D-Link DIR-685 Xtreme N Router Gets Reviewed: Expensively Excellent

As hugely convergent devices go, D-Link's DIR-685 Xtreme N Storage Router could be best of breed.  Announced at CES in January, the DIR-685 not only offers WiFi draft-n support and four gigabit ethernet ports, but a 3.5-inch display with multimedia widgets, dual USB 2.0 ports for sharing printers and external drives, and an internal 2.5-inch HDD bay for turning it into a NAS.  Overkill or network overlord?  OhGizmo! took a look, and while the DIR-685 is expensive it's also just as capable as you'd hope.

Among the pluses are the easy to use USB and internal hard-drive connectivity, the fast throughput and the decent range.  It's also relatively compact, and there are other niceties such as an onboard BitTorrent client, iTunes/UPnP server, remote-management and VoIP prioritizing.

The most obvious downside is the price – around $300 – but the display system, while functional, does occasionally lag and the buttons lack tactile feedback.  Still, if you're replacing a standard router and want to pile on the specifications, the D-Link DIR-685 Xtreme N Storage Router seems a good place to start.