ESENSI terpenting dalam perkembangan teknologi komunikasi informasi saat ini adalah menjadikan berbagai perangkat teknologi, baik perangkat keras maupun lunak, ini memiliki berbagai indera seperti halnya indera yang terdapat pada tubuh manusia. Artinya, perkembangan teknologi komunikasi informasi sekarang ini benar-benar mengikuti kondisi alami manusia, memiliki indera pendengaran, penciuman, penglihatan, dan sebagainya.

perkembangan teknologi informasi pun memiliki wataknya sendiri, bisa ganas dan menghancurkan seperti virus Worm Blaster yang menyusup ke berbagai sistem komputer melalui jaringan Internet. Bisa juga bersahabat dan mendorong produktivitas seperti e-mail atau aplikasi Microsoft Office yang memudahkan proses baca tulis di mana saja.

Salah satu komponen paling penting dalam perkembangan teknologi di masa yang tidak terlalu lama lagi adalah dikembangkannya kemampuan untuk melihat dalam konvergensi berbagai kemajuan teknologi yang sekarang ada. Pada awalnya, berbagai perangkat seperti suara dan penglihatan berdiri sendiri sebagai perangkat keras yang tidak bisa berkomunikasi satu sama lain.

Digitalisasi penglihatan dimulai dengan dikembangkannya berbagai alat pemindai (scanner), dimulai dengan resolusi yang paling rendah sampai resolusi paling tinggi yang ada di pasaran sebagai sarana untuk memindahkan berbagai dokumen untuk bisa disebar secara cepat dan murah dalam bentuk digitalisasi. Kemudian berkembang berbagai ragam kamera digital dengan resolusi yang semakin membaik dan terus berkembang sampai saat ini mencari bentuk akhirnya yang entah seperti apa.

Bersamaan dengan perkembangan kamera digital, bermunculan perangkat lain yang disebut sebagai digital webcam yang berfungsi sekaligus sebagai kamera digital dan video digital yang digunakan untuk terkoneksi ke jaringan Internet. Kemampuan perangkat digital webcam ini memiliki resolusi yang rendah dengan tampilan dimensi gambar sebesar 320 x 240 piksel beresolusi 100 dpi.

Ini adalah sebuah kemajuan penting, karena dengan kehadiran perangkat digital webcam ini, indera penglihatan pengguna teknologi komunikasi informasi pun menjadi lebih utuh. Sebab tidak lagi hanya memiliki suara yang dikeluarkan oleh sound card yang juga memiliki kemampuan berbicara bila disambungkan dengan sebuah mikrofon, tetapi juga bisa melihat.

Kemajuan ini membawa kita seolah-olah hanya terpisah oleh sebuah monitor dengan lawan bicara kita yang entah berada ratusan maupun ribuan kilometer.

Berbasis IP

Perangkat penglihatan digital ini menjadi sebuah evolusi penting dalam konvergensi teknologi komunikasi informasi. Kalau sebelumnya konferensi video jarak jauh hanya menjadi sebuah barang mewah bagi perusahaan-perusahaan besar yang memiliki kemampuan untuk membeli perangkat yang harganya tidak terjangkau untuk sebuah perusahaan skala menengah sekalipun.

Teknologi yang dikandung dalam telekonferensi sendiri sebenarnya bukan sesuatu yang baru dalam perkembangan teknologi komunikasi informasi. Kemampuan untuk berbagi saluran video dalam jarak jauh, sudah lazim dipraktikkan oleh perusahaan-perusahaan besar. Dan, kemampuan telekonferensi ini pun berubah bersamaan dengan dikembangkannya perangkat terbaru buatan D-Link yang disebut DVC-1000 Broadband VideoPhone atau i2eye, yaitu sebuah perangkat telekonferensi dengan harga yang terjangkau.

Perangkat i2eye ini sebenarnya adalah perangkat telekomunikasi berbasis IP (Internet Protocol) yang tidak perlu dihubungkan ke komputer PC. Perangkat buatan D-Link yang memiliki pengalaman di bidang jaringan kerja (networking) ini, cukup dihubungkan ke sebuah televisi kabel RCA. Yang menyenangkan dari perangkat i2eye ini adalah mudahnya pemasangan dan penggunaannya sehingga siapa pun termasuk yang sering disebut dalam kategori "gatek" (gagap teknologi) akan dengan mudah menggunakannya.

Perangkat i2eye memang dimaksudkan untuk digunakan dalam jaringan Internet berkapasitas pita lebar (broadband) melalui sebuah rongga ethernet, memiliki sebuah mikrofon dan kamera. Kamera yang digunakan memang tidak memiliki kemampuan pembesaran (zoom), dan fokus gambar pun harus diatur secara manual.

Dengan menggunakan aplikasi NetMeeting pada komputer PC, i2eye ini juga bisa digunakan untuk melakukan telekonferensi dengan orang-orang yang menggunakan aplikasi NetMeeting buatan Microsoft tersebut. Bentuknya pun sangat sederhana dan langsung mengeluarkan gambar video begitu terhubung ke perangkat teve.

Kualitas maksimal

Perangkat i2eye ini juga dilengkapi dengan sebuah alat pengendali jarak (remote control) yang mengatur berbagai keperluan konfigurasi perangkat ini. Konfigurasi akan muncul di layar televisi, seperti penentuan alamat IP (biasanya ditulis dalam format 192.168. 100.1), pengaturan cahaya yang masuk melalui kamera, serta sebuah memori penyimpanan alamat-alamat IP seperti memori ponsel.

Tampilan layar lawan bicara ditayangkan dalam jendela tayang yang lebih besar, sedangkan tampilan tayang pengguna berukuran lebih kecil. Melalui pengendali yang terhubung dengan sinar infra merah, tampilan tayangan lawan bicara pun bisa diperbesar sesuai dengan ukuran layar teve yang digunakan.

Kompas sendiri menggunakan sebuah teve berukuran 32 inci, dan tampilan lawan bicara yang dihasilkan oleh i2eye ini seperti kita melihat televisi umumnya. Berbeda dengan perangkat digital webcam, i2eye mampu menayangkan video dengan kecepatan sampai dengan 25 fps (frame per second) tergantung kecepatan akses jaringan Internet yang digunakan.

