D-Link is a well-known Taiwanese multinational manufacturer of networking equipment, which focuses towards both home users and small businesses (its products covering the network switches, IP cameras, routers, modems and firewalls). Also, since it’s been founded about three decades ago, D-Link went from being a network adapter vendor to becoming a market leader in the Wi-Fi product shipments worldwide.

The release of the DSL-3782 last year, proves that although most vendors have moved far past the AC1900 point (there are AC3200 and AC5300 routers out there), D-Link hasn’t abandoned the entry-level router market and understood that most people don’t need high-end devices with technologies that can’t even be used properly yet. That being said, the DSL-3782 should be miles ahead the N-technology and should give its users a nice taste of the AC-technology, while nullifying the need of a separate modem.

Design
Over the years, I’ve noticed that D-Link likes to break the patterns when it comes to the design choice of its routers. There are the cylindrical DIR-830L and DIR-860L, the newer, beetle-like DIR-895L/R and DIR-890L/R and the rectangular, vertically positioned DIR-810L which does not have any external antennas. The DSL-3782 follows the same pattern, featuring a simple square piece of plastic covered by a black matte finish (which does not retain fingerprints), with the front and the back sides slightly curved and completely lacking any external antennas (there are two internal dual-band antennas).

Because we are dealing with a minimalistic design, the DSL-3782 is suitable for a living room and it doesn’t attract too much attention on itself, blending in nicely with the furniture.
By default, the modem router can be positioned vertically and, unfortunately, that’s the only available posture, meaning that you won’t be able to lay it flat on the table, nor mount it on a wall. Sure, in some crowded offices, it may feel as an inconvenience, but the truth is that the device isn’t really that large (it measures 8.27 x 5.91 x 1.21 inches) and the footprint is really narrow, so it can be slipped onto a shelf. The vertical stance of the device implies that stability is very important, but D-Link handled things at a reasonable level, adding two sliding feet with rubber pads which, so far, have proven to keep sturdy the modem router (although the device isn’t very heavy, weighing no more than 0.24 pounds).

Usually, dual-band modem routers tend to get a bit warm, which means that you must be careful where you position the device so you don’t obstruct the airflow vents. D-Link DSL-3782 has lots of vent holes on the top and on the back (which surround a recessed zone for the label which contains info about the device – the MAC ID, the Serial Number, the default web address, user name and password, as well as the two SSIDs for the wireless bands and the passwords for each).

On the front of the DSL-3782, towards the top there is an array of LED lights which show the status of the Power, Broadband (if it’s solid green, it means that there is a proper DSL connection, otherwise, if it’s blinking, it means that the DSL port is negotiating a connection), Internet (solid green means that there is an Internet connection, if it blinks, it means that there is Internet activity; if it’s solid red, then there is a PPP or DHCP failure), Wireless (if the LED blinks, it means that there is wireless activity), Ethernet and WPS (if the LED blinks a green light, then the WPS process is active).

Turn the modem router around and you can find a series of ports and buttons: from the left, there’s the Power Connector, a USB 2.0 port (which allows you to share media content using a flash drive or any other type of external storage device), four 10/100M Fast Ethernet LAN ports, a recessed Reset button (press and hold the button for 5 seconds, using a paper clip in order to reset the device to its factory default settings) and the RJ-11 Broadband DSL port (which connects to a DSL-enabled telephone line). On the right side of the DSL-3782, there’s a subtle WPS button (press the button to automatically create a secure connection with a WPS client) and a more prominent ON/OFF button.
Note: Inside the package, you can find the D-Link DSL-3782 modem router unit, a Power Adapter, an Ethernet cable and a Phone (DSL) cable.

Hardware
Inside the case, the D-Link DSL-3782 is equipped with a Mediatek MT7511T CPU, 512MB DDR2-800 SDRAM (Winbond w9751g6kb-25) and 128MB of flash storage (MXIC MX25l12835F M21-10G). The 2.4GHz wireless performance is being delivered by a MediaTek MT7592N 2×2:2, 802.11b/g/n chipset and the 5GHz wireless performance is being delivered by a Mediatek MT7612E chipset.

