D-Link Exo AC2600 (DIR-882) Enthusiast Router Review

Interface: Network Settings

The Settings menu contains all the port-related settings such as the internet setup, LAN setup, and USB functionality. Naturally, this is where we find the wireless settings too.

Internet Connection

D-Link’s router software supports most types of internet connections. In most cases, you won’t have to do much here, but there is the option.

VLAN setup is available for all ports and connection types.

IPv6 is also fully supported.

Wireless Networking

By default, you only have one wireless network to configure and that is due to the Smart Connect feature. It allows for much simpler connections where the router will pick the fastest available band. When it’s disabled, like in the screenshot below, you can configure the two bands separately.

Visitors often like to get Wi-Fi connections where ever there are. It saves on the data volumes which for the biggest part are limited. However, you might not want to share your normal network details with everyone nor would you want everyone roaming your network. For such situations, the guest networks are the solution. You can set up a guest zone for your visitors with which they’ll gain internet access, but otherwise, are locked out of your network.

Wired Networking

LAN settings are rarely changed, but it is possible. You can control the DHCP server and streaming options.

USB Sharing over Network

The built-in USB ports allow you to share connected storage drives with any device connected to your network. It is a convenient way to use those external drives for something useful. You get standard Windows file sharing along with an FTP server. The router also supports the streaming of media to compatible UPnP server.

With the ability to share files, you also need a way to restrict the access. You can create up to 9 different users for this. It isn’t much, but it should be plenty. Users in need of more will already have a NAS for such tasks.