OVERALL
ALTERNATIVES
SPECS
VS AVERAGE
REVIEWS
Scored using Routers Methodology v3.0
Routers Methodology v3.0
Mathematical & Unbiased Scoring
Products in this category are scored under Frontum Routers Methodology v3.0: the technical score from the specifications is the base, and independent expert and video reviews (up to ±0.5 points), owner opinions (up to ±0.3) and best-of lists (up to +0.3) move it up or down.
Explore Routers Methodology v3.0

D-Link DIR-505L review: 77 specs compared

Avg. price:~£60Wi-Fi version:Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n)Wi-Fi speed:54 MbpsLAN port speeds:100 MbpsMesh Wi-Fi:no

D-Link DIR-505L Review: Compare 77 technical specifications to see how this product ranks in the Routers category and whether it is worth buying.

D-Link DIR-505L
6.7/10

Overall score

Score
6.7/ 10
✕
What it is
Our main score for this model, 1–10. It combines specs, expert reviews, best-of lists and owners.
How we count it
Parts: Technical score 40%, Reviews score 25%, List score 25%, Sentiment score 10%
Marks: Each part gets a mark out of 10. For reviews, lists and owners, a typical model in this category gets about 8 and the best one gets 10.
No data yet: A part with no data shows "?". It counts as the mark of a weaker model in this category (4 in 5 models with data score higher). This way, models with reviews, lists and owners usually come out ahead.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 87% of models
Score components

40%

5.6

Technical score

25%

?

Reviews scoreNot enough data yet, so we use 7.7, the mark of a weaker model in this category

25%

?

List scoreNot enough data yet, so we use 7.5, the mark of a weaker model in this category

10%

?

Sentiment scoreNot enough data yet, so we use 6.9, the mark of a weaker model in this category

â–¼Worse than 87% of routers
7.7

Value for money

Value for money
7.7/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the router's overall rating with its cost.
When it matters
When you are looking for a router with a good balance between network performance, features, and price.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 88% of models
Score components

70%

6.7

Overall score

30%

10

Price

â–¼Worse than 88%
5.6

Technical score

Technical score
5.6/ 10
✕
What it is
How good the specs are compared with the other models in this category, 1–10.
How we count it
Areas: We rate the specs in each area against the other models in this category.
Weighting: The areas that matter most to buyers count more. The shares are shown under Score components.
Share: The technical score is 40% of the overall score.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 98% of models
Score components

26%

4.5

Wireless

20%

3.9

Ports

18%

7.1

Networking

14%

8.4

Security

12%

4.3

Hardware

10%

6.4

Management

â–¼Worse than 98%
?

Reviews score

Reviews score
✕
What it is
Average grade from independent test sites, magazines and video reviewers, 1–10.
How we count it
Grades: Each review's own score is converted to 1–10; without one, we grade the review ourselves. Big test sites count more, short reviews half as much as full tests. A video review counts half.
Score: The average grade is 80% of the review mark; the number of reviews is the other 20% (1 review = 5, the typical number in this category = 8, the most-reviewed model = 10).
Enough data: With few reviews, the average grade is pulled toward the typical grade of this category. No reviews yet: 7.7 for now.
Share: Reviews count 25% of the overall score.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Grades by review (0)
We have not found an independent test of this model yet. Until we do, its review part counts as 7.7.
User ratings collected online are not part of this score.
No expert tests yet
?

List score

List score
7.5/ 10
✕
What it is
How often independent test sites, magazines and video reviewers put this model in their best-of lists for this category.
How we count it
Points: The model in the most lists of this category gets 10; the others get 8 to 10 in proportion. In no list yet: 7.5. Lists count 25% of the overall score.
Enough data: Every list counts, even a single one. With fewer than 5 best-of lists in the category, this part is left out.
Lists with this model (0)
Not in any best-of list yet, so this part counts as 7.5. Models in a list get 8 to 10.
Not in any best-of list yet
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Where to buy
    N/A~ £60
Best rankings
Available: ranking among products currently available (including other versions of this product).All: ranking among all products in the database.
Loading category ranking...