Because of this internal hardware, the DSL-3782 features a maximum theoretical speed of 300 Mbps using the 2.4GHz radio band and a maximum of 867 Mbps using the 5GHz radio band (which add up to 1167 Mbps, rounded to 1200 Mbps).
Furthermore, the DSL-3782 switches automatically to a Power-Saving mode if one minute has passed without any data packages transmitted or received (ERP). In Stand-By mode, the modem router uses approximately 4.7 watts (0.18 if it’s switched off).

Performance and Connectivity
The DSL-3782 is a capable modem router and thankfully, D-Link has added some of the latest technologies which are usually found on devices of a higher price tag. There is the concurrent dual-band feature, which allows you to use both the 2.4 and the 5GHz radio bands at the same time, working with compatible devices connected from both spectra. The DSL-3782 also uses the AC Beamforming technology to further maximize the speed and range in a very interesting way: instead of broadcasting the signal everywhere (the old way) hoping to reach your wireless devices, the modem router scans all connected clients and focuses the signal towards them, thus greatly improving the signal quality and the way your network behaves.

You may have heard the MU-MIMO technology as being the next best thing in the networking world and sure enough it’s something to keep an eye out, but, unfortunately, it’s not a feature that will make much sense right now for many people. The way it works, is that it can serve multiple users at the same time (multiple-input and multiple-output) instead of the round-robin technique, where a user will be served at a time. The problem is that this technology requires powerful hardware to function with a lot of devices at the same time (higher price) and you need compatible wireless adapters to connect to the router (which are not widely available and very expensive), therefore, making it a feature for the future instead of the present. Obviously, the DSL-3782 uses the SU-MIMO technique, so it will serve a client at a time (as expected, considering the price point and since the main selling point of this modem router is simplicity).

Since the DSL-3782 has four Fast Ethernet LAN ports (therefore it supports 10/100 Mbps Internet connections), the routing performance is capped at a maximum of 100 Mbps and the tests have shown this to be true: I measured an average of 90.4 Mbps and a maximum of 93.6 Mbps. Furthermore, in order to test the wireless capabilities of the modem router, I got two computers with an AC-compatible wireless adapter, connected them to the router and measured the speed of the data being transferred between the two clients. So, using the 2.4GHz radio band, in close proximity (no more than 5 feet), I measured a maximum of 72.8 Mbps (on average, 71.5Mbps) and after increasing the distance to 15 feet, the speed decreased to 64.6 Mbps. Afterwards, I tested the wireless performance at 50 feet and the speed decreased to 37.5 Mbps. Surprisingly, at over 200 feet, I could still watch videos on YouTube and view my emails using my smartphone.

Next, I switched to the 5GHz radio band (the 802.11ac standard) and at close range (no more than 5 feet), I measured a maximum of 223 Mbps (the speed averaged at 178 Mbps). After I increased the distance between the clients to 15 feet, the speed decreased to 149 Mbps and lastly, at 50 feet, I got only 33 Mbps (because of the Fast Ethernet ports limitation (10/100Mbps), the tests using the 5GHz radio band were a lot more sensitive to external factors than usual, therefore the poorer results than the other devices from the competition).
Now, since the D-Link DSL-3782 uses the ADSL2+/VDSL2 technology (the best you can get going using this setup), the maximum Internet speed can be 100 Mbps.
Note: Although it’s an AC-modem router, the DSL-3782 is fully backwards compatible with the 802.11a, 802.11g and 802.11n standard, so it can connect with devices that support an older wireless technology.

