CES 2009: D-Link Xtreme N DIR-685 All-in One Router

It definitely looks like home server and network attached storage products are going to be popular at CES this year. D-Link have just announced an all-in-one solution which combines a wireless-N router with a NAS device.

The new model, the D-Link Xtreme N DIR-685 All-in-One router, also incorporates a 3.2 inch LCD monitor for displaying photos, desktop applications and network performance diagnostics.

Some of the usual NAS applications come packaged with the 685, including an FTP server, bittorrent client and uPnP media serving. Smart power management features on board will ensure energy consumption and costs are minimised.

This is certainly one converged device – one box handling storage, streaming and networking. Certainly one way of overcoming router configuration issues in Windows Home Server going forward would be for manufacturers to specify and integrate the router in the device – something I remember talking to HP about at CES last year.

If your device is going to be out on display, I love the idea of a mini LCD control panel or auxiliary screen acting as a digital photo frame. Nice work, D-Link!

D-LINK DEBUTS ALL-IN-ONE 802.11N ROUTER WITH BUILT-IN PHOTO FRAME/WIDGET DISPLAY AND
STORAGE CAPABILITIES

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 6, 2009 — D-Link, the end-to-end network solutions provider for consumers and business, today unveiled an all-in-one home network router with all the features of a fast, far-reaching 802.11n Wi-Fi router combined with network attached storage (NAS), SharePort technology for sharing printers and scanners, along with a bright 3.2-inch LCD monitor on the face for displaying photos, desktop applications and network performance.

Designed with convenience and functionality in mind, the new D-Link® Xtreme N® DIR-685 offers a stylish, even chic addition to the digital home. Its upright design allows users to easily view the vibrant LCD screen that displays device status via graphical gauges, digital photos, streamed video, weather forecasts and other live streaming Internet content in up to 1.6 million colors.

As a router, the DIR-685 features a sleek design made possible, in part, by the router’s internal antennas.   In addition, the network attached storage (NAS) feature supports both UPnP® server functions and BitTorrent? downloads.    A built-in FTP server allows users to access documents, photos, music and other media locally through the home network or remotely over the Internet.

The DIR-685 employs D-Link Green? technology that helps conserve energy in several ways — by automatically recognizing port activity and cable length and adjusting power usage accordingly, by consolidating all functions to a single device instead of many separate products, and by using the idle mode which automatically turns off power to the LCD screen.  A wide local area network (WLAN) scheduler can turn off the router’s Wi-Fi module at a preset time, and the power adapter complies with Energy Star specifications for average power savings of up to 30 percent. The same power-saving features located in the
gigabit ports are also included in the NAS drive.

Both USB ports located on the back of the DIR-685 utilize the new D-Link SharePort technology, enabling multiple users to seamlessly share USB devices – including printers, multi-function printers (MFP), and external hard drives – from any location in the home or office, in a Wi-Fi environment. SharePort turns the local USB ports located on the back of the 802.11n router into a fast and responsive virtual port by utilizing a new technology of USB over TCP/IP.

To manage the photo frame feature of the DIR-685, D-Link has partnered with FrameChannel, a free web service (internetphotoframe.com) that allows for the customization of content displayed on the screen, so photos can be easily accessed and viewed.

“This router is the ideal solution for the consumer who wants to be the first on his or her block with the ultimate ‘all-in-one’ networking device,” says Daniel Kelley, senior director of marketing for D-Link Systems in Fountain Valley, Calif.   “Not only does it offer full functionality as a router/NAS storage/print server/FTP device, it is attractive on any desktop, environmentally friendly and Internet secure.”