D-Link DIR-890L AC3200 router - User Review (Spoiler: Don't buy it)

[Mussels]

Too bad it doesn't show application usage like my meraki does.. and at 300dollars ... my meraki was 160

while there may be better, at least its still one feature thats above average. doesn't affect the final score because its basically a trouble shooting option and no more. if it recorded bandwidth per IP/device, that'd be awesome but it does not.

 

[remixedcat]

Its stupid the Amped ones only show.. PACKETS PER SECOND. Like.. why are you supposed to do with that.'. no bytes, bits. Etch.

 

[Mussels]

I got an email from D-link and they said its fine, because on their test android device (note 4, 910G like mine) it works fine on their custom ROM based on android 5.1 (must be CM 12.1)

I waited two weeks to get told that a custom rom fixed their router issues -.-

 

[Ferrum Master]

And now you must seek if CM team uses binaries/source from their own device or kanged from another lol. Dlink must push a talk with samsung then themselves not leave the fight to end user, stupid imbeciles.

They suggest voiding warranty for another manufacturer device in order to get their own buggy device working?

 

[remixedcat]

d-link are shit for telling you to use a custom rom to fix THIER ISSUE!!! [insert foamy the squerrl meme here]

shouldn't have to do anything of the sort and void warrantees and such... what if it's a work phone you are not allowed to dick with? like OMG dlink is so stupid

 

[Bo$$]

I waited two weeks to get told that a custom rom fixed their router issues -.-

this is a problem currently affecting the S5 and the Note 4, hardly D-link's fault.

 

[PLAfiller]

I don't get on what basis people trash D-link on a general note. I don't own this router- no, I have DIR-850L and a smaller one which I don't know the name of and they are by far the best routers I 've had so far. I can't say this for TP-LINK however. I am running the 1st on stock firmware (updated to latest version) and the second on DD-WRT. But generally I am satisfied. This autumn I am planning to get a 3rd Dlink router, just because I see how reliable they are. It is true I use 0.001% of all the functionality they offer "on paper", so I might be terribly wrong about them. May be if I get a good deal, I might pick up some Linksys. I don't know about Asus and routers....but I am skeptical.

 

[Bo$$]

I don't get on what basis people trash D-link on a general note. I don't own this router- no, I have DIR-850L and a smaller one which I don't know the name of and they are by far the best routers I 've had so far. I can't say this for TP-LINK however. I am running the 1st on stock firmware (updated to latest version) and the second on DD-WRT. But generally I am satisfied. This autumn I am planning to get a 3rd Dlink router, just because I see how reliable they are. It is true I use 0.001% of all the functionality they offer "on paper", so I might be terribly wrong about them. May be if I get a good deal, I might pick up some Linksys. I don't know about Asus and routers....but I am skeptical.

I've used dlink, linksys netgear, asus and tp link routers recently. I would only recommend asus for high performance routers and the tplink for budget routers with amazing features. Although there may be some unicorn models i don think it's unfair to say that.

 

[remixedcat]

I have a d-link "enterprise" ap and switch and they both are crap.

 

[Mussels]

this is a problem currently affecting the S5 and the Note 4, hardly D-link's fault.

D-link never told me that. To clarify all they've said is "we tested and it works" when asked specifically about the samsungs and when i pressured them since i've tested on half a dozen in the house, they said it works fine for them - on a custom ROM. (not that the custom rom fixed it, just that 'it works')

At no point have they told me this is a samsung issue, or even a smartphone issue, i wait a week to get one line answers that ignore most of what i've written to them. You seem to know more than they do.

 

[Mussels]

because i am nothing if not thorough and/or petty, i have flashed the latest CM12.1 nightly to my second phone.

These are identical 910G's from the same carrier, same modem/bootloader files, only different custom OS.

Problem is not resolved, although i do see the CM12.1 phone jump to full speed initially, but then it drops and simply never recovers.

 

[remixedcat]

wow. they potatoed that sooo muuuuch

 

[Mussels]

In order to give some real world results to show its not just the connection number playing up:

Smart connect on (as per previous screenshots)

Smart connect off, 30 seconds later:

Even on a 'slow' device like a smartphones wifi to an SD card, we're easily talking about half the speed with this feature enabled.

 

[remixedcat]

what the hell is it supposed to really do?

 

[Mussels]

what the hell is it supposed to really do?

push idle/low bandwidth devices to 2.4GHZ, and then even out the devices actively transmitting on 5GHz between the two bands, so that idle/long distance devices don't cause slowdowns.

In reality it pushes everything to 2.4GHz, slows them down below the 300Mb they should be getting... and sits there. Other devices (2.4GHz and 5GHz N) have the same speed issue, so its not like its an AC only issue.

 

[remixedcat]

LOL wow.

 

[rtwjunkie]

@Mussels Is that your own trademark: Fast WiFi speeds if Dumb Connect(TM)?

If it is, I like it!

 

[Mussels]

@Mussels Is that your own trademark: Fast WiFi speeds if Dumb Connect(TM)?

If it is, I like it!

i made that as a joke initially, but it turns out D-links tech support was the punchline.

 

[Ferrum Master]

Meanwhile at D-Link support line...

 

[Sasqui]

Bonus Image: I won the router in a contest saying i'd use it to scare women and children. No need, the australian variant of this is actually a red-back router, and tends to make its own webs and hang around the ceiling to improve signal strength.

If you turn the ceiling fan on, the signal will be moving faster! Please include a video.

 

[Bo$$]

because i am nothing if not thorough and/or petty, i have flashed the latest CM12.1 nightly to my second phone.

These are identical 910G's from the same carrier, same modem/bootloader files, only different custom OS.

Problem is not resolved, although i do see the CM12.1 phone jump to full speed initially, but then it drops and simply never recovers.

It's a samsung problem, doesn't happen on the M8 or M9 HTC only the S5

 

[Mussels]

It's a samsung problem, doesn't happen on the M8 or M9 HTC only the S5

I'm not seeing the problem on just an S5.

 

[Mussels]

another update: i tested the stats server on the router because it was giving me odd numbers, and long story short... its wildly inaccurate.


It always shows 2x-3x the actual bandwidth being used, being as 'accurate' as showing a 2.7MB/s throughput on a 7Mb DSL connection (speedtest and bandwidth monitor pro both agree on the 7Mb at the time of the 2.7MB/s reading)

 

[remixedcat]

Ha ha this is like ixchariot's numbers how they derped heavy on some routers I've tested and the reason I don't use it for my reviews anymore. I've had -900mbps or -230mbps numbers lol.

 

[Mussels]

as an update i removed this from being my primary router and went back to my TP link and learned something interesting.

The "smart connect" feature works as long as you leave all the settings on default - not sure which one breaks it (changing the IP range for DHCP?) but i can make it work and break by factory resetting, and then putting my settings back in again.