D-Link's New Routers Gives Games, Conferencing a Priority

[Unknown Soldier]

A leading networking company D-Link unveiled recently its new routers aimed at gamers. The new Game Lounge gaming routers support special enhancements called StreamEngine developed by UbiCom that are able to analyze and prioritize traffic that is related to games, VoIP and instant messaging.

Nowadays, when multiple computers are used in a home or an office along with variety of software, Internet connection bandwidth usage gets to very high levels and certain categories of users, such as gamers, or those who use video or voice conferencing over the Web, suffer from increased latencies due to such overload. However, certain intelligent mechanisms that would give priority to small packets often sent by latency-sensitive applications, such as games or conferencing software, over large packets often sent by peer-to-peer apps, could improve user experience with the Net.

D-Link’s latest GamerLounge routers boast with Gigabit Ethernet, 108Mbps WLAN and use Ubicom’s StreamEngine patterns to determine the type of traffic.

StreamEngine technology delivers an enhanced online experience by employing powerful Quality of Service (QoS) mechanisms. The key to making this useable for a home or small office is Intelligent Stream Handling, a patent-pending algorithm which automatically manages the flow of traffic going to the Internet, without the need for user configuration. As a result, real-time, interactive traffic, such as gaming, VoIP, Instant Messaging and video conferencing, are automatically given the appropriate priority when other users and applications use the network. In addition, Intelligent Stream Handling minimizes the impact of large packet, lower priority traffic on latency-sensitive traffic and eliminates delays caused by DSL or cable modem connections. StreamEngine effectively eliminates the lag and breakup problem in online gaming and other voice/video applications.

StreamEngine is a combination of hardware and software solutions. The most advanced processor from Ubicom, the developer of StreamEngine, features capabilities like zero-cycle context switching and eight-way deterministic, instruction-level hardware multithreading.

GamerLounge routers are available now through authorized retail, reseller and distribution partners at an MSRP of $179.99 for the DGL-4300 and $149.99 for the DGL-4100.

News Source: X-Bit Labs

 

[BRiT]

Hope they don't use the DI-624 series as a base for this. That router is absolute rubbish -- random disconnects on the WAN and on the WLAN sides and even random reboots of the router. Every newer version of firmware made the problems that much worse.

Personally, I'm sticking with the LinkSys WRTG54 series with the SveaSoft firmware. Can't go wrong with that combination.

 

[Sage]

Personally, I'm sticking with the LinkSys WRTG54 series with the SveaSoft firmware. Can't go wrong with that combination.

ha ha hahahah hah haha hahah ahahahahahaha ahahahahahahahaaaaa


that's the funniest thing i've ever heard. well, unless you're goal is achieving the most piece of crap network you can. I had a linksys for a very very long time. it was total absolute shit. i had constant problems (read: 10 times a day disconnect or more, often could not connect at all) for years. I replaced every single device except the linksys and FINALLY decided to try replacing the linksys with a D-Link. Not ONE problem since. From then on every time someone is having network troubbles and I spot a piece of linksys garbage I go "that's your problem!" then toss it in the garbage- always fixes things! I even had a linksys switch that I had to toss. It was brand new, 4-port. Lady at work was telling me she couldnt get on the internet. I went to see what was wrong and following the cord to the wall I discovered- you guessed it -a linksys switch! I said "ah, ha! I know what's wrong here!" then I pulled the linksys and plugged her directly into the wall. Instantly problem fixed. I tossed the linksys in the garbage, went to Fry's and got a D-Link, put it in and whamo everything perfect.



There are two companies that I have blacklisted because EVERY SINGLE THING I'VE EVER BOUGHT FROM THEM HAS NOT WORKED:

Linksys
MSI (with the exception of a CD-RW drive that was actually not made by them, just had an MSI label slapped on and sold for $15... 52/48/52 8))

 

[Guden Oden]

My DLink DI-604 router rocks, but I don't think this new gigabit thing is based on any existing hardware; rather the text says it uses new chip(s) to do the stuff it does.

As for manufacturers, well I will avoid Samsung like the plague after having owned one of their "wonderful" DVDROM drives for a couple years that was the noisiest, buggiest pile of doo I've ever had the misfortune of using. It was bad at reading scratched media, it used a weird kind of hybrid CAV/CLV which meant constant speed changes when it seeked, it accelerated very slowly and always had to spin up to top speed just to check what disc it was inserted into it, it tended to hang while reading DVDROMs so that my computer stopped responding in the middle of a movie, it had very noisy spindle bearings that emitted a distinct high-pitched whine at full speed, it vibrated a lot causing mucho noise, it caused resonance both in itself and the rest of my case that created even more vibrations and noise. ...Undoubtedly amongst other things. It was simply a TERRIBLE optical drive.

Also, a buddy of mine that works at a PC firm had tons of returns on samsung harddrives, so if you want cheap(ish) bad quality stuff, buy Samsung.

...And they've been contracted to erect the world's tallest scyscraper in Quatar I believe. 800 meters. God help them all over there I say, it'll either keel over or break in half!

 

[digitalwanderer]

<sigh>

[guilty confession mode]

My entire network is based around a $30us 4-port SpeedStream router....

[/guilty confession mode]

 

[_xxx_]

Well, I just ordered D-Link 564t router/firewall today. I hope it's good, have no experience with D-Link.

 

[BRiT]

Sage, I'll have to agree that Linksys's older products sucked, but the recent series WRT54G/WRT54GS is rock solid. The firmware is opensource, based on linux, and has a large community of coders continually adding features to it.

I had good luck with the DLink DI-704 (same as DI-604 with printer server), but their DI-624/+ just sucked ass. Do a search on DSLReports for DI-624 disconnect/reboot/reset issues to see what I'm talking about.

All companies can have hardware lemons, but judging by their latest product offers, it seems Linksys has DLink beat hands down for quality.

Here's the discussion on this router at DSLReports: http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,12068103~mode=flat

 

[pax]

My dlink 704 was garbage. Many games simply refused to run on it. I got a cheap old usr model 8000 router which solved all my issues... not sure if Id risk dlink again...

 

[_xxx_]

Can't get no connection whatsoever with my new router. I'm not a total newbie, but I couldn't get it to work. And all the support lines are off during the holidays. F**k!

 

[_xxx_]

Total bullshit, I had the wrong DNS. Now it finally works. I HATE ROUTER SETUP SW! Buggy pieces of bullshit!

Took me 'bout 8 hours!

 

[Tim Murray]

WRT54G with Sveasoft firmware is superior to any consumer wireless router out there, period.

The end.

 

[Scott_Arm]

I just got a D-Link 524 wireless router ... mainly because it's really cheap and I'm nearly broke. It has an option for gaming priority or something. Online games seem to run well. No real problems with the thing. Seems to work fine. But a word of warning for D-Link users if running Emule ... DO NOT connect to the Kademlia network, or whatever it's called. Your router will constantly lose its IP on the WAN side for some reason. If you turn Kad off, it works well. Kad isn't so great right now anyway. I used this guide to get emule performance running pretty well with my router ...http://www.dyskrasia.nl/eplusinfo.htm

 

[Althornin]

WRT54G with Sveasoft firmware is superior to any consumer wireless router out there, period.

The end.

Note, Sveasoft firmware costs money.
No thanks.

instead, try one of the many free alternatives, many of which are better than the sveasoft stuff.

 

[Tim Murray]

I'm using the free one right now. Works dandy. Tripled the power output, and now the wireless works fine in the garage (a separate building from the house).