Technical Specifications of router D-Link DIR-505L

Technical score
Technical score
5.6/ 10
✕
What it is
How good the specs are compared with the other models in this category, 1–10.
How we count it
Areas: We rate the specs in each area against the other models in this category.
Weighting: The areas that matter most to buyers count more. The shares are shown under Score components.
Share: The technical score is 40% of the overall score.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 98% of models
Score components:

26%

4.5

Wireless

20%

3.9

Ports

18%

7.1

Networking

14%

8.4

Security

12%

4.3

Hardware

10%

6.4

Management

5.6
Reviews score
7.7
List score
?
Value for money
Value for money
7.7/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the router's overall rating with its cost.
When it matters
When you are looking for a router with a good balance between network performance, features, and price.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 88% of models
Score components:

70%

6.7

Overall score

30%

10

Price

7.7
Brand name
D-Link
Wi-Fi version
Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n)
This router uses Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n), which is less advanced than 65% of routers and equal to 32.7% of routers.
Wi-Fi bands
2.4 GHz
This router supports 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi bands, which are less versatile than 76% of routers and equal to 21.6% of routers.
Wi-Fi speed
54 Mbps
Market range: <0 Mbps – >6k Mbps
This router delivers 54 Mbps Wi-Fi speed, which is lower than 99.8% of routers and equal to 0.2% of routers.
Channel widths supported
20 MHz + 40 MHz
This router supports 20 MHz + 40 MHz channel width options, which is fewer than 63.7% of routers and the same as 31.2% of routers.
Show more
Wi-Fi security protocols
WPA2, WPA, WEP
This router supports WPA2, WPA, WEP Wi-Fi security protocols, which are more advanced than 37.9% of routers and equal to 14.8% of routers.
DoS protection
yes
This router includes DoS protection. 9.8% of routers include DoS protection.
SPI intrusion protection
yes
This router includes SPI-based intrusion protection. 4.7% of routers include SPI-based intrusion protection.
MAC address filtering
yes
This router supports MAC address filtering. 1.7% of routers include MAC address filtering.
URL filter
yes
This router supports URL filtering. 2.6% of routers include URL filtering.
Show more
IPv6 support
no
This router does not support IPv6. 91.4% of routers are IPv6-ready.
Dynamic routing
yes
This router supports dynamic routing. 54% of routers support dynamic routing.
Inter-VLAN routing
no
This router does not support inter-VLAN routing. 24.5% of routers support inter-VLAN routing.
VLAN tagging
no
This router does not support VLAN tagging. 66.6% of routers include VLAN tagging.
QoS
yes
This router includes QoS controls. 2.4% of routers include QoS controls.
Show more
N. of LAN ports
1
Market range: <0 – >5
This router has 1 LAN ports, which is fewer than 89.6% of routers and the same as 8.5% of routers.
LAN port speeds
100 Mbps
This router offers 100 Mbps on its LAN ports, which is slower than 74.5% of routers and on par with 25.1% of routers.
N. of WAN ports
1
Market range: <0 – >5
This router has 1 WAN ports, which is more than 0.8% of routers and the same as 89.4% of routers.
N. of USB ports
1
Market range: <0 – >5
This router has 1 USB ports, which is more than 40.1% of routers and the same as 41.5% of routers.
Power over Ethernet (PoE)
no
This router does not support Power over Ethernet (PoE). 1.7% of routers can be powered over Ethernet.
Show more
Management interface
Web UI, App
This router uses Web UI, App for management, which is more advanced than 29.7% of routers and equal to 60.9% of routers.
QRS Mobile app
Firmware upgrade method
Web UI, Automatic
This router supports Web UI, Automatic firmware update methods, which are more convenient than 30.2% of routers and equal to 31.9% of routers.
Traffic monitoring
no
This router does not include traffic monitoring. 86.3% of routers include traffic monitoring.
Guest Wi-Fi network
yes
This router offers a guest Wi‑Fi network. 7.3% of routers offer a guest Wi‑Fi network.
Captive portal
no
This router does not offer captive portal features. 22.4% of routers offer captive portal features.
Show more
CPU clock speed
0.4 GHz
This router runs at 0.4 GHz, which is slower than 86.7% of routers and on par with 3% of routers.
RAM capacity
64 MB
Market range: <0 MB – >1k MB
This router has 64 MB of RAM, which is less than 70.5% of routers and the same as 13.3% of routers.
Internal storage
0.007812 GB
Market range: <0.0039 GB – >0.5 GB
This router has 0.007812 GB of internal storage, which is less than 68.4% of routers and the same as 18.6% of routers.
Hardware acceleration
no
This router does not offer hardware acceleration. 75.3% of routers offer hardware acceleration.
N. of external antennas
0
Market range: <0 – >10
This router has 0 external antennas, which is fewer than 62.7% of routers and the same as 37.3% of routers.
Show more

