Tag: d-link

D-Link SharePort new release 1.10 and DIR-655 1.30 Firmware

Update 16th January 2010: 1.33b01NA has been released.

Update 20th August 2009: All users having issues with SharePort, check out this post for the latest information.

Update 1: The 1.30 firmware now has a beta tag and is available at: ftp://ftp.dlink.com/Gateway/dir655/Firmware/dir655_firmware_130_beta.zip. Before downloading please read below as this firmware isn’t like the others:

Update 2: Firmware 1.31 is available from the D-Link website now, you can get it here.

Update 3: Beta firmware 1.32NA is available now, it fixes a SharePort issue, read about it and download here.

Update 4: Firmware 1.32NA FINAL is available now, read about it and download here.

Update 5: D-Link has released a new beta firmware for the DIR-655 here, it ONLY fixes *a* SharePort issue.

It appears that D-Link have updated the firmware of the DIR-655 router to v1.30, however it has been pulled from their servers just after release, if it becomes available again it should be at ftp://ftp.dlink.com/Gateway/dir655/Firmware/dir655_firmware_130.zip which is the link they had before it was pulled. The most likely reason for pulling the release is due to that fact that it cannot be downgraded once it is installed, coupled with the fact that it removed wireless B support makes it a bit of a gamble.

According to a D-Link forum admin:

The 1.30 Firmware has been taken down from the support site. It may do a little too much at once.
Removing 802.11b is not a bad thing for most people.
Conditions that make a firmware unable to be downgraded are not always avoidable.
Distributing a firmware that removed 802.11b and also will not allow the end-user to downgrade said firmware, could result in customer service or RMA issues neither the customer, seller, or manufacture desire.

Granted from what I have seen, people are reading the release notes and the warnings about the firmware, but I am looking to be on the safe side as the user base with access to the code made change (not read).

It may go back up because the benefits to the majority are to great, but for now we just need too take a closer look at the release.

It is available to download on some sites and people who have installed it are finding it to be a good release, but I urge people not to try it just yet as D-Link may put a new version out soon that can be downgraded or has wireless B support.

Change Log:
Fix DHCP server issue.
Modify the turn from “Network USB” to “Shareport” in the option of “My USB Type is:”
Add Advanced DNS Service feature.
Add SecureSpot 2.0
Remove the 3G from GUI
Fix LLTD wrong icon in Vista.
Fix reboot issue when connecting to Internet
Add Graphical authentication to log-in page.
Removed 802.11b
This firmware can not downgraded to previous versions.
Guest Zone disable SharePort support (USB spec v1.05)
New SharePort support PC/Mac (Requires Utility Installed on PC or Mac to work)
Router time is not reset when factory reset.
Fix schedule end time error.

SharePort 1.10 for PC and now 1.01 for Mac OSX was released at the same time, the PC version has a lower version number than the previous 1.14 release but it is most likely a newer version.
Update: This appears to only work with the above 1.30 firmware.

You can get it here for: Windows OSX

D-Link SkinIt

I’m not sure if this is new or old news but D-Link are advertising that SkinIt skins are now available that can be used to customise D-Link products such as their newer routers.

I had a fun playing around with the skin making software, it’s easy to use and I got the hang of it straight away, I haven’t purchased a skin yet, however I might in a few weeks time.

The skins are $19.95 USD however currently the coupon ‘dlinkskins’ will get you 10% off.

You can get started here.

Windows 7 at the PDC

For now I do not have access to Windows 7 so I can only go on other peoples’ experiences and of course the live stream of the Microsoft PDC, but so far it looks amazing, take a look at some screenshots here at my favorite tech site, Neowin.

From a UI standpoint I am very excited about the possibilities that will be available.
From a web developer standpoint I’m eager to learn how it fits in with Windows Azure and the cloud computing vision.

I hope to do a review once it is available and look forward to other peoples’ reviews, expectations and experiences.

In other news I put Xubuntu on my laptop, I’m actually using it at the moment, It’s a great OS to run when you have an older PC, in this case 4 years old, my laptop maintenance guide will be up soon, I’ve been meaning to finish it but it’s one of those articles you can take forever to write if you wanted to.

I have decided to put up interesting facts, the first fact is that my review on D-Link SharePort on the DIR-655 has had the most views of any posts, you guys seem to like it so I will hopefully bring more of the same in future reviews.

D-Link DIR-655 Router and SharePoint/SharePort

Update 16th January 2010: 1.33b01NA has been released.

Update 2nd November 2009: All users having issues with SharePort, check out this post for the latest information.

Update: Make sure you read the comments below to find out anything new about this feature, many bugs has been fixed since the original release, as of August 2009 Firmware 1.32NA FINAL is the latest firmware, read about it and download it here.

I have owned a D-Link DIR-655 router for the past year and it is by far the best router that I have ever used, although I did pay $150 more than what I have paid for a router before, so I’ve gotten what I have paid for.

Starting with the version 1.21 Beta 04 of the DIR-655 firmware there is now SharePoint functionality available. SharePoint as the media and other sites partially call it or SharePort as it is called everywhere else including the software itself is a way for D-Link products to share a USB device over the LAN, i’m going to try to not confuse you any further so I will refer to it only as SharePort from now on.

SharePort is an interesting feature that I actually wanted to be able to do a few years ago, by sharing USB devices from a computer so they can be used on another PC as if the device was actually plugged into your PC. D-Link have finally brought this technology to life in a limited fashion with SharePort.

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