D-Link's Xtreme N DIR-685 router is also a digiframe / NAS device

Go 'head, D-Link, get down with your bad self. Seriously, we can't remember the last time a router got us all hot and bothered, but this one's just too wild to not get stoked about. The Xtreme N DIR-685 is hailed as an "all-in-one home network router," and we'd say it puts a new meaning to "all-in-one." Aside from handling the normal duties of an 802.11n wireless access point, the device also includes a 3.2-inch LCD for displaying photos and / or widgets. As if that wasn't zany enough, it also supports both UPnP server functions and BitTorrent downloads. How so, you ask? The twin USB ports on the rear enable users to plug in vanilla external hard drives and essentially convert them into NAS drives, making the data on each accessible over the web. Sadly, no price is mentioned for this conglomerate, but we don't expect it to come cheap.

[Jf Posted Jan 6th 2009 11:32AM]

Why would you want to have your router on display like this? These things belong in closets and under desks. Don't give me a picture frame on a piece of networking equipment.

I'll take the UPnP and NAS functionality though.

[bmj0nes Posted Jan 6th 2009 11:36AM]

it can display widgets. I could see a bandwidth widget showing how much traffic you've pushed int he last 30 days could be useful given the current state of bandwidth caps.

[TRAFFICBLOWS Posted Jan 6th 2009 11:37AM]

well, for me it would be nice to have one less piece of equipment to keep plugged in 24/7

it's pretty ugly for a digiframe though

[conscious Posted Jan 6th 2009 12:46PM]

i sure hope this router has a fan.

[Fred Posted Jan 6th 2009 4:07PM]

The best place for a WiFi router in my home happens to be on the dining table, which is at the center point of all the house's wireless device positions. My wife hates the 3-antenna thing we have there now, so she might see this as a great alternative.

[WK Posted Jan 6th 2009 11:36AM]

If you could run a widget that shows you live bandwidth numbers or a traffic graph, that would be cool.

[superhobo Posted Jan 6th 2009 12:00PM]

True! +1

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 6th 2009 11:39AM]

While it does look ok, I imagine that the connected external HDDs and extra cables won't attribute to the overall look of this device on any piece of furniture.

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 6th 2009 3:31PM]

unless of course your external hard drive looks like this:

http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/05/lacie-intros-22x-d2-external-dvd-burner-2tb-hard-disk-max/

[Dalhectar Posted Jan 6th 2009 11:45AM]

Does it support Time Machine with the NAS?

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 6th 2009 3:01PM]

You'd expect so given that Apple's Time Machine device is just a plain old NAS anyway.

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 6th 2009 12:06PM]

hopefully it wont be using the current form of the usb drive ability that requires using their software on each machine.

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 6th 2009 12:36PM]

I concur, their current USB software doesnt quite work all the time properly... or perhaps it is the hardware?

[JorgeS18 Posted Jan 6th 2009 5:56PM]

I think it's because those routers from D-Link don't have NAS functionality by default but were added by software upgrades. That's probably why the Shareport functionality is spotty. However from what I read this router does will have NAS functionality right out of the box. Still you have to give credit for the people at D-Link for working hard on adding NAS to some routers.

[TheLostSwede Posted Jan 6th 2009 12:07PM]

What Engadget missed is that it also has space for an internal 2.5in SATA drive which makes it a lot more interesting, as you don't need some fugly USB drives hanging off the back of it. Oh, and the LAN ports offer Gigabit speed for those that still like using wires...

[Blacksheep Posted Jan 6th 2009 12:08PM]

Looks interesting and just in time as I'm in the market for a good 802.11N router with the ability to attach an external HD as a network drive, but thus far the reviews on all of them except the Belkin N+ have me scared away. And I've read that the Belkin N+ doesn't let you edit files on the drive from remotely connected PC's, so that's annoying. This router has the features, let's hope it works.

[fourblades Posted Jan 6th 2009 12:22PM]

I'll wait for the next upgrade when this becomes 7" 16:9 1360x768 touchscreen LCD with built in 1TB HDD or [x amount]GB of SSD SATA (for photos, movies and widgets), dual channel wireless N router and bluetooth connection, built in photo size scanner/printer/fax, oh and add some DECT cordless phone to it too, and I'll believe that DLink has truely made an all-in-one router. All it needs now is some 2.1 built-in speakers or some optical audio output...

/sarcasm

[chef Posted Jan 6th 2009 10:28PM]

...and poops ice cream.

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 6th 2009 2:51PM]

I'd love to have BitTorrent on my router :D


I'm not that excited about the LCD though, but maybe that's because my router is sitting in a corner where nobody can see it, so a screen would be rather useless on it.

[lamerz Posted Jan 6th 2009 5:09PM]

Stupid and pointless. FAIL.

Routers belong out of the way, and out of mind unless you are making a change. I don't need extra buggy software on their that is going to bring it down periodically. All I need is some stupid gadget to fail and peg the router or lock it up. And is BitTorrent really so intensive that you can't run it in the background on your desktop while you do other shit? You need to offload it to another device?

[Ray W Posted Jan 6th 2009 6:32PM]

@sbrown23

My router sits in a semi-central point in my house, on the wall next to my kitchen bench. My computer is a laptop, which I take to work on occasion. Just because you don't use the features, it does not invalidate the design.

Your comment is stupid and pointless. FAIL.