Setup

To perform the hardware setup, you need to connect the provided DSL cable to the wall jack and to the Broadband port on the modem router (unfortunately, there is no WAN port, so you won’t be able to use the DSL-3782 as a standalone router). Afterwards, connect the modem router to a power source using the Power adapter and, in order to setup the device, you need to connect it to a computer by using the provided Ethernet cable (use any LAN port from the modem router – the setup process can also be initiated by connecting to the default WiFi network, using the user name and password printed on the label). Now, you can open a web browser and go to either https://dlinkrouter.local/ or https://192.168.1.1 to access the interface (if accessing it for the first time, it will automatically run the setup wizard).

The Setup Wizard guides you through a step-by-step process to connect the device to the Internet (choose the WAN Access Type, the Country and the ISP and insert the user name and password provided by your ISP), configure the Wireless Network (insert the 2.4GHz and 5GHz SSIDs and passwords) and some general system settings (choose a new Admin password). Sure enough, you can also let your router to automatically select the ISP settings for you. After you are done with the initial setup, you gain full access to the D-Link interface so you can perform a more in-depth configuration of your modem router.

If you remember the old black and orange D-Link interface, well, things have changed a lot. The new UI is extremely clean, minimalistic and perfectly suited for people that aren’t tech-savvy, holding your hands at every point in the configuration process (every section and setting has a brief description about what it does), therefore, making it perfect for undemanding users. Overall, everything about the new interface is designed to ensure that the connection to the Internet is fast and straight-forward, D-Link focusing more towards the ease-of-use and a bit less on sophisticated features. That being said, it still has everything one would expect from a router modem, so let’s have a closer look.

On the top side, you can find the main tabs for Home Settings, Features and management. The Home tab shows a graphical representation of your network, with the connected clients and USB devices, the Internet and the DSL-3782, allowing you to click on each item, to see its status or go to settings.

The Settings section gives you access to the Setup Wizard (you can rerun the wizard whenever you need to change something), Internet (choose the WAN connection, configure the ADSL/VDSL VC Setting – Interface, Virtual Circuit, VPI, VCI, Service Category and Vlan ID, if applicable; WAN Settings – can be Dynamic IP Address, Static IP Address, PPPoE or Bridge Mode; WAN – some of its options include the Connection Type, the MTU, Enable NAT, Enable PPPoE Passthrough), Wireless (here, you can configure the 2.4 or 5GHz radio networks, its options including the Cipher Type, WMM, Signal Interval, DTIM, Transmitting Power, the 802.11 Mode – you can’t choose to use only the AC mode -, Channel Width and Schedule; here, you can also create 2.4 or 5GHz WiFi Guest Networks, so your private data won’t be visible to anyone but you), Network (includes Router Settings, such as choosing the IP address and enabling/disabling the DHCP Server, as well as configuring the UPnP) and USB (DLNA Settings and Samba Setup).

The Features section includes the following options: Firewall (DOS and Portscan Protection, SYN/TCP reset attack, Ping/Ping of Death attack, Null scanning attack, etc.), Application (open single or multiple ports in your firewall when the modem router detects that data is being sent to the Internet using an outgoing “Trigger” port), ACL (allows you to use telnet or the Web to manage the modem router remotely), Port Forwarding (allows you to create up to 64 rules for Port Forwarding and 8 rules for DMZ), IP/MAC/Website Filtering (a form of Parental Controls, which allows you to create rules based on the IP and MAC address, as well as set specific websites in order to filter what users can access on the Internet – you can also add schedules), Static Route, Dynamic DNS and IGMP (here, you can enable Snooping Support, PVCI Proxy and IGMP V1/V2/V3).

The Management section has the following options: Time and Schedule, Log Info, System Settings (here, you can Reboot the device, restore to factory Default Settings and save and load Settings to Local Hard Drive), Firmware Upgrade, Statistics (like statistics about the Internet, LAN and the two wireless bands) and Diagnostics (allows you to run diagnostic tests, like Ping and Traceroute to see if the broadband is working properly).
Note: Modem routers cannot be flashed with custom, non-ISP firmware (like DD-WRT, Tomato or OpenWRT).