Kemampuan i2eye ini sendiri oleh D-Link ditentukan mampu untuk beroperasi dalam kecepatan 96-512 kbps dengan kecapatan sampai di atas 30 fps. Artinya, mereka yang tidak memiliki akses jaringan Internet berkecepatan tinggi, bisa dipastikan tidak akan memperoleh hasil dan kualitas maksimal kemampuan digital telekonferensi perangkat i2eye ini.

Salah satu hambatan dalam penggunaan perangkat i2eye ini adalah ketika harus dihubungkan dengan perangkat ini dalam sistem jaringan yang berada di belakang sistem keamanan Firewall. Pada umumnya, sistem keamanan di belakang perangkat router milik perusahaan, tidak mengizinkan akses jaringannya digunakan untuk konferensi video.

Keunggulan perangkat i2eye ini adalah disediakannya konfigurasi saluran informasi untuk penggunaan dalam sistem keamanan Firewall. Artinya, pengguna i2eye di perusahaan harus menghubungkan perangkat ini di wilayah DMZ (de-militarized zone) pada perangkat router yang dimilikinya. Setelah itu, i2eye adalah mata digital sebuah perusahaan.

Kendala jaringan

Kehadiran perangkat i2eye buatan D-Link ini memang akan memberikan arti yang lebih luas pengembangan telekonferensi secara murah, efisien, dan mudah digunakan. Artinya, siapa saja sekarang cukup menggunakan i2eye yang juga dilengkapi saluran sambungan telepon agar mampu menghasilkan suara yang lebih berkualitas, dan bisa melihat lawan bicaranya.

Perangkat i2eye menghadirkan nuansa interaktif dan akan sangat berguna bukan hanya bagi penggunaan individu maupun perusahaan berskala kecil dan menengah, tetapi juga sangat berguna bagi pendidikan jarak jauh yang sekarang menjadi fenomena penting yang berkembang bersamaan dengan laju teknologi komunikasi informasi.

Persoalannya adalah akses jaringan pita lebar di Indonesia sendiri masih menghadapi kendala, tidak hanya dari masih mahalnya akses broadband tetapi juga kualitas jaringannya yang sangat rendah karena penyedia jasa tidak bisa mempertahankan rasio penggunaan akses dengan harga yang memadai. Dan sekarang ini, akses broadband sendiri masih tetap menjadi barang mewah untuk penggunaan individu.

Dan tampaknya, kalau tidak ada pembenahan dan pendekatan agresif dari para penyedia jasa jaringan Internet serta peremajaan jaringan akses oleh pemerintah, perangkat i2eye yang canggih ini tidak akan banyak bermanfaat. Sementara mungkin i2eye masih akan tetap berguna bagi perusahaan besar yang memiliki akses jaringan yang lebih berkualitas dibandingkan dengan yang berada di pasaran. Keadaan yang menentukan i2eye tidak bermanfaat banyak, bukan teknologi yang dikandungnya.(sumber http://www.kompas.com)

I open the box and the router has a big orange sticker that says: STOP - insert CD and run wizard first. Well, said CD was inserted and...no wizard ran. Despite its claim to support Mac OS X, all the programs on this list were for Windows only. Hmm. I suppose I will have to call tech support.

You will notice that when you click on tech support you end up on a page with NO PHONE NUMBER. Forget the FAQ or email support. I just want to actually set up this router, and the freakin' CD that's supposed to self-execute doesn't. This requires immediate support.

Forget clicking on Tech Support Options on the right menu. It takes you to a useless grid (at least for me, I just bought the damn product, so I know it's still under warranty). Hmm... I finally try the Contact Options at the top and finally got to a point where I have to (yet again) select my model to proceed. I now have a tech support number: 877-453-5465.

Overall, D-Link: Not very intuitive. It shouldn't be this hard to find a number. When I click on Tech Support, I should have those options right in front of me. Badly flawed.

Here's a top-level overview of this stupid conversation (forgive the tediousness, but I needed to get this out of my system, and btw, I am typing this as I am on the phone with them):

DLINK: Is your product still under warranty.

Your's Truly: Um, yes, since I just bought it two hours ago.

DL: What is your technical problem?

YT: Well, I loaded your CD and nada.

DL: What operating system are you using?

YT: Mac OS X

DL: We will have to configure your router manually. Now, plug in your router. Plug your computer into the LAN 1 port. Plug your Internet into the "Internet" port. Plug your router to your modem. Now, type in this address: [insert router IP address].

YT: Not working. I can access the Internet though.

DL: Unplug your router then and plug back in after 10 seconds. Anything.

YT: Nope.

DL: Try unplugging again.

[this goes on for six more times]

DL: Do you have Internet.

YT: Yes I do. I told you that I have Internet this entire time.

DL: Well if you have Internet, then why are you calling?

[long, disdainful silence on my part]

YT: All we've done up to this point is connect the router to the modem and to my computer. This, I know how to do already. What I'm really trying to do is set up a wireless network -- excuse me, a SECURE wireless network. That's why I bought your D-LINK Wireless N Router. As it is, I have Internet connection, but -- sorry -- no control over this router. Now, if it's incapable of being a WIRELESS router, I will drive right back to the store and return this.

DL: You want wireless? Ok, go to your START menu --

YT: You mean Apple menu --?

DL: No, START --

YT: No, Apple -- I have a Mac. What do you want me to check? The network settings?

DL: No, go to your Apple menu then, click on System Preferences. Then on Network.

[Duh!]

DL: Go to TC/IP. You will need to manually type in 1...

YT: Where? I have five fields to choose from.

DL: What are you asking? Just type in 1...

YT: Into which field? IP address? Subnet mask? Router? DNS Server?

DL: I'm going to have to transfer you to someone else. (CLICK)

[dead silence, followed by five minutes of excruciating music and D-LINK ads]

DL2: Hello, what is your case number?

YT: I don't have one because the person helping me before kinda hung up on me.

DL2: OK, I'll look up by your phone number. What is it please?

[what follows is my giving my phone number five times to her, in small pieces each time. yet, every time she reads it back, she mistakes a number.]

DL2: Are you on speaker phone? I can't hear you?

