[hugh]

In my searching yesterday I came across the Dlink DSR-500N router.

I was very interested but it appears to have two issues: First, I don't know if its available in Canada yet and second, one of the key features (dual wan) has not been enabled and won't be until a future update.

What I am looking for in a router is the following:

• Wireless N
• Dual Wan input with load balancing
• Gigabit Ethernet
• Low Electricity usage

I'm not prepared to sacrifice on any of those four conditions and I don't want to set up a linux computer as a router for load balancing or any other workaround.

I'm wondering if anyone knows anything about this router, when it might be available, or when it might get the required firmware upgrade.

I'm also wondering if anyone has considered this router and may know of an alternative that meets all four of my requirements.

Thanks in advance
Hugh

 

[Simonizer]

Here is the beast for sale:

 

[hugh]

I appreciate that its for sale in the United States but I am interested in its availability in Canada, having insight into when the firmware will be updated and if there are any alternatives in the marketplace.

I tried calling Dlink Canada for answers but there phone system is screwed up. If you try to press the option for pre-sales you get dumped into a lengthy technical support queue hence why I am asking here

 

[ande8150]

Don't know if you are still looking for this, but it is coming avialable in Canada this month. Some online retailers already have it on hand / on order. Check CDW, DirectDial.com, etc.

I got one this week and have started playing with it, but can't answer on the dual WAN as I don't require it. I don't recall seing anywhere that said it couldn't do it, I assumed it could. They did release a firmware update the last week of December, so that may have done the trick.

 

[hugh]

ande8150, thanks for the heads up. I'll check out the D-Link site. Previously, it has said the dual wan capability would require a future firmware upgrade but maybe that's happened.

edit: still says Dual Wan is a future upgrade.

I'm now leaning towards just getting a second router.

Yikes what a rip-off. $329 in Canada and $289 in the U.S.

 

[ande8150]

Yikes what a rip-off. $329 in Canada and $289 in the U.S.

Yeah, welcome to electronics in Canada. FWIW - it's $300 at directdial

 

[ande8150]

Found the firmware release notes. Haven't been able to get 1.03 installed for some reason, but at least you can see the added features.

The Wan2 port is fully configurable on my unit, running 1.02. I can set it for auto-rollover, or load balancing. Load balancing options are "Round Robin" or "Spillover Mode". Not sure what either mean. I can't test it of course as I only have one WAN connection at home.

Hope it helps, you run a great forum.

Fireware
Version
New Features
1.03B12_WW
1. Support Non-Split tunnel for IPSec VPN.
2. Support USB storage and printer sharing.
3. Improve WAN configuration page based on drop-down menu.
4. Support logging for SSL VPN activity.
5. Support Interoperability with Cisco VPN client in iPhone OS4.
6. Support NAT hair-pinning.
7. Reverse the logs display, so that the latest logs are shown at the top of the
viewer.
8. Support DWM-152/156 A3 3G USB dongle. (This only affects in
DSR-1000/1000N)9. Support for enable / disable Jumbo frames.
10. Support for add / edit / delete routing table of secondary PPPoE tunnel.
11. Spill over mode improvements - configurable maximum WAN bandwidth
and load tolerance.
12. Support captive portal.
13. Support Blowfish and CAST-128 encryption-authentication algorithms in
IKE Policy Configuration page.
14. Support for IPSec policy option for AH alone (without ESP)
15. Support for temporary blocking of user login for brute password attack.
16. Available to choose the local traffic selector in VPN Wizard page.

1.02B25_WW
1. Added support for Russia PPTP/L2TP Dual Access.
2. Support IPSec Failover
3. Support for DWM-152/156 A1/A2 3G USB dongles with firmware 1.03 and
1.05
4. Added support for RFC 3442 for DHCP client


1.02B11
SSL VPN module upgrade to support SSL VPN on Windows 7 and Mac 10.6
operating systems

1.01B50
It’s the first release.

 

[hugh]

The Wan2 port is fully configurable on my unit, running 1.02. I can set it for auto-rollover, or load balancing. Load balancing options are "Round Robin" or "Spillover Mode"

Thanks for posting. That is definitely dual wan activated then.

Curious, this is not a cheap router. What features made you buy it?

 

[ande8150]

Actually I didn't buy it. Got lucky and was hooked up by a friend in the industry.

Chose it because of Gig ports, VPN, N wirelesss, good brand name, etc.

 

[tFRANKS]

DSR-500N ships with Firmware Ver 1.02B11.
An upgrade F/W ver 1.03B12_WW is available for the
DSR-500N from: << tsd.dlink.com.tw >>
Note: hypertext prefix removed from URL and this
*is* the Tiawan support site.

Filename: DSR-500N_A1_FW1.03B12_WW
Filetype: .03B12_WW
Filesize: 27,512KB

This F/W installed here without any significant
problems.

I am in the habit of copying F/Ws to a USB Flash
Drive and installing via USB port. My attempt to
do the same on the DSR-500N failed. Process stopped
at about 10% and failed to finish. Immediately
tried again with a copy on HDD and had no problems.
This could well be a new security feature I did
not anticipate.

The flash process may vary somewhat from the
description in the HELPS. This DSR-500N has no
"Test" LED (or I simply could not see it). When the
progress percentage reaches approx. 55% the screen
changes and reports the "Router Will Be Up In 150
Seconds". Next the DSR-500n will drop and then
reconnect to any LAC devices - keep an eye on those
LEDs. When they come back on you should be good to
go for logging back into DSR-500N. Not a single
setting from previous config was changed AFAICT.

Fixes observed in F/W 1.03B12_WW:
1. The Date And Time controls are fixed for my purposes.
2. The IPv6 Tunnels Status is reporting.
3. Logging appears unchanged with the exception of the
event order reversal in the Event Log Viewer.

Thank you D-Link! Nice work on the DSR-500N.

tFRANKS