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D-Link Wireless Router and Access Point (DI-713)
By Kelly Lu - May 3, 2001
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The personal computer has been with us for quite some time now. Because of this, a lot of people, after upgrading or buying multiple computers, are left with multiple computers lying around their homes. Now, the most obvious and beneficial thing to do is to network them together and do some file, print and Internet sharing with them. Doing so allows users to, for example, print to the computer in the den, get that Word document from the computer in the bedroom and, of course, play a few rounds of multiplayer games--all without taking a single step. Plus, now that more and more people are being hooked up to the Internet using broadband connections such as DSL and Cable, networking allows users to share a single Internet connection with minimal hassle or noticeable speed loss.
Unfortunately, networking your computers around the house isn't for the faint of heart--especially when the computers are scattered around the house in different rooms, each separated by-gasp, eek, scream-walls, ceilings and floors. Now, not only do you have to deal with the headaches of having to deal with Windows' networking facilities, but also the addition of having to drill holes all over the place to host those nasty network cables. That's why, a few weeks ago, we introduced to you some neat networking gear from D-Link's Air line of products--the DWL-120 (for USB) and DWL-500 (for PCI) network adapters. What's so special about these adapters is that they run completely wireless, allowing the user to basically plug it into any computer and instantly be on the network without having to deal with towing a cable around. What's different with these devices, however, is that, unlike the networking gear in the past that only allowed a maximum of 2Mbps, the D-Link Air series of products utilize the IEEE 802.11b standard, which allows for a maximum of 11Mbps. If you haven't read the review that I'm talking about here, I suggest you do so here, as I will be referring to it throughout this review.
 Today, we take a look at another product in D-Link's arsenal of wireless products: the DI-713. D-Link dubs this product as a "Wireless Home DSL/Cable Router plus Switch." (Whew! That's a mouthful!) Like its name suggest, the DI-713 is a router to share your Internet connection, a switch to connect your computers together and a wireless access point so that your IEEE 802.11b wireless adapters, such as the DWL-120 and DWL-500, can both use your cabled network and also the Internet that is being shared--all rolled up into one neat package. Pretty neat eh? Obviously, this product is aimed at those who either already a network set up and would like to add some extra computers using wireless technology alongside their existing wired network, or for those who wish to set up a network and don't wish to spend a whole pile of cash on wireless network adapters for every computer but would rather set up a cheaper wired network alongside some wireless network adapters for the laptops.
 On to: Specifications
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