Conclusion
It’s true that ADSL/VDSL modem routers aren’t really known for their great wireless performance, but, regardless of that, the D-Link DSL-3782 is an acceptable performer using the 2.4GHz radio band, has a simple, minimalistic design that doesn’t attract too much attention towards it and has a very straight-forward, user-friendly interface, all that along with the ADSL2+/VDSL2 modem capabilities. This makes the modem router a very attractive device for most people that want their network to just work and not have to do any in-depth configuration. Still, there are some major minuses to take into account before purchasing, like the lack of Gigabit Ethernet ports and the relatively slow 5GHz performance, comparing it with the competition.

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Mark B

Mark is a graduate in Computer Science, having gathered valuable experience over the years working in IT as a programmer. Mark is also the main tech writer for MBReviews.com, covering not only his passion, the networking devices, but also other cool electronic gadgets that you may find useful for your every day life.

www.mbreviews.com

Most people will be happy with an older generation AC1900 router, but, there are others that are in need of a more powerful device, which can handle a huge network of diverse clients and need a large space to be covered without being bothered with countless wireless repeaters (that cut the speed in half). These people need a strong backbone for their network.

Surely, a MU-MIMO router will have a better throughput than a tri-band router, but, the latter is specifically targeted towards networks with lost of wireless devices, so, in order to maintain a proper stability, instead of getting only the usual two bands (2.4 and 5GHz), you get an additional 5GHz radio band. That being said, let’s have a look at the D-Link AC3200 DIR-890L.

Design

While other router manufacturers usually find a winning design formula and use it again and again (Linksys WRT series), D-Link is known to have taken some risks when it came to the appearance of their devices. But, despite knowing that, the D-Link DIR-890L took me by surprise with its design choice. The DIR-890L features a weird angular case (that reminds me of those headcrabs from Half Life or the tiny green stink bugs – Acrosternum hilare), covered by a red glossy finish. The red outer shell sits on a darker matte plastic section from which the six antennas are pointing upwards.

The bases of the four side antennas also double as feet and, you guessed it, they aren’t removable. The router is covered by lots of vent holes on the front (creating a nice v-shape), on the back (puncturing the red glossy finish) and on the whole surface of the bottom, except for the label with printed info (miscellaneous info, including the default IP address, username and password).

Overall, the design of the DIR-890L is definitely extravagant and whether you like it or not is a matter of taste, but, there is a problem with the D-Link AC3200 DIR-890L: it has a huge footprint. That’s right, its dimensions are 15.23 x 9.73 x 4.7 inches and it weighs 2.20 lbs, rendering the router the largest I have tested so far, so finding a spot to position it will be a challenge. By default, the router sits horizontally on a flat surface, but, while routers of higher aesthetic value can be put it in the centre of attention, because of its enormous size, the DIR-890L will sit better on the wall or even, better, on the ceiling (to give your guests a scare). Now, don’t get me wrong, I fully understand why a tri-band router needs to be bigger (more internal hardware, need for better ventilation), but while the tri-bands Netgear Nighthawk X6 and Asus AC3200 both were large devices, D-Link beats their size by a ‘mile’.

The top of the router is cut in half, revealing a narrow grey plastic that holds the array of LED lights responsible for SS (will be solid white when a USB 3.0 device is connected), USB 2.0, the 5GHz radio (during the WPS process, the LED will blink quickly), the 2.4GHz radio (during WPS, it will blink quickly), Internet (white indicates a connection; if it’s orange, it means that there is no connection to the Internet) and Power. As you may have noticed that D-Link hasn’t included any LEDs for the Ethernet connections, so you can’t see a live status of your ports. I assume this is part of the minimalist trend, but it has proven to be an inconvenience to many users.

