DLink Router Performence

About a week ago I purchased the DIR-655 from Newegg for $100, today I was looking in the bestbuy ads and noticed that they are selling a DIR-628 model for $90 which appears to be a dual-band model.

I'm going to be using the router in a college dorm so I am expecting that there will be a lot of G interference as most stores still seem to be pushing that spec in stores around my area. The 655 seems like a higher-performance model with MIMO, but will that be offset by more interference on the 2.4 spectrum?

Any thoughts?

 

The high-speed modes that routers have nowadays are usually very sensitive to interference.
I'd suggest buying a separate antenna and attaching it to your router; and running it at normal function.
Well the DIR-655 has 3 antennas, so it might be covered in that aspect. Not sure how those antennas work whether they all have their own function, or are acting like one big one.
But you most likely won't be satisfied with the high-speed mode; due to the interferences. Normal function will be better off with a good antenna.

 

Whatever router you decide to get, make sure that you are allowed to have a wireless router on campus. I know that Georgia Tech does not allow any students to have a wireless router and if they find you with one, it's automatic ban from the school network.

 

Avoid the DIR-628 like the plague. If you want very detailed reviews regarding routers and the routing abilities/throughput performance of each, then check out smallnetbuilder.com The DIR-628 review speaks for itself. A maximum of 32 simultaneuous connections and poor throughput performance compared to the DIR-655 which is still one of the top routers. Interference may be a problem if there are many others with 2.4GHz band routers within a close vincinity of one another. If you don't want interference, then you've got to fork out more money for a more capable router because the DIr-628 is a waste of money.

And like the above poster said, it's best to check as to whether or not a router is allowed as many universities don't routers as people can share with one another (decrease in people paying for ResNet?).

 

Thanks for the advance and the great site.

As for being allowed, I'm not 100% sure on the policy, they don't list anything officially online so it is my assumption that it’s not a critical issue. Also while touring the dorms last year I saw a few of them, so at the very least they are overlooked as long as they don't cause a problem. Most of the campus is wireless; however, the dorms only have the main lounge with it, so I can't see why they would care about interference (I’m on 4th floor).

Assuming they are not appreciated is there any reason that the following wouldn't work:
1. Clone laptop's mac address
2. Switch to DD-WRT firmware and drop transmitting power
3. Stop broadcasting SSID
4. Hide it so no one sees it during daily life.

It seems like that would make it relatively hard to find out where it is, to the point where they would move onto other people.