D-Link DIR-505L vs the average router

246810TotalWirelessSecurityNetworkingPortsManagementHardware
  • 6.6 W lower power consumption
    This router uses less power than the average router (1.5 W vs 8.1 W). The average router uses 8.1 W power.
    1.5 W vs 8.1 W
  • Supports dynamic routing
    This router supports dynamic routing, while the average router does not. 46.1% of routers support dynamic routing.
  • Stronger Wi-Fi security
    This router supports the Wi-Fi security protocols WPA2, WPA, WEP, while the average router supports WPA2, WPA/WPA2, WEP.
    WPA2, WPA, WEP vs WPA2, WPA/WPA2, WEP
  • Includes memory card slot
    This router has a memory card slot, while the average router does not. 7.7% of routers have a memory card slot.
  • 151 mm narrower width
    This router is narrower than the average router (42 mm vs 193 mm). The average router is 193 mm wide.
    42 mm vs 193 mm
  • 74.9% lighter weight
    This router is lighter than the average router (113 g vs 450 g). The average router weighs 450 g.
    113 g vs 450 g
  • Stronger Wi-Fi security
    This router supports the Wi-Fi security protocols WPA2, WPA, WEP, while the average router supports WPA2, WPA/WPA2, WEP.
    WPA2, WPA, WEP vs WPA2, WPA/WPA2, WEP
  • Supports dynamic routing
    This router supports dynamic routing, while the average router does not. 46.1% of routers support dynamic routing.
  • Includes memory card slot
    This router has a memory card slot, while the average router does not. 7.7% of routers have a memory card slot.
  • 6.6 W lower power consumption
    This router uses less power than the average router (1.5 W vs 8.1 W). The average router uses 8.1 W power.
    1.5 W vs 8.1 W
  • 151 mm narrower width
    This router is narrower than the average router (42 mm vs 193 mm). The average router is 193 mm wide.
    42 mm vs 193 mm
  • 74.9% lighter weight
    This router is lighter than the average router (113 g vs 450 g). The average router weighs 450 g.
    113 g vs 450 g
  • 3 fewer LAN ports
    This router has fewer LAN ports than the average router (1 vs 4). The average router has 4 LAN ports.
    1 vs 4
  • Slower LAN ports
    This router has a lower LAN port speed than the average router (100 Mbps vs 1 Gbps). The average router has a LAN port speed of 1 Gbps.
    100 Mbps vs 1 Gbps
  • 96.9% slower Wi-Fi speed
    This router has a lower Wi-Fi speed than the average router (54 Mbps vs 1,750 Mbps). The average router reaches Wi-Fi speed of 1,750 Mbps.
    54 Mbps vs 1,750 Mbps
  • Older Wi-Fi version
    This router uses an older Wi-Fi version than the average router (Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) vs Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)). The average router uses Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac).
    Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) vs Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)
  • No VLAN tagging
    This router does not support VLAN tagging, while the average router does. 66.5% of routers support VLAN tagging.
  • Fewer Wi-Fi bands
    This router supports fewer Wi-Fi bands than the average router (2.4 GHz vs 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz). The average router supports 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz Wi-Fi bands.
    2.4 GHz vs 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz
  • No IPv6 support
    This router does not support IPv6, while the average router does. 91.2% of routers support IPv6.
  • No hardware acceleration
    This router does not offer hardware acceleration, while the average router does. 75.2% of routers offer hardware acceleration.
  • 4.8% worse value for money
    D-Link DIR-505L has worse value for money than the average router (7.7 vs 8.1).
    7.7 vs 8.08
  • 96.9% slower Wi-Fi speed
    This router has a lower Wi-Fi speed than the average router (54 Mbps vs 1,750 Mbps). The average router reaches Wi-Fi speed of 1,750 Mbps.
    54 Mbps vs 1,750 Mbps
  • Older Wi-Fi version
    This router uses an older Wi-Fi version than the average router (Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) vs Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)). The average router uses Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac).
    Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) vs Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)
  • Fewer Wi-Fi bands
    This router supports fewer Wi-Fi bands than the average router (2.4 GHz vs 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz). The average router supports 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz Wi-Fi bands.
    2.4 GHz vs 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz
  • No MU-MIMO
    This router does not support MU-MIMO, while the average router does. 54% of routers support MU-MIMO.
  • 2 fewer spatial streams
    This router has fewer spatial streams than the average router (1 vs 3). The average router has 3 spatial streams.
    1 vs 3
  • Narrower channel widths
    This router has a lower supported channel width than the average router (20 MHz + 40 MHz vs 20 MHz + 40 MHz + 80 MHz). The average router supports channel width of 20 MHz + 40 MHz + 80 MHz.
    20 MHz + 40 MHz vs 20 MHz + 40 MHz + 80 MHz
  • No band steering
    This router does not support band steering, while the average router does. 57.6% of routers support band steering.
  • No beamforming
    This router does not support beamforming, while the average router does. 62.1% of routers support beamforming.
  • 49 fewer connected devices
    This router supports fewer connected devices than the average router (15 vs 64). The average router supports 64 connected devices.
    15 vs 64
  • No VPN server support
    This router cannot act as a VPN server, while the average router can. 68.8% of routers can act as a VPN server.
  • No L2TP passthrough
    This router does not support L2TP pass-through, while the average router does. 97.2% of routers support L2TP pass-through.
  • No VLAN tagging
    This router does not support VLAN tagging, while the average router does. 66.5% of routers support VLAN tagging.
  • No IPv6 support
    This router does not support IPv6, while the average router does. 91.2% of routers support IPv6.
  • 3 fewer LAN ports
    This router has fewer LAN ports than the average router (1 vs 4). The average router has 4 LAN ports.
    1 vs 4
  • Slower LAN ports
    This router has a lower LAN port speed than the average router (100 Mbps vs 1 Gbps). The average router has a LAN port speed of 1 Gbps.
    100 Mbps vs 1 Gbps
  • Limited firmware updates
    This router supports the firmware update methods Web UI, Automatic, while the average router supports Web UI, App, Automatic.
    Web UI, Automatic vs Web UI, App, Automatic
  • No traffic monitoring
    This router does not offer traffic monitoring, while the average router does. 86.1% of routers offer traffic monitoring.
  • No hardware acceleration
    This router does not offer hardware acceleration, while the average router does. 75.2% of routers offer hardware acceleration.
  • Lower CPU clock speed
    This router has a lower CPU clock speed than the average router (0.4 GHz vs 2x1 GHz). The average router has a CPU clock speed of 2x1 GHz.
    0.4 GHz vs 2x1 GHz
  • 93.8% less internal storage
    This router has less internal storage than the average router (0 GB vs 0.1 GB). The average router offers 0.125 GB of internal storage.
    0.007812 GB vs 0.125 GB
  • 75% less RAM
    This router has less RAM than the average router (64 MB vs 256 MB). The average router has 256 MB of RAM.
    64 MB vs 256 MB
  • 2 fewer external antennas
    This router has fewer external antennas than the average router (0 vs 2). The average router has 2 external antennas.
    0 vs 2
  • Fewer power options
    This router uses AC power input, while the average router uses DC barrel.
    AC vs DC barrel