On the rear of the DIR-890L, underneath the diamond shaped vents, there is a series of ports and buttons: a USB 3.0, a USB 2.0, a recessed Reset button (use a paperclip and press and hold the button for 10 seconds in order to return the router to factory default settings), a small WPS button (press it to perform the WPS pairing), four Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports (could have been more, considering the size of the device), the Internet WAN port, a Power button and a Power port.
Note: The package contains the DIR-890L Wireless AC3200 Ultra Wi-Fi Router, a Power Adapter, an Ethernet cable, a WiFi Configuration Card and a Quick Install Guide.

Hardware
Similarly to the Asus AC3200, the D-Link DIR-890L uses the Broadcom XStream ‘tri-band’ technology and inside the case, it is equipped with a dual-core 1GHz Broadcom BCM4709A0 CPU, backed by 256MB of RAM (EtronTech EM6GD16EWXC-15H) and 128 MB/32 MB (Spansion S34ML01G100TFI00/Macronix MX25L25635FMI-10G) flash storage.
Furthermore, for the 2.4GHz wireless performance, there is a Broadcom BCM43602 SoC and the 5GHz wireless performance is handled by two Broadcom BCM43602 SoCs, with Skyworks 5003L1 5GHz Power Amplifiers (x6).

Some people were a bit skeptical about the processor and were wondering if only 1 GHz and 256 MB of RAM are enough to handle the tri-band performance. The answer is yes and also, let’s not forget that the other tri-band routers have the same setup (TP-LINK Archer C3200, ASUS RT-AC3200 and Netgear R8000).
The maximum theoretical throughput of the D-Link DIR-890L is 600Mbps using the 2.4GHz radio band and 2,600Mbps (1,300+1,300) using the two 5GHz radio bands.

Performance and Connectivity
Right now there seems to be a competition between the XStream tri-band and the MU-MIMO technologies, the first targeting large homes or small businesses with a huge amount of devices that need to be switched between the three radios, while having a stable, but sometimes modest throughput. The latter uses a different approach: it aims to serve as many clients as possible at the same time instead of serving only one client at a time (the round-robin concept). Since there aren’t many devices with a compatible MU-MIMO wireless adapter, this technology still has a long way before it will be widespread and common. Until then, since MU-MIMO routers are usually very fast, they are marketed as being suitable for gamers (they need a stable network, while transferring large chunks of data and maintaining a low latency).

Obviously, the D-Link DIR-890L falls into the first category, so, instead of 2 radios, there is an additional 5GHz band for a better handling of your wireless clients. The way the Xstream tri-band technology works is by using the Smart Connect feature, which automatically sorts all the connected devices and puts them in the proper network (takes into account the network congestion and the signal strength). By default, the D-Link DIR-890L assigns the same SSID and password for all three bands, which allows the Smart Connect feature to do its wonder, but, you can always change the SSID and create individual names and passwords for each network, if you don’t like the automatic switching between the bands.

I have already seen how the Smart Connect worked with the Asus AC3200 and, because it was implemented too aggressively, clients would connect and disconnect all the time (right now, this issue has been solved to a certain degree with the latest updates). D-Link kept the Smart Connect feature at a more proper level and although I have experienced a few disconnects, during a longer period of time, devices would connect to to the proper network smoothly, without me noticing (what’s weird is that sometimes it assigns AC devices on the 2.4GHz radio band).

The D-Link DIR-890L also features the Advanced AC SmartBeam, which is a form of the Beamforming technology, that has the role to focus the signal directly towards the connected wireless devices in order to maximize the speed and range, instead of broadcasting the wireless signal everywhere and hope that it will reach your devices.
In order to test the full potential of the D-Link DIR-890L/R, I used a 3×3 client device (a MacBook Pro). So, using the 2.4GHz radio band, at close range (around 5 feet), I measured a maximum of 131 Mbps. Afterwards, I increased the distance to 15 feet, where I measured up to 113 Mbps and at 30 feet, the router delivered a maximum of 89 Mbps. Lastly, at 100 feet, the speed dropped to about 29 Mbps. So far, the 2.4GHz wireless performance is bit more than the average, so let’s see if the 5GHz performance is better.