YT: Actually no. I hear a lot of YOUR background noise though. Maybe that's why you can't hear me.

DL2: I am going to put you on hold for five minutes while I review your case history

[yeah, my now 10 minute old case history]

DL2: So what is the problem? You have Internet.

YT: Yes, but apparently no administration or control over YOUR router. Your colleague was flustered about having me manually set the Internet connection. We were on that step when she hung up.

DL2: OK, let us type in these numbers into the IP address...

[thank you - she at least understands what a field is]

DL2: Now, type in the router address in your web browser. Click on Set Up.

YT: Back up. I am on a login page. What is the default login.

DL2: (incomprehensive mumbling)

YT: Sorry, I couldn't hear you with the background noise.

DL2: Select Admin and click login -- no password

YT: Ok, am in Set Up.

DL2: Now click on manual connection. Click "use my current settings." Save and go to Status. Now, do you see an IP address.

YT: No.

DL2: Click on Release and then Renew.

YT: I can't click on Release.

DL2: It is the button next to Renew.

YT: Yes, I can see that, but it is disabled. Clicking on it does nothing.

DL2: Click on Renew then...[drumroll please]

YT: Nothing.

DL2: Why don't you unplug the router then and wait 2 minutes to plug back in.

[sigh...but I dutifully do as told]

DL2: Anything?

YT: No.

DL2: Let's do a loopfuse check to see if the router is working.

YT: I did just buy it 2 and a half hours ago. Are you peddling malfunctioning products?

DL2: Now, make sure your computer is plugged into LAN 1. Is it?

YT: It's been plugged into LAN 1 this ENTIRE time.

DL2: Ok, now plug your Ethernet cable into the Internet port and plug the other end into LAN 3. Disconnect the modem completely.

YT: Come again? I've disconnected the modem. The Ethernet cable -- the one coming out of the wall -- is plugged into the port marked INTERNET on YOUR router.

DL2: Yes, now plug the other end into LAN 3.

YT: Um, the other end is in the wall. You get my drift? Only one end is coming out of the wall.

DL2: That just won't work. We cannot make this work then if you cannot plug the other end into LAN 3.

YT: That's just nonsensical instructions, ma'am. Are you telling me that you cannot fix this because of that?

DL2: You will have to go download some firmware....

YT: Why? I just bought your useless router less than 3 hours ago.

DL2: You will have to and then call back.

YT: Um, no thanks. I think I will return this crappy router tomorrow. I've set up two SMC routers and never had a problem.

DL2: Thank you for your business.

YT: My business will be with your competitor tomorrow. Thank you for your help, though it resulted in nothing.

Do any of these companies realize how horrendous their tech support is? What an embarrassment.

Customers base their opinions on a company by how efficient customer service is.

Abinko Digital Studio is proud to carry Microsoft Response Point! Backed by D-Link, Syspine and Aastra, Microsoft Response Point phone system software offers a breakthrough voice-activated user interface, simplified setup and user management, and effortless mobility

Technorati Profile-point.aspx">

View all Microsoft Response Point at Abinko

Technorati Profile

Итак, с поиском прошивки проблем не возникает - они на оффсайте: ftp://ftp.dlink.ru/pub/ADSL/.

Главный косяк тут - понять, что у вас за модем (sic!). Забавно, не правда ли? Если на вашем модеме вы видите надпись, гордо гласящую "DSL-2540U", то знайте: это не значит ровным счетом ни-че-го. Как оказалось, гении, работающие в d-link, не способны нанести на корпуса своих девайсов вменяемые надписи и штампуют везде одинаковые =) Не верьте также строке Board ID: DSL-2540U в веб-интерфейсе (вот это уже странно).

Лучше переверните модем и разглядывайте наклейку снизу. Смотрите в нижний левый угол. Если там написано H/W Ver.: A1 - значит, у вас 2540U. Берите прошивку тут. Если же там написано H/W Ver.: D1 - значит, у вас 2540U/BRU/D и прошивка для вас - тут.

Если вы будете прошивать неправильной прошивкой, то получите ошибку "Fatal error during image uploading". Также эта ошибка может вылезти при прошивке через FF или Оперу. Надо шить через IE (Ужос! Интересно, а что если нет венды?).

А теперь барабанная дробь: после прошивки стало ХУЖЕ, чем было! Пипец, я в ахуе. Если торрент-клиент на сервере остановлен, то все хорошо. Стоит только его запустить, как все остальные машины начинают аццки медленно ползать в сети, а то и просто не могут достучаться до сайтов. Даже если торренты занимают не больше половины канала. Блин, с азусом все работало, даже если весь канал был забит.

So ... my new toys; Presenting the  DLink's DIR-655 wireless router, and DSL-520B ADSL modem/router.

I switched off the routing networking/facilities of the 520B by making it work in Bridged mode. This hereby relegated it to merely functioning as a modem. All the hard work is being done by the DIR-655, including dialing in to Streamyx, DHCP, wireless routing, etc. The process was pretty much straight forward:

On the DLink 520B, the important steps were:

1.  Choose Connection Type to be Bridging;

2. Encapsulation Mode to be set as VC/MUX; (this is the part that gave me the most trouble. The default setting for Encapsulation in Bridged mode was LLC/Snap-Bridging. );

3. All of the other crap such as Firewall, QOS, etc are turned off. And no, the Streamyx username/password is not set in the modem.

The above steps basically turns the DSL-520B into a modem-only mode. The Statistics page shows that I am connected to the Streamyx Line, but I am not yet logged in.

Once I connect the 520B to the DIR-655 via the CAT-5 cable, everything was pretty much the same as setting up a normal router on the DIR-655. My Streamyx username/password goes into the DIR-655, as well as turning on the DHCP, setting up the MAC Address access, etc.

All in all, it was a painless process and am very satisfied with the results. Of course, I am very unhappy with the fact I am only getting 400-600K on my 1M service subscription, but I've accepted a long time ago that Streamyx Sucks where service fulfillment is concerned.

I have not the need to reset either (apart from the initial upgrade-firmware-to-the-latest routine) ever since I finalised the settings for each. No degradation of performance (asides when Streamyx goes wonky) during my "1-month-marathon-no-switching-off" Test, and it just works!! My hottie neighbors are happy they can P2P and share files, I am happy all of my notebooks and PC are interconnected, my online-gaming sessions on Unreal Tournament or Steam is a breeze,  etc.

