D-Link DIR-605L Pro Reviews

Good if you want a cheap 2.4GHz band router, but its cloud services are limited to remote configuration

Overall, I would recommend the DIR-605L to people who are willing to sacrifice some performance for the ability to monitor network activity from afar. The router’s lack of 5GHz support, in particular, is disappointing for city dwellers, who often knock each other off the narrow 2.4GHz band that the Cloud Router supports, and the 2-by-2 antenna array supports theoretical top speeds of only 300 mbps (new routers with a larger number of antennas are rated at up to 600 mbps). Also, some business users who want a fast wired network for backups or large file transfers will be put off by the lack of gigabit ethernet support. That said, the DIR-605L is probably speedy enough for most general tasks that don’t involve a lot of streaming media, and its remote access features will likely appeal to certain small-business owners, parents, and others who want to keep tabs on network activity. The relatively low price should clinch the deal.

For those needing little more than a cheap router for a small home network with few devices, the DIR-605L will suffice. All others, steer clear.

The DIR-605L is a decent performer for wired routing throughput with wireless performance better than many routers costing twice as much. Yet, when stacked up against the features of the equally-priced TP-LINK TL-WR1043ND, it doesn't look as appealing. For the same money, the TP-LINK has Gigabit Ethernet ports, upgradeable antennas and can share a USB drive via FTP or UPnP, while matching the 605L with WDS support and up/downlink bandwidth-based QoS. But the D-Link still has the edge on the TP-LINK in wireless performance.

Affordable, reliable and simple, the D-Link DIR-605L Cloud Router makes a very good router for a simple home network. Its cloud-based feature will also be the icing on the cake, a pleasant surprise for those who want to effectively monitor and manage their home network when on the go.