So, I switched to the primary 5GHz radio band and, at close range (about 5 feet), the router delivered a maximum speed of 589 Mbps. After I increased the distance to 15 feet, I got an average of 470 Mbps and at 30 feet, the speed decreased to 260 Mbps. Lastly, at a longer range (100 feet), the router managed only 98 Mbps. The 5GHz wireless performance is a mixed bag, because, while at close range it did extremely well (better than Asus AC3200), at a longer range, I experienced a rather big signal drop.
In order to test the storage performance of the D-Link DIR-890L/R, I took a 1.5GB folder, which contains multimedia files (videos, photos, books) and I recorded the writing and reading speed. Surely, it’s not on par with the likes of Linksys WRT1900ACS, but the DIR-890L managed 48.5 MBps for reading the folder and 25.7 MBps for writing it.

Setup
The setup process of the D-Link DIR-890L is easy and straight-forward, all you have to do is open a web browser and either enter https://dlinkrouter.local or the IP address, https://192.168.0.1 (if the Setup Wizard doesn’t launch automatically). From here on, you are guided step-by-step into configuring your router: if not done automatically, you may need to manually enter the ISP info, choose the Internet connection type (DHCP, PPPoE or Static IP), create a WiFi network SSID and a password, create an Admin password and register a mydlink account (for the mydlink Lite app). The mydlink Cloud app allows you to access and configure your network remotely, from everywhere in the world (you can see the status of the network, change the settings, monitor the traffic, block access and more).

After finishing the initial setup, you can access the interface and further configure your router (you will be prompted to enter the Admin password). The interface is very simple and minimalistic, with four main tabs on top: Home, Settings, Features and Management, each with its corresponding page. The Home page displays the current status of your network, including the Internet connection and the router (you can click on them to see their status and go to settings, in order to configure them), as well as the connected devices (you can insert Parental Control rules on the fly). The Settings tab contains a series of sub-sections: the Setup Wizard, the Internet (choose the Device Mode, the Internet connection type, Host name, the DNS servers, MTU, MAC address close and access the IPv6 settings), the Wireless (change the settings of each of the three networks or create separate Guest networks), the Network (change the Network settings, configure the DHCP Server and the Advanced Settings), the SharePort (allows you to share any type of file by connecting a USB drive directly to the router; here, you can also create users and give them access levels) and mydlink (here, you can register a new account).

It is a bit weird that you cannot change the Admin username as it creates some security concerns, but you do get the option can create an additional of 9 users.
The Features tab has the following sub-sections: the QoS Engine (features three separate priority blocks – Highest, High and Medium – in which you can drag and drop your devices), the Firewall (Enable DMZ, SPI IPv4, Anti-Spoof Checking, IPv6 Simple Security and Ingress Filtering, PPTP, IPSec, RTSP, SIP, and you can create IPV4 and IPV6 rules), the Port Forwarding/Virtual Server, the Website Filter (here, you can create a maximum of 15 rules and restrict the access to certain websites and even block specific keywords), the Static Route (create up to 15 IPv4 and IPv6 rules, each), Dynamic DNS and Quick VPN (enable the L2TP over IPSec and choose the authentication protocol and the MPPE). The Management tab has the following sub-sections: Time and Schedule, System Log, System Admin, Upgrade and Statistics.

Conclusion
The D-Link DIR-890L/R is a capable router and one of the first to use the tri-band technology, but there are some good things and bad things to consider before purchasing it. First of all, regarding the design choice and the size, while I think it looks pretty cool with its glossy red top, some people may not like it. Secondly, the 5GHz wireless performance is great at close range, but it’s just above average at longer range and lastly, the interface problem. Sure, the interface looks clean and minimalist, so it’s just fine by today’s standards, the problem is that it doesn’t feel finished and it’s clearly rushed. Furthermore, while the DIR-890L/R is a consumer router, it comes at an enterprise price.