Did I mentioned earlier that I am one happy geek??!!

Anyways, my configuration is slightly pricey - but it was bought before the infamous Petrol Price Hike in Malaysia so yeah, whatever. If I had to buy it now .... that's a diffferent story I guess.

Нет, я знал, что покупаю. Но такого я не ожидал =( Веб-интерфейс тормозит!!! Можете себе ЭТО представить? Я не мог. Раньше. Отзывчивость вообще очень снизилась, пинги выросли, сайты еле открываются. Ужос, короче.

D-Link International, one of the world’s biggest suppliers of network products, has made all these easier with its latest Securicams DCS-910 and DCS-920 Internet cameras with a 1.0 lux sensor to capture video in low-light conditions for home and office security.

Night time is not a problem for the easy-to-install DCS-910 and 920 which are designed for low-light conditions. Those away from home will still be able to view their prized possessions such as the house, the car, even the children and pets with great clarity anytime, anywhere. Wires and cables are not a concern because the DCS-920 has none.

The DCS-920 and DCS-910 can automatically detect motion, send email alerts when motion is detected and record to a computer on the home network or attached storage devices for detailed video monitoring and playback. They represent an ideal solution to keep an eye on children, senior members of the family or the office remotely by simply logging onto the camera using a web browser from any computer with Internet access.

“Affordably priced at less than Php 6,040 for the DCS-910 and less than Php 6,980 for the DCS-920, both Internet cameras come with a host of features to enable consumers to install a reliable home camera surveillance system that works for them. These include the 1.0 lux sensor and capability to record 320 x 420 resolution videos of up to 30 frames per second. All these come in a newer and slimmer design that makes installation in tight corners easier,” said Mr Desmond Toh, Marketing Director, D-Link International Pte Ltd.

Wi-Fi Connectivity for Flexible Placement
The latest DCS-900 series takes a departure from its previous bulky, black design to reveal a stylish form factor that enables the camera to be completely encased in white casing, without any protruding parts. An entry level yet full featured Internet camera, the DCS-910 is a wired version, and connects to an existing 10/100 Fast Ethernet network in the home or office. The DCS-920, on the other hand, comes with integrated 802.11g Wi-Fi capability, allowing it to be mounted in previously inaccessible places, such as ceilings and walls. It comes with WPA and WPA2 encryption for enhanced security.

Security at your fingertips
Both cameras come bundled with the D-ViewCam 2.0, network monitoring software which enables the camera to simultaneously view up to 32 cameras, hassle-free. Easily accessed and controlled using any Java-enabled browser, both cameras enable recording and snapshots to be done directly from a web browser to a local hard drive.

Multi-OS Support

Both cameras are compatible with Microsoft, Macintosh and Linux operating systems.

The new D-Link DCS-900 series is available through authorized retailers, resellers and distribution partners. The DCS-910 is retailing at the suggested retail price of Php 6,040. The DCS-920 is retailing at the suggested retail price of Php 6,980.

I ended up leaving Mr. Ngo a voice mail (is he ever in, when I call him directly?) expressing my dissatisfaction that I was not mailed a check as he had promised. I inform him that I will promptly be trying to reach his supervisor to complain further.

I call the customer support line again, trying to get in touch with a customer support supervisor. After about 8 minutes of hold, I reach a low-level customer support representative. I immediately give her my most recent case number and ask to be connected with a supervisor. After a total of 35 minutes on hold, I hang up in the interest of trying to save cell phone minutes. I'm hoping that tomorrow will bring me more luck.

Wi-Fi Connectivity for Flexible Placement

The latest DCS-900 series takes a departure from its previous bulky, black design to reveal a stylish form factor that enables the camera to be completed encased in the white casing, without any protruding parts. An entry level yet full featured Internet camera, the DCS-910 is a wired version, and connects to an existing 10/100 Fast Ethernet network in the home or office. The DCS-920, on the other hand, comes with integrated 802.11g Wi-Fi capability, allowing it to be mounted in previously inaccessible places, such as ceilings and walls. It comes with WPA and WPA2 encryption for enhanced security.

Security at your fingertips

The DCS-920 and DCS-910 can be configured to automatically detect motion, send email alerts when motion is detected and record to a computer on the home network or attached storage devices for detailed video monitoring and playback. They represent an ideal solution to keep an eye on children, senior members of the family or the office remotely by simply logging onto the camera using a web browser from any computer with internet access.

Both cameras come bundled with the D-ViewCam 2.0, network monitoring software which enables the camera to simultaneously view up to 32 cameras, hassle-free. Easily accessed and controlled using any Java-enabled browser, both cameras enable recording and snapshots to be done directly from a web browser to a local hard drive.

Multi-OS Support

Both cameras are compatible with Microsoft, Macintosh and Linux operating systems.

The new D-Link DCS-900 series is available through authorized retailers, resellers and distribution partners. The DCS-910 is retailing at the suggested retail price of US$129. The DCS-920 is retailing at the suggested retail price of US$149.

Got my broadband equipment through from Greenbee today, a decent D-Link router - not a patch on my old Netgear thing, but it works fine and does what I need it to do. The speed of the service, however, is at present midway between "atrocious" and "pathetic", with the speed topping out at about 2 megabit down. Not that it matters, I'm not a huge consumer of "Linux ISOs" (the generally accepted euphemism for porn/copyrighted music/movies when discussing why you consume so much bandwidth - e.g. "Virgin throttled my bandwidth because I was downloading so many Linux ISOs" - yeah, sorry Slashdot, you're convincing nobody) and the most bandwidth intensive thing I do is the odd use of Steam to play a few games. So, basically, "adequate", and I'm hoping the speed will improve soon enough.

Obligatory personal bollocks; my cat is irritating the nads off me. She's decided she'll now go outside, but she won't come back. So, for the second time in a row, I've had to go hunting around in blackness for a small, fuzzy black animal so I can bring her in. It's frustratiny like trying to find a specific piece of hay in a haystack; a piece of hay that scuttles away to a new, even less visible position whenever you get near it.