Video reviews

Hands-on testing, unboxing, and real-world video evaluations

Shop video

Third-party reviews

What customers like about D-Link DIR-505L

  • Extremely compact and lightweight 'wall-wart' design making it highly portable for travel
  • Versatile functionality with four operation modes: Router, Access Point, Repeater, and Wi-Fi Hotspot
  • Simple one-touch setup using the WPS button
  • Features a built-in USB port for charging mobile devices or sharing files from a USB drive
  • Budget-friendly price point providing good value for travelers
  • Integrated power plug eliminates the need for carrying extra cables

What customers don't like about D-Link DIR-505L

  • Limited Wi-Fi range that often struggles to cover more than one room or penetrate walls
  • Connection speeds are relatively slow, maxing out at Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) standards
  • The 10/100 Mbps Ethernet port limits wired speeds compared to Gigabit alternatives
  • Mixed reliability when used specifically in Repeater mode, with some users reporting weak signals
  • Potential firmware bugs and occasional setup errors mentioned by some long-term users
  • The placement of the WPS button can lead to accidental presses while plugging or unplugging the device

Verdict

The D-Link DIR-505L is a compact Wireless N150 travel router and mobile companion featuring a single 10/100 Ethernet WAN/LAN port, a USB 2.0 port for file sharing via SharePort Mobile, and a convenient wall-plug design. It operates in multiple modes, including Router/Access Point, Repeater, and Wi-Fi Hotspot, and supports internal omni-directional antennas with 64MB of RAM. Its main pros include extreme portability, the ability to charge mobile devices via USB, and simple setup through the QRS Mobile app or WPS. However, its primary cons are limited wireless speeds of up to 150 Mbps on the 2.4GHz band only, a lack of modern Wi-Fi 5/6 standards, and having only one physical Ethernet port.

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