Check the products here:

Mark B

Mark is a graduate in Computer Science, having gathered valuable experience over the years working in IT as a programmer. Mark is also the main tech writer for MBReviews.com, covering not only his passion, the networking devices, but also other cool electronic gadgets that you may find useful for your every day life.

www.mbreviews.com

Still, its place among the high-end routers is well deserved, the dual band D-Link router has excellent range, good WiFi performance and there are some new improvements to its UI.
That’s right, there is a new UI and it may require a learning curve for those who are accustomed to the old black and orange UI from previous D-Link routers. But overall, is it a good alternative to the likes of NETGEAR Nighthawk or ASUS RT-AC68U? Let’s find out.

YOU CAN ALSO HAVE A LOOK AT THE BEST WIRELESS ROUTERS AT AN ACCEPTABLE PRICE

Design
The D-Link DIR-880L is a really sleek device, it comes in all-black or all-white (it has a certain flair, but black cables may take away from the general appeal), it has a glossy finish and a carbon fibre-like textured band.
D-Link decided to ditch the cylindrical design of the AC1750 router in favour to the more commonly used flat rectangle shape. This is a good thing because the DIR-880L is quite stylish, the build quality is good and although fully made of plastic (just like any other router), it is solidly put together. The router is also well ventilated.

The DIR-880L is a fairly large router (still not as large as the NETGEAR Nighthawk), measuring 9.75×7.50×1.50 inches and weighing 1.4 pounds; on its back there are three oversized, removable and upgradeable antennas but despite all these, the router doesn’t draw too much attention to itself.
Note: In order to get the best performance, tilt the right and left antenna sideways from the centre at a 45 degree angle.
Regardless the colour, white or black, it will fit with most types of furniture and if you don’t like it flat on a surface or don’t have enough space to spare, the router can be wall mounted (VESA compatible).
On top of the router rests a set of non intrusive, solid blue status LEDs with corresponding icons for Power, Internet connection, 2.4GHz and 5GHz wireless networks and two LEDs for the USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 ports.

On the left of the router there is the WPS button and on the right rests the USB 3.0 port. The placement of the USB 3.0 port is somewhat better than on some other routers that have it placed on the front (like the ASUS AC2400 RT-AC87U) but it still can create a mess of cables, especially if using it as a NAS. From our point of view, the best position is on the back of the router.
On the back of the D-LINK DIR-880L there are four Gigabit LAN ports, a Gigabit WAN port, a USB 2.0 port, the Reset button (you have to insert a paper clip and wait for a few seconds to return the router to its default settings), the Power button and the power socket.
Overall, we liked the traditional design of the DIR-880L and although a bit bulky, it remains discreet enough to suit most tastes.

Hardware
Under the hood, the D-LINK DIR-880L has a 800MHz dual-core Broadcom BCM4708A0 CPU that features a data transfer rate of up to 600Mbps on 802.11n and 1,300Mbps on the 5GHz band using 802.11ac.
The CPU is backed by 256MB DDR3 RAM and 128MB flash memory. Thanks to the USB 3.0, you can attach an exterior HDD in order to create your own Network Attached Storage.

Performance and Connectivity
The D-Link DIR-880L has three external antennas and uses beamforming technology to focus and enhance the wireless signal where it’s needed the most. This isn’t something new as we saw this technology successfully implemented in all the latest routers.
What we really liked, though, is the concurrent dual band technology that allows us to use both the bands at the same time for different tasks. For example, we could stream movies or games on the 5GHz band, while browsing the web or reading emails on the 2.4GHz band.
The 600Mbps maximum data transfer on the 802.11n is achieved in certain conditions. The DIR-880L uses what is called the Turbo QAM proprietary technology, which boosts the old 2.4GHz band performance. In order for this to happen, one needs Turbo QAM compatible devices (otherwise you are stuck at 450Mbps on 2.4GHz), but fear not, a lot of newly released devices feature this technology.