She shat on the floor again, too. I'm getting all the problems of the cat going outside and none of the benefits. C'est la vie.

*tataaaaa* Die Horstbox!

D-Link hat also eine tolle Kiste im Programm, die nach deren Angaben "Telefonanlage mit integriertem DSL-Modem, Router, 4-Port Fast Ethernet Switch und WLAN-Access Point in einem Gerät" ist und auch von der Presse ganz gut beurteilt wird.

Aber liebe Leute von D-Link: Der Name ist doch ein Versehen, oder?   :mrgreen:
Ich meine HORSTbox. Wie kommt man denn auf sowas?

For those of you using a DSL or cable connection to surf the Web, you should be aware that your connection is "always on". That means your computer is able to go online and get security updates and other useful items without your being present, or even aware of the activity.

This is a mixed blessing, as it can also do other--less wonderful--things without your knowledge. You can increase your Web security by preventing being visible to miscreants out there on the Web by hiding your computer's IP address (a set of unique numbers used to locate and identify machines on the Internet) behind a router which is capable of "NAT" (some manufactures call this "with firewall") -- as almost all current makes and models are -- such as those sold by Linksys, Netgear, and D-Link. You can research models on the Web, and then find the best prices on such shopping sites as www.buy.com and Shopzilla.
I have seen Wireless-G routers for $20.

If your router allows for MAC address filtering, turn it on! Use a browser to log onto the router's administrator's control panel as per its instruction booklet (often it's http://192.168.1.1) and click on "enable MAC filtering". This will prevent other computers from getting a free ride by accessing your network and your Internet connection.

(If you have never logged onto your router and set a password, and your manual is lost forever, instructions can be found at the manufacturer's website.)

Putting a router between your modem and computer will also allow you to share your Web connection with multiple computers. Most routers have Ethernet ports for four of your computers.

Note: If you purchase a router that includes a wireless access point, there are some measures you should take to secure the wireless transmitter/receiver as well. First, turn on and configure encryption of at least WPA as per the instruction booklet, and 2nd, disable the SSID broadcast. These two steps will prevent intruders from "seeing" your access point, and encryption will strongly discourage a snoop from capturing and reading your traffic.

To read my instruction article covering the security enabling steps (including illustrations), please click here. Doing so will put a shield between you (your computers) and the bad guys out there on the Internet, and increase your privacy and security.

* For those of you who don't already have a router/WAP, or are just thinking about getting a newer, faster, one, you may also want to look at Wireless standards and you–buying a new WAP.

Copyright 2007-8 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

Share this post :

Let me preface this with the fact that I had previously been a big fan of D-Link. In the past, I had used D-Link routers. When custom-building PCs (back in the day before motherboards had onboard Ethernet), I typically used D-Link network cards. So going into this, D-Link was one of the more reputable network peripheral manufacturers in my mind. Oh, how little this was to last.

My print server of about 5 years (a Hawking HPS1U) was on its last legs. Although this had lasted me well, it was sputtering about and overheating seemingly every other day. I finally decided that it was time to lay this one out to pasture and find a replacement. After a lot of online research, I decided that the D-Link DPR 1260 would be a worthy replacement. The features that attracted me to this unit were:

• Wireless capability - after about 5 years of languishing with wired print servers, I thought it was about time to move onto the wireless age
• Support for multi-function printers - I had a HP PSC2110xi that I didn't feel like giving up any time soon, so when I read that the DPR 1260 could also share scan capabilities, my interests were definitely perked.
• Mac support - It's no secret that I'm a fan of Apple products (in retrospect, I should have simply bought an Apple Airport Extreme), so I of course wanted something that would work easily with my MacBook. Of course, the actual Mac support was relatively undocumented, but I had read a few articles online of enabling LPR/LPD support for the DPR 1260
• Low price - With some coupons and some specials that Circuit City was offering, I could pick up this baby for about $40, when at the time, most retailers were offering it for about $80 to $100!

And with that, I set off for Circuit City. For a grand total of $42.39, I had purchased the D-Link DPR 1260. By the evening, I had it set up in my apartment. Like I said, the Mac documentation was next to non-existent, but with my computer know-how and a few online articles, I had this DPR 1260 working with my Windows desktop, my MacBook, and my fiancee's Windows desktop and laptop computers. Everything seemed to go smoothly. For a while, I was even singing its praises...that is until the shit hit the fan!

The previous day, my print server seemed to stop working. My MacBook couldn't see it, none of the Windows computers seemed to be able to talk to it. It wasn't being seen as a UPNP device, and on my router's management screen, it wasn't listed as one of the machines on the local network. At close inspection, it even looked like that possibly one of its USB ports had malfunctioned, as it didn't even register that my printer was plugged into it. I tried every trick I knew...power cycling, depressing the Reset button in the back, restarting UPNP services on each of the Windows computers...everything. Since the print server was still under its 1-year warranty, I called D-Link's customer service to see if they could diagnose it over the phone. After waiting on hold for a good 10 minutes or so, a technical support representative pretty much walked me through the same steps I had already tried. They did offer me one additional step that I hadn't thought of...plugging the print server directly into one of my computers via Ethernet to see if I could access the web administration page directly. The technical support then deemed that my print server had to be returned to D-Link so they could repair the unit directly. I was assigned a case number (ALR399506313), and they sent me instructions on getting a Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) number so that I could ship the unit back. The instructions involved going to the RMA website (http://rma.dlink.com) to register the product to be shipped back and to get an RMA number.

While going through the RMA website, I was a bit appalled to learn that I would have to pay for shipping my dead DPR 1260. I called their customer service phone number (1-800-326-1688) to complain about this, and the most they could offer me was that it was "standard company policy." I begrudgingly paid $11.94 for UPS to ship the defective DPR 1260 back to D-Link.

It took a while, but I finally received a replacement DPR- 1260. I quickly attempted to hook it up to my network. But was met with disappointing results. Had they simply shipped me back my defective unit without doing a thing to it? This unit had exactly the same symptoms as my previous unit. As I looked more carefully, I noticed that this was not my previous unit, as it had a different MAC address. Enclosed with the unit was a receipt from a Circuit City in Long Beach, CA. It looked as if they had simply taken a defective unit that someone in Long Beach, CA and sent back and sent it on to me.

