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Performance
In terms of standard connection using CAT-5 wiring, the DI-714 is as fast as any other router for switch. That is, copying a 50 MB file (e.g. Quake3 Arena Demo) from one machine to another takes about 15 sec. Copying the same file from one partition of a drive to a different partition takes noticeably longer which shows the redundancy of the 100 Mbps connection compared to the overall I/O latencies.
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Wireless
The DI-714 is specified to support 11 Mbsec transfer rates but one needs to keep in mind that those transfer rates are after I/O latencies, meaning that they apply only in cases of rather small file transfers. I am aware that the algorithm is not exactly a scientific approach but for an approximation it will do:
- If a 100 Mbsec transfer takes about 15 sec, an 11 Mbsec transfer should take approximately 10 times as long. In reality, USB transfer limitations vs. PCI bandwidth have to be taken into consideration as well but in this case it comes out about as expected. That is, copying the same 50 MB file through the wireless USB connection took approximately 2 1/2 min, that is 150 seconds.
Security
The most compelling reason to go with either the DI-714 or a similar device is after all that being on any kind of broadband, cable or DSL connection is an invitation for any random or professional hacker to invade the system. How does the DI-714 stand up to the firewall claims made by the manufacturer?
We used Steve Gibson's site GRC.com to test the firewall efficiency. Just as short background info, Steve has established himself as the most eminent watchdog of internet security and aside from providing a priceless yet free service for anyone concerned about security of their own systems, he has also been instrumental in exposing security leaks in a variety of operating systems. GRC is certainly worth snooping around to get the latest update on hacking and counterhacking, I highly recommend his site to anyone with sensitive data. Anyway, here are the results:
Shields-Up Results
Stealth Test
These results are pretty impressive, especially if you have been hacked in the past. Still, please don't confuse a Firewall with a virus shield, one has nothing to do with the other. Also, in order to participate in certain on-line games, it is necessary to open up certain ports which can be done through the GUI provided by any browser.
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