D-Link DIR-505 All-in-one Mobile Companion Review

Wireless networking has definitely made life easier with wireless networks and hotspots available while you travel. But some hotel rooms still provide Internet connections via a wired Ethernet port. Same is the case with many offices and conference rooms. Ethernet connectivity is fine if you move around with single laptop or notebook, but with present generation devices such as tablets, phones and ultra-books that do not have Ethernet ports, wireless networking is the only source for connectivity. This calls for converting an Ethernet port into a wireless terminal and a wireless router is a must.

The front just has a status indicator

D-Link has come a long way and has been well known in the Indian market for their expertise in networking products. Presently, they also bring unique wireless routers which are highly portable—for example, the DAP-1350 which is a three-in-one pocket sized travel router, the Le Petit flash drive-sized USB router and the MyPocket, which is a credit card holder-sized portable battery operated router. These wireless products are usually aimed towards frequent travellers who need most of their wireless Internet-enabled devices to be connected to the cloud at all given times. Not all devices are 3G enabled and even if they are, using a tablet, phone and laptop with individual 3G connections could add up to additional costs on your wallet or business. Hence a wireless router is the only option to supply a single Internet connection to all the devices. Keeping this in mind, D-Link introduces yet another product, the DIR-505 All-in-on Mobile Companion. Let’s check out some highlights of this product to see if it really is worth a mobile companion.

An Ethernet and a USB port is the only interface

Build quality and Design

The shape and form-factor resembles a regular power adapter and also can be mistaken for a mosquito repellant unit. The antennae, power supply and the router are completely built into this compact unit, which is light in weight and highly portable. The device is powered by an internal power supply and works directly off a 110/220V power outlet. The top features a single physical switch with a three point option to choose the operation mode of the DIR-505 in router, repeater or AP mode respectively. The front has a single bright LED which when lit in red indicates the device is booting or connecting to another router and when green, indicates that the device is ready for use. The entire package or shell is built in a very sturdy and compact plastic shell, which has a matte-finished exterior. The white colour will eventually get tarnished in time, and hence you may have to keep the device clean with a damp cloth every time you use it.

Features

The D-Link DIR-505 is a multi-purpose wireless device, which can be used as a router, an access point, a repeater, a Wi-Fi hotspot or a network attached storage unit. The built-in radio interface is IEEE 802.11 b/g/n compliant and has a data throughput speed of 150 mbps.  It also features a single 10/100 mbps Ethernet port for LAN and WAN connectivity. A USB 2.0 port is also seen alongside the Ethernet port and one might think this device is also compatible with a 3G dongle as most routers today feature 3G compatibility modes. But sadly, this USB port is only meant or configured for attaching storage devices. A storage device, be it a USB pen drive or an external hard drive, when connected to the DIR-505, can be shared on the network with all the connected devices. It would have been nice if D-Link had enabled 3G dongle support which would add more value to this great product. We also hope DDWRT firmware would tap into the device and help enable more features as usual.

Different modes can be chosen for operations