I called D-Link once again to complain. Technical support walked me through the same steps...power cycling, ping the supposed address, depress reset button, plugging the unit directly into a computer...all the same steps that I had gone through on April 27. Once again, they assigned me a case number (PTS399537082) and had me go through the RMA process. But this time, I insisted there was no way I would pay again for shipping. The representative on the phone (Alan) gave me a new phone number to call regarding the RMA process. When I called this new phone number. I told the representative exactly what Alan told me to say, "I am requesting a call tag." Instead, I was met by someone (Jon Claud) who insisted on walking me through the technical support process yet again. I admittedly lost my temper and ended up shouting at the guy that this was the exact same thing Alan had me do. Why the hell did I need someone to run me through the exact same process only to issue me yet another case number (DLK399538409)?! Apparently, within the D-Link organization, only case numbers that begin with DLK can be approved for shipping without the customer paying. With this, I was sent a UPS label via email a few days later so that I could ship the second DPR 1260 back.

I was out of town this day and spending some relaxing time with my fiancee when Jon Claud (I was able to speak with him much more calmly this time) called me back. He said that he had received my unit (considering the time span between when I had shipped the previous unit and this call, he must have meant my original unit), and that he would inherently assign the DPR 1260 a different static IP address. I agreed, and hoped that this would solve all of my problems.

I receive an email saying that they had shipped me a replacement product.

I receive another unit, and once again, this one appears to be defective. The only marginal improvement was that when this new one was connected to my network, I could successfully ping the print server from my MacBook (but not from any of my Windows computers). Call to D-Link...same process...power cycle, reset button, ping IP address, plug directly into Windows computer...all the same thing over again. Once again, they assign me a case ID (ALR399557460) to have it shipped back. I asked if the technical support representative (Mike) could somehow just go ahead and assign me a DLK case ID, having learned about the RMA/Case ID procedure from before. No dice. He recited the same RMA procedure, and gave me the same RMA phone number as before. This time, when I called the RMA phone number, I first spoke with a gentleman name Robert, who then had me speak to his supervisor Michael Wang. Ultimately, I was given case ID DLK399557692, and I start patiently waiting for another UPS call tag.

Something's holding up my receipt of a UPS call tag. I call customer support (originally on May 23, 2008, but did not receive a return phone call until today). I speak with Blake Baston, who assures me that I will receive a UPS call tag within the next few days.

Still no UPS call tag. I call Mr. Baston directly (he gave me his extension last call), and end up leaving a voice mail.

Still no UPS call tag. I call again, asking to speak with someone else other than Mr. Baston, since he has not returned any of my calls. I end up speaking with Darren, who says he has forwarded the concern on to his supervisor, and that I can expect the call tag within a couple days.

I receive the following email from Van Ngo (apparent D-Link Customer Service supervisor/manager:


From: [email address hidden]
Subject: Re: Fw: CT request - Randy Chang; DLK399557692
Date: June 6, 2008 1:26:36 PM EDT
To: [email address hidden]

Randy,

Looking over the case, the print server does not seem like it is compatible with your printer. Would you like ot process a refund or perhaps swap it for a difference model? Please let me know. Thanks

In response, I quickly send him the following email:


From: [email address hidden]
Subject: Re: CT request - Randy Chang; DLK399557692
Date: June 6, 2008 4:48:28 PM EDT
To: [email address hidden]

Mr. Ngo

Given the choices, I would rather have a refund. Please let me know what will be involved in this process.

-Randy Chang

I receive an email from D-Link's RMA department telling me that I have been assigned an RMA number and asks that I ship back the defective product. Isn't this what I've been trying to do all along?!? I reply back to the email asking if I will receive a UPS call tag, as given that this is the third defective product (counting the original), and that I refuse to pay shipping.

I receive an email from Van Ngo in response to my RMA email. He simply states, "Yes." That was it?! I was a little appalled that he did not even acknowledge receipt of my previous email saying that I would like a refund. I felt like he should have at the very least shot me an email saying something like, "We're working on that refund now." A little concerned, I write him the following email:


From: [email address hidden]
Subject: Re: CT request - Randy Chang; DLK399557692
Date: June 10, 2008 4:48:28 PM EDT
To: [email address hidden]

Mr. Ngo

I just wanted to follow up and make sure you had received my request for a refund on this case. Please let me know what the status of this is and if you need any additional information from me to speed this up. Thanks!

-Randy Chang

Finally, later, in the day, I receive the UPS call tag.

I receive an email saying that they have received the defective DPR 1260 that I sent back.

A little concerned that I still haven't heard anything from Van Ngo regarding the status of the refund, I shoot him another email:


From: [email address hidden]
Subject: Re: CT request - Randy Chang; DLK399557692
Date: June 24, 2008 7:47:05 PM EDT
To: [email address hidden]

Mr. Ngo

It's been a while since I had heard from you about the refund (reference #DLK399557692). I wanted to find out the status of the refund and an ETA on the refund. Thanks!

-Randy Chang

He sends me back with the following:


From: [email address hidden]
Subject: Re: CT request - Randy Chang; DLK399557692
Date: June 24, 2008 7:56:18 PM EDT
To: [email address hidden]

Randy,

From my system notes, I believe a proof of purchase was still needed correct?

Van Ngo

I have to admit this was one thing he could kind of ding me on. After a few months of the print server seeming to work just fine, I had gotten rid of the original receipt. I did, however, still have my credit card statement that had this purchase on, so I sent Mr. Ngo a copy of this. If this wouldn't suffice as proof of purchase, he would at least have the decency to inform me of this, wouldn't he?

Still, I was a bit peeved that almost 2 weeks had elapsed since our last contact, and he waited until I had initiated another contact before he told me that there was something missing. If this were a responsible and responsive customer service department, wouldn't you think that they would at least inform me beforehand that this little piece of information was missing?

Once again, weeks go by without any word from Mr. Ngo or D-Link about the status of my refund. I would have at least expected something along the lines of "We received the credit card statement. This did/did not suffice as proof of purchase." So, once again, I send Mr. Ngo yet another email:


From: [email address hidden]
Subject: Re: CT request - Randy Chang; DLK399557692
Date: July 10, 2008 7:54:17 PM EDT
To: [email address hidden]

Hi Van Ngo

It's been a while since I heard from you last. Did the credit card statement suffice as proof of purchase? What is the status of the refund, and when can I expect to receive this? I will be moving in a couple weeks, so it is important to know when the refund will go through.

