZ phone running on the same frequency...maybe it's the firmware. I finally got back to phoning them again this past month ( June. I have a new baby so I needed to find 4 hours I could carve out to spend on the phone with tech support). After 4 hours I'm up again, but the print server does not work. Come to find out my printer, a new Canon i850, is not on their "hardware compatibility list", which mysteriously was not posted anywhere convenient when I bought both of these products at the same time. Annoying. I may keep the router if it stays stable for a month, but I will need to buy another wireless print server if I want to be truely wireless. If your in the market, I recommend researching other products to avoid this purchase.
17 great product, combining all the needed functions in one
I tried Linksys 802.11b products and got very dispointed in their signal strengths. D-Link is a totally different story. I have used D-Link's DWL-900+AP, DI-614+, and DWL-650+. No matter wherever you go in the house (even in the garage with doors closed), you get almost 100% signal strength.
DI-714p+ is a great product with all the needed functions in one package, built on the solid grounds of DWL-900+AP. It is a router, a switch, a wireless accress point, and a print server. I was watching streaming video online while installing it. I unplugged my computer from the cable modem, replugged it into DI-714p+, and plugged DI-714p+ right into my cable modem. Amazingly, after 3 secs of interuption, my streaming video restarted by itself. Yes, no setup necessary to get DI-714p+ to work. With the built-in print server, everyone on my network can print to the printer independently. Now I can get rid of my old router, wireless access point, and print server.
I am so glad that DI-714p+ makes my desk look much cleaner and my life so much simpler. I strongly recommend it.
18 Save Your Self
D-Link DI-714P+ 2.4GHZ Wireless Router has been my worst buy. Many problems and when contacting D-link Support many times you always get a differnt response or cause of problem. I will return it, but it has been very hard to even get approval with return and it is less then 30 days old. Returns are not even close to being reasonable when dealing with D-Link or retailers online. Also bought: D-Link 650+ 2.4GHZ, D-Link 520+ 2.4GHZ.
19 Don't make my mistake, buy Linksys instead!
Buy a Linksys router instead! The D-Link product concept is good. A wireless router with a print server built in. I can hard wire my PC for broadband at my desk, as well as use my laptop anywhere in or outside the house . With this set up, I can surf the net with both computers at the same time with one internet connection. The plus is that I can also use the printer with both computers. The problem is that I have been unable to connect to the internet with this router! Tech support is clueless as to the problem. I have spent several days on the phone trying different scenerios without luck.
The concept is great, but the equiptment is useless.
Buy LINKSY, great equiptment, ran flawlessly and great tech support.
20 Nice try Dlink
Can't beat the price of a wireless router/switch and print server all in one.
However the product has some real "inconvenient" bugs:
* I have never been able to make WEP work with my Lucent wireless card
* The router needs to be rebooted in average once a day, suddenly the wireless network stops working and even the wireless button on the admin interface seems to be gone
* The router won't sync by itself with the time server, needs to be done manually with every reboot.
If you don't need the extra speed, I would recommend going for the 713p. It has been at least 3 months since the last time I had to reset that one.
