DIR-628: Two Modes in One Router...

The new D-Link RangeBooster N Dual Band Router, the DIR-628, joins a very short list of 802.11n-compliant routers that are compatible with both the 802.11n 2.4GHz mode (backwards-compatible with 802.11g and 802.11b) and the optional 5GHz mode (backwards-compatible with 802.11a):

• Linksys WRT600N
• D-Link's own Extreme N Duo Media Router DIR-855
• Netgear's RangeMax WNDR3300

(Buffalo Tech's Wireless-N products are involved in ligitation and are currently not available in the US).

5GHz support enables 802.11n networks to escape the channel congestion inherent in 2.4GHz networks (where only three of the 11 channels theoretically available do not overlap) and achieve faster throughput through the use of double-width (40MHz) channels.

To find out how the DIR-628 implements the 2.4GHz and 5GHz modes, and to find out what level of wired Ethernet it supports, keep reading.