-Randy Chang

I received no response from him. The part about moving was not a lie. I was scheduled to move from Atlanta to Maryland at the end of July 2008.

Around this time, several things were starting to consume me. I was trying to complete some final projects for work before I was scheduled to leave, and of course I was starting to pack up for my impending move. Amidst all of this, I realized that I had still not received anything from Mr. Ngo or from D-Link. Given his general pattern of not communicating back, I decided to instead email D-Link's customer service department hoping someone from their ranks would see this and respond in some way or another.


From: [email address hidden]
Subject: ongoing technical and support problems
Date: July 21, 2008 1:02:11 PM EDT
To: customerservice@dlink.com

To whom it may concern:

Let me first state that I have been a longtime fan of D-Link products. Whenever I assemble a home-built PC, I use D-Link NICs, and I often recommend D-Link to others as well. I am also on my second D-Link router, as these have commonly served me very well in the past. However, my faith in D-Link has recently been shaken, and I am ready to take my business elsewhere.

I have had repeated trouble with your DPR-1260 print server. These problems started in April 2008, and despite several calls to your technical and support departments, the problem has not resolved. I originally purchased the print server at Circuit City in December 2007. It seemed to work fine within my home network (consisting of a D-Link DIY 655 router, an HP PSC 2110xi multifunction printer, and several Windows-based and Mac-based laptops and desktops) up until April 2008. At this point, the print server refused to be seen on my network as a UPNP device, and I was unable to access the print server's web configuration page. Given that this print server supposedly has a 1-year warranty, I called your technical support department to hopefully resolve the issue. I went through a series of case numbers, and there seemed to be a repeating cycle: through phone diagnoses, my print server was deemed to be malfunctioning, and I would send the print server back to you. Annoyingly, each time a replacement unit was sent to me, the replacement unit seemed to be malfunctioning as well. Based on my records, I have mailed back 3 units to you. (By the way, I find it incredibly disappointing that the standard RMA process involves the customer paying to return a defective unit; it is as if you are penalizing the customer even though it is your productive that is defective.) Based on my records, I have also had the following reference ID's related to this problem: ALR399506313, PTS399537082, DLK399538409, ALR399557460, DLK399557692. My last contact was through email with someone named Van Ngo, who deemed that the most appropriate remediation would be to offer me a refund. However, my last contact with him was June 24, 2008. Despite repeated attempts to email him back, I have received no reply as to the status of my refund or even an ETA. I will soon be moving (within 2 weeks), which may complicate the refund process, but I still find it appalling that 4 months have elapsed, and this has not been resolved.

-Randy Chang

Of course, I received no immediate reply.

Finally with some downtime with the major bulk of the move done, I decided to try D-Link's customer service email again.


From: randykchang@gmail.com
Subject: problem not resolved after 5 months!!!!!!!
Date: August 10, 2008 8:53:30 PM EDT
To: customerservice@dlink.com

To whom it may concern:

Let me first state that I have been a longtime fan of D-Link products. Whenever I assemble a home-built PC, I use D-Link NICs, and I often recommend D-Link to others as well. I am also on my second D-Link router, as these have commonly served me very well in the past. However, my faith in D-Link has recently been shaken, and I am ready to take my business elsewhere.

I have had repeated trouble with your DPR-1260 print server. These problems started in April 2008, and despite several calls to your technical and support departments, the problem has not resolved. I originally purchased the print server at Circuit City in December 2007. It seemed to work fine within my home network (consisting of a D-Link DIY 655 router, an HP PSC 2110xi multifunction printer, and several Windows-based and Mac-based laptops and desktops) up until April 2008. At this point, the print server refused to be seen on my network as a UPNP device, and I was unable to access the print server's web configuration page. Given that this print server supposedly has a 1-year warranty, I called your technical support department to hopefully resolve the issue. I went through a series of case numbers, and there seemed to be a repeating cycle: through phone diagnoses, my print server was deemed to be malfunctioning, and I would send the print server back to you. Annoyingly, each time a replacement unit was sent to me, the replacement unit seemed to be malfunctioning as well. Based on my records, I have mailed back 3 units to you. (By the way, I find it incredibly disappointing that the standard RMA process involves the customer paying to return a defective unit; it is as if you are penalizing the customer even though it is your productive that is defective.) Based on my records, I have also had the following reference ID's related to this problem: ALR399506313, PTS399537082, DLK399538409, ALR399557460, DLK399557692. My last contact was through email with someone named Van Ngo, who deemed that the most appropriate remediation would be to offer me a refund. However, my last contact with him was June 24, 2008. Despite repeated attempts to email him back, I have received no reply as to the status of my refund or even an ETA. I have even attempted emailing your customer service department (dated July 21, 2008), with no reply.

Either I will be refunded my money in a timely manner, or I respectfully request that you send me a brand new print server (brand and model OF MY CHOOSING). I have been more than patient, but this patience is wearing thin.

-Randy Chang

As you can tell, this was a virtual copy and paste of my previous email with a few details changed here and there.

My patience has more than drained, so this time I call up their customer service so that I can talk to an actual human being. After waiting through an ungodly wait time, I speak to a young lady. When I give her my case ID, she has the gall to ask if I would like to use technical service to resolve my case. At this point, I don't even have a physical unit to diagnose. I said that I should speak directly to Mr. Van Ngo, as he would be the only person who would be able to resolve my case. I tell her that I'd rather not speak to Mr. Ngo, as he has historically not returned my calls or emailed in a timely fashion. She insists that Mr. Ngo is the only one who can address the case, yet he is out of the office. Despite my protests, she routes me to his voice mail. I end up leaving a fairly angry voicemail (though I amazingly was able to refrain from cursing) about the history of my case, and my disappointment that approximately 5 months have elapsed with no resolution to this case. I demand that he call me back by Monday August 18, 2008 (the next business) day, or else there would be hell to pay, and I'd simply lodge a personal complaint against him to his supervisor.

No call from Mr. Ngo.

