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Rating: 
Summary: VPN Broken or at least enourmously hard to configure
Review: Background: I have 13 years as a network engineer. I bought this box with the anticipation that I could use it as a VPN endpoint, allowing me access to my home network from my WinXP laptop when I'm away from home. Before buying it, I verified with D-link that I could do it. So far, though, I have been unable to get it to work. (VPNs are not *that* hard to set up....) On the bright side, the web-based interface is very easy to use and gives you a finer degree of control than many similarly priced routers. For example, it allows me to enable/disable responding to PING requests from the WAN side, allows FTP'ing to ports other than port 21 and so on.... Heck, if I didn't need the VPN capability, I'd buy it again. As it is, I'll probably end up returning it.
Rating:
Summary: VPN Broken or at least enourmously hard to configure
Review: Background: I have 13 years as a network engineer. I bought this box with the anticipation that I could use it as a VPN endpoint, allowing me access to my home network from my WinXP laptop when I'm away from home. Before buying it, I verified with D-link that I could do it. So far, though, I have been unable to get it to work. (VPNs are not *that* hard to set up....) On the bright side, the web-based interface is very easy to use and gives you a finer degree of control than many similarly priced routers. For example, it allows me to enable/disable responding to PING requests from the WAN side, allows FTP'ing to ports other than port 21 and so on.... Heck, if I didn't need the VPN capability, I'd buy it again. As it is, I'll probably end up returning it.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent value, great functionality
Review: I have deployed close to a hundred VPN routers for my clients, and have done so primarily with Linksys BEFVP41 routers. They are cheap, but they have done the job - until lately, that is. Many of them are failing (crypto sub-system failure), so replacements are beginning to occur on a regular basis.
I have used several other brands (3com, Netgear, etc.), but have not seen anything at this price point ($52). I picked one up from my distributor to test, and have not been disappointed.
This unit will accept inbound PPTP and LT2P connections, something most VPN routers do not offer. I think the limit is five. I usually don't need this, as most of my clients already have PPTP running on their servers. It also claims to allow up to 40 IPSEC tunnels. That is less than the BEFVP41, but more than most people will ever need (I currently have 40 on my Netgear FVS328).
You should plan on upgrading the firmware right away. I just upgraded to 1.40, which has been solid. The previous version (1.39) allows MPPE encryption on PPTP connections, and adds IPSEC keep-alive functionality. Mine was shipped with 1.36.
The netbios functionality works excellent. The only thing keeping me from giving it five stars is the inability to specify Netbios by tunnel. I have clients that need Netbios (network neighborhood computer browsing), and others that do not. The problem is between my network and my client's networks. I want Netbios on some, and definitely not others. The Dlink offers it to all or none.
If you have two or more offices with broadband connections, and wish to get them connected for sharing of network resources, this is the only way to go. As a matter of fact, you can connect a modem to the serial port on this unit and configure it to use Dial-up or ISDN, instead of cable, dsl, or T-1. I kept looking for a fallback configuration, i.e. dial the connection if the broadband connection fails, but I didn't see it. I rarely need this, but it really could be useful for branch office connections to host systems (telnet, AS400, unix POS systems, etc.). Perhaps a later firmware release will add this capability.
If you are new to IPSEC, this might all seem daunting. If you have done it before, it shouldn't be a problem. I got a tunnel up and running on the first try, without referring to any documentation. Linksys router users will balk at having to set up the IKE and IPSEC options on different screens. Anyone who has experience with Netscreen, checkpoint, watchguard, netgear, and the bulk of the existing VPN routers out there should get it on the first try.
For $52.00 (give or take), this is a steal. For my typical branch office clients, this will be my first choice. The Netgear FVS318 is a good router, but at nearly twice the price. Sorry guys, the Dlink gets the nod here.
Don't even consider Linksys anymore. The only thing worse than the quality of their products (since the Cisco take-over) is the appalling tech support. It's sad to see Linksys decline as they have. I haven't purchased anything from Linksys in a year.
Rating: 
Summary: Great inexpenisve router!
Review: I've had this router for about 4 months now and its been great! Don't buy this router if you are a newbie who just wants to connect to the internet, it would be a waste for you. D-Link has great tech support, but don't call them up expecting them to set up your vpn for you, they won't, but their support site has everything you need to know. If you are into advanced networking, this router provides a lot of cool features for the price, especially after upgrading to firmware version 1.40. The furthest I've pushed it is 4 simultaneous tunnels: 1 to another DI-804HV, 2 to a couple of DI-824's and one to a Linksys BEFSX41. Very fun geek toy.
Rating:
Summary: Great VPN interop with Netscreen
Review: Unlike the last reviewer, I was able to establish IKE-based VPN between the DI-804HV and a Netscreen 25. This is a great router for telecommuters who need IPSEC VPN capability back to a main office. I have measured throughput up to 1.8Mbps for both VPN and non-VPN traffic (1.8Mbps was the line rate, not the limit of this device)- this is plenty for the average home DSL line. The price point sure beats existing VPN telecommuting solutions like the Netscreen 5 or SonicWall SOHO.
Rating:
Summary: Great VPN interop with Netscreen
Review: Unlike the last reviewer, I was able to establish IKE-based VPN between the DI-804HV and a Netscreen 25. This is a great router for telecommuters who need IPSEC VPN capability back to a main office. I have measured throughput up to 1.8Mbps for both VPN and non-VPN traffic (1.8Mbps was the line rate, not the limit of this device)- this is plenty for the average home DSL line. The price point sure beats existing VPN telecommuting solutions like the Netscreen 5 or SonicWall SOHO.
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