Wireless Cable/DSL Router: D-Link DI-524 Vs. Linksys WRT54G

Earlier I have used D-Link DI-524 for a year and now I am using Linksys WRT54G. Both are 54Mbps wireless router for Cable or DSL. When you buy any wireless router you should look for few things. The speed or data rate of the router and security features are the two most important specifications you should check before hand. These two routers are almost same in features, but I found lot of differences in efficiency or performance between these two routers. Here are the manufactures specifications for these two wireless routers from tigerdirect.com:

WRT54G – Linksys Wireless Router

“Standards:
– IEEE 802.3
– IEEE 802.3u
– IEEE 802.11g Draft
– IEEE 802.11b

Channels:
– 11 Channels (US, Canada)
– 13 Channels (Europe)
– 14 Channels (Japan)

Ports/Buttons:
– Internet: One 10/100 RJ-45 Port
– LAN: Four 10/100 RJ-45 Switched Ports
– One Power Port
– One Reset Button

Cabling Type: Ethernet Network Cable
RF Power Output: 15 dBm

Security:
– Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI) Firewall
– Internet Policy
– Packet Filters
– Wireless Security Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA)
– Wireless MAC Filtering

Power: External 5V DC, 2.0A
Certifications: FCC
Operating Temperature: 32°F~104°F (0°C~40°C)
Storage Temperature: -4°F~158°F (-25°C~70°C)
Operating Humidity: 10% to 85% Non-Condensing
Storage Humidity: 5% to 90% Non-Condensing”

DI-524 D-Link Wireless Router

“Standards:
– IEEE 802.11G
– IEEE 802.11B
– IEEE 802.2
– IEEE 802.3u

Data Transfer Rate:
– 54Mbps

Security:
– 802.1X
– 64-bit Wireless Encryption Protocol
– 128-bit Wireless Encryption Protocol
– WPA-WiFi Protected Access

Modulation Technology: OFDM
Device Management: Web Based
Indoor Wireless Range: Up To 328ft.
Outdoor Wireless Range: Up To 1312ft.
Wireless Frequency Range: 2.4GHz~2.462GHz
Wireless Transmit Power: 15dBm ± 2dBm
External Antenna Type: Single detachable reverse SMA
Operating Temperature: 32°F~131°F (0°C~55°C)
Humidity: 95% maximum (non-condensing)”

From the above specifications it is very clear that technically both the routers are almost same. People will expect the same results for both of these two products, but in reality that may not be true.

Price – Both are almost same in price. Currently both are available in market with the price of about $45 to $50. There are few good deals on D-Link routers always, which sometimes help us to get the D-Link router at a better price than Linksys routers.

Quality – I always recommend for Linksys router. Both the routers offer a data speed of 54 Mbps with the help of advance technology. DI-524 has four different Ethernet ports to allow connections for four different computers. So you can also connect other computers through Ethernet cable. The ease of use of DI-524 is the main advantage over Linksys WRT54G. The Linksys WRT54G is mainly is popular for it high performance and quality. For me the DI-524 never went fine. After two or three months I faced few problems with D-Link’s DI-524 and I had to reject that device forever. The DI-524 is very compact and small in size which helps you to place the router at any place within your home. The wireless signal strength for DI-524 is little bit weak. On the other hand the Linksys product is very good in signal strength.

The security feature of Linksys product is very good. Linksys WRT54G uses 128 bit WEP (Wired Equivalency Privacy) encryption to secure your data transmission between computer and router while connected to Internet. It also has URL blocking and few other security features which are really useful. On the other hand DI-524 is very popular for its advance firewall settings.

WRT54G has few additional features on security and general router set-ups and settings. Due to these advance features sometimes Linksys router looks like not so user friendly. I never faced any problem with Linksys WRT54G model and it is working interruptedly for last two years. Initially I didn’t expect that it would go so smooth. When I bought this router the price was little high, but this is good product with that price.

Customer Service – There are several times I talked with D-Link customer service. Sometimes they are helpful, sometimes not. Especially the technical support group is not so good. They could not able to detect the actual problem with the router. I also had an experience with Linksys customer service. I will recommend for Linksys product in future.