To keep with my promise, I call D-Link's customer service. I finally hear a human voice after about 6 minutes of wait. I immediately demand to speak with a supervisor. The representative asks for my case ID. After I tell her, she says that she can route me to Van Ngo. At first, she insists that Van Ngo is the supervisor. I then insist on talking to someone above Mr. Ngo, but she seems ignorantely unaware of who that would be. Then, she verifies that Mr. Ngo is in!I wait on hold for what felt like another 3 minutes. Finally, I'm speaking with Mr. Ngo, a man who has earned a lot of ire in my eyes and ears.

He tells me that he was unable to process the refund because my credit card statement does not qualify as a valid form of proof of purchase. I'm wondering why he didn't tell me this when I initially submitted this. I'm also pretty livid at this point. He tells me that what he can do is give me a "rebate" of $40, as D-Link submits these "rebates" in increments of $20. When I hear the word "rebate" I get further upset, as to me, the word has a connotation of having to buy another product before I get anything of $40 value. I spout off that this experience has spurred me to never buy D-Link again, so how does he think I would be satisfied with this so-called rebate? He then explains that D-Link is basically giving me a $40 check. So why didn't he call it a "refund" in the first place? I then inform him that my mailing address has since changed due to the move. He asks that I email him the new address. I insist that he stay on the phone with me while I email the new address so that I can be sure that he has received it. While I'm mailing this off, I spout off on each of the inconveniences this whole ordeal has set me through...seemingly repetitive and incompetent customer/technical support, irresponsibly sending me DOA units, the ungodly time this has taken to resolve, the lack of communication, feeling penalized for the RMA process of paying to ship back D-Link's defective product...all of this comes spewing out of my mouth. All Mr. Ngo does is apologize and state that these are all company policies. I further state that for a company of D-Link's stature, I feel that their customer service department reflects a sense of irresponsibility. For a while, I probably sounded like a thesaurus, as I spout off words like appalling, deplorable, irresponsible, etc.

Now, I'm just waiting for the check to arrive. I also ask for Mr. Ngo's personal extension so that in case I do not receive the check by September 2, as promised, I can speak with him directly without having to be put on hold for 5 months.

Wireless standards: 802.11b/g, Draft-2.0 802.11n

Bandwidth: 2.4GHz

Security: WEP, WPA, WPA2, NAT

Notable Features: 4-port Gigabit switch, 1 USB port (to transfer wireless settings), “Intelligent” QoS (Quality of Service), lots  of router settings, 3 removable antennae, wall mountable

Although the included CD was pointless, the initial setup was quite simple – I had my network up and running in a few minutes. The only annoyance I found was that I couldn't access the web-interface router settings through Firefox 3, but Internet Explorer 7 (boo) worked fine.

This router is one of the fastest Draft-N routers around, providing better data throughput than its competitors (D-Link even goes as far as mentioning this claim on the retail box). Having been hooked up to a fast ethernet router till now, my internet connection actually seems deserving of its name (Shaw XTREME cable); after setting everything up, I noticed a great increase in wireless speed. My wireless downloads are now as fast as my wired downloads (10 Mbit/s or about 1250 KB/s).

The new security features and the plethora of settings are a nice bonus too; with support for WPA, WPA2, and even the breakable WEP encryption (not really a plus), this is as safe as it gets for most consumers. I've always felt the WPA on my Netgear was pretty safe, but using WPA2 made me feel that much safer.

Another feature – which I have yet to test – is the Intelligent QoS technology. Typical QoS features on other routers prioritize packets of data (for wired connections only) for different applications so one person on the network can browse the web without lagging the hell out of another's Unreal Tournament 3 game. The D-Link version of this can use QoS on wireless devices, and has more advanced settings.

Of all the great features in this router, the USB port is almost damn useless. Its only apparent function is to transfer wireless settings to another computer via flash drive. No printer support, no external storage support. D:

So, there you have it. For $95 I think it's a pretty good deal but then again, I've only had it for two days.

Anyhow, Hardy connected to Wifi through the D-Link RangeBooster G PC card I bought last month smoothly. The screen was a bit too bright however. It took me a while to find out where I could change the brightness. In Feisty, I think the brightness control was in the Power Management Preferences. It is not there in Hardy. I checked up and down the Preferences and Administration menus and found nothing. Then I read a post in Ubuntu Forums about a particular brightness issue and realized there is a Brightness Applet that I need to add to the Panel. Added the applet and problem solved.

When the opening ceremony was over, I haven't finished writing the post about the upgrade and it was already midnight. Since the Olympics is like a sports variety show, I guess I will have the laptop in front of me quite often to get over the commercials and the events that I don't care about. May be I will find more quirky things about Hardy in the next few weeks.

The downside to Comcast is their customer service. At all possible cost, avoiding customer service is greatly advantageous. If you have a connection problem, unplug your modem and router and let it be for fifteen minutes and plug it back. It will most likely work. They will most likely make you set up an appointment for someone to come out to your location, charge you for it, and do what I just suggested above. It is this that hinders me from using them again. Their appointment setting is never convenient.

My dependency on Comcast left me searching for something reliable, yet more convenient than the appointment setting, rude and unhelpful customer service I received from Comcast. Enter the all mighty Verizon Network. Honestly, they scare me. They are big, not local and are taking over everything. I would prefer something local but recently I was looking for something reliable and convenient. When signing up (online) with Verizon, they sent me all my equipment in the mail within three days. Customer support (outsourced to who knows where) was very friendly, available and effective. Download rates are much different and not as good as Comcast, but effective. Price is half what I was paying at Comcast.

I am set up with Broadband access. The FiOS network is supposedly amazing yet my neighborhood does not get it, so until they expand I'm using broadband DSL which is working great. All one needs is a phone jack.

* When signing up with Verizon, go to Best Buy and purchase Verizon - Ethernet/Wireless-G Gateway DSL. I do not recommend the dinky Westell modem they provide, it was near impossible to set up the D-Link wireless router I had, and then when I bought a Linksys router to see if that would connect me, I was told by Verizon to call Linksys to get it connected! Too much hassle, once you get your stuff from Verizon in the mail, buy the Gateway from Best Buy and save yourself wasted time, energy and cell phone minutes!