The Turbo QAM is not the only trick, the three large antennas are 5dBi (usually it’s 3dBi) and thanks to the beamforming we should see some really good results.
While testing the router on the 2.4GHz band we measured 160Mbps at close proximity (3feet), 140Mbps at 10 feet and it reached a maximum of 95Mbps at at a longer range (65feet). We see that the DIR-880L performs really well at 2.4Ghz but let’s see how it fares on the 5GHz band.
So, on 802.11ac, the D-Link DIR-880L managed 410Mbps at three feet, 370Mbps at 20 feet, it decreases to 70Mbps at 35feet and it increases again to 190Mbps at a 65feet range.
We see that although not the best performer on the market, it does deserve a place in the top ten routers.
Next, we coupled the router with a portable device through USB 3.0 and we measured a maximum of 340Mbps for reading and a maximum of 198Mbps for writing. This translates into a reasonable NAS, although not even close to the titanic speeds of Linksys WRT1900ACS.

Setup
The new UI has a minimalistic and clean design, with cleverly placed tabs and sub-menus, making it more compatible with touchscreens, therefore easier to use with tablets and smartphones. Still, although it’s easier to work through, it gave us mixed feelings.
To setup the router you will go through the Setup Wizard (after you enter the dlink router ip address, 192.168.0.1, in the browser), which is really simple to use, settings are very intuitive and the approach is minimalistic. You can also register for a my dlink account which will let you access and configure the router remotely, from anywhere in the world using the D-Link’s cloud feature.
The DIR-880L simultaneously works on both the 5GHz and 2.4GHz bands and each of the networks has assigned an SSID by default (which are also written on the bottom of the router).

One the Home screen you are greeted with a network map of all the devices connected to the router and there are three tabs which you can access: Settings, Features, and Management.
Settings is where you can configure your router, including Wireless settings, Network settings, access SharePort and mydlink and setup Guest Zones.
Next is the Features tab, which is more suited for advanced users who want a more in-depth management, like the QoS Engine, Firewall, DMZ, VOIP traffic, Quick VPN, RTSP, port forwarding and more.
Management is where you can update the firmware, check system admin, statistics, time and schedule and more.
So, we see that the D-Link DIR-880L features a Quick VPN, so you can create a profile to access a LAN securely, but you also do need a Quick VPN client to be installed on the client.
The SharePort feature is great for streaming movies, music or any other file from an attached USB driver to your computer, TV or smartphone. And we also liked that IPV6 is supported.

But there are quite a few shortcomings. When we first looked, the Parental Controls seem nowhere to be found. Later, we realised that the it was masquerading under Schedules. So yes, it’s quite limited.
You can block particular websites or create schedules for when individual clients are allowed online. There are no filters for content or IP, that’s all there is to the Parental Controls.
The QoS is also a bit basic but it does its job properly. You can assign which bandwidth priority (highest, high or medium level) should your connected devices receive on your network.
The firewall is simple as well, you can easily enable or disable it and there is a possibility for you to add your own rules.
Overall, the new UI seems a bit superficial and although will be enough for most users, for those who want to fiddle with every setting and like to configure their router in-depth, the D-Link DIR-880L does not deliver.

Conclusion
The D-Link DIR-880L is a great router, it offers good coverage and speed, it’s easy to setup and manage, with good 802.11ac performance and affordable price. And if you can overlook or you’re not bothered by the over-minimalistic UI, the D-LINK DIR-880L is the router for you.

Check the product here:

Mark B

Mark is a graduate in Computer Science, having gathered valuable experience over the years working in IT as a programmer. Mark is also the main tech writer for MBReviews.com, covering not only his passion, the networking devices, but also other cool electronic gadgets that you may find useful for your every day life.

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