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D-Link DIR 850L Review | 77 Data compared

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  • Avg. price: ~£70
  • Wi-Fi version: Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)
  • Wi-Fi speed: 1200 Mbps
  • LAN port speeds: 1 Gbps
  • Wireless coverage: 74 m²

D-Link DIR 850L review. Compare 77 technical specifications and user reviews to see how it ranks among routers and if it is worth buying.

6.1

Overall score

What it is: An overall evaluation of the router's quality, based on technical analyses and user reviews.

When it matters: When you need a quick reference to identify the best routers on the market.

Score components:

90.0%

6.1

Technical Score

10.0%

?

User score

Good
6.1

Technical Score

What it is: An assessment of the router's technical performance, covering key areas such as Wi-Fi performance, wired connectivity, security, software features, coverage, and design.

When it matters: When you want to compare routers based on technical performance and available features.

Score components:

26.0%

3.9

Wireless

20.0%

5.8

Ports

18.0%

7.6

Networking

14.0%

9.7

Security

12.0%

3.7

Hardware

10.0%

7.0

Management

Good
?

User score

What it is: A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the router.

When it matters: When you want to know how a router performs in daily use and how reliable it is for speed, coverage, and stability according to user feedback.

Score components:

70.0%

?

User reviews

30.0%

?

Popularity

  • 3.3
    Gaming

    Score components:

    33.0%

    2.8

    Wi-Fi speed

    28.0%

    5.4

    CPU clock speed

    22.0%

    3.0

    RAM capacity

    17.0%

    1.1

    Maximum connected devices

  • 5.4
    Travel

    Score components:

    40.0%

    9.3

    Weight

    30.0%

    2.8

    Wi-Fi speed

    20.0%

    4.0

    Cellular modem type

    10.0%

    1.0

    SIM slot

  • No image
No image

Best prices in UK

    N/A~ £70

Best rankings

?

Available: ranking among products currently available (including other versions of this product).
All: ranking among all products in the database.

Verdict

The D-Link DIR-850L is an AC1200 dual-band gigabit router featuring a unique cylindrical design with four internal antennas, delivering combined wireless speeds of up to 1.2 Gbps (300 Mbps on 2.4 GHz and 867 Mbps on 5 GHz). Key characteristics include four Gigabit LAN ports, one Gigabit WAN port, a USB 2.0 port for SharePort media streaming, and support for IPv6 and mydlink cloud services for remote management. Its main pros are the high-speed wired connectivity, easy mobile setup via the QRS app, and its compact, unobtrusive aesthetic. However, notable cons include limited range due to the lack of external antennas, the absence of advanced SmartBeam technology, and significant historical security vulnerabilities reported in its firmware.

Technical Specifications of router D-Link DIR 850L

Technical Score

What it is: An assessment of the router's technical performance, covering key areas such as Wi-Fi performance, wired connectivity, security, software features, coverage, and design.

When it matters: When you want to compare routers based on technical performance and available features.

Score components:

26.0%

?

Wireless

20.0%

?

Ports

18.0%

?

Networking

14.0%

?

Security

12.0%

?

Hardware

10.0%

?

Management

6.1
D-Link DIR 850L has a technical score of 6.06 points, which is lower than that of 70.1% of products in this category.
User score

What it is: A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the router.

When it matters: When you want to know how a router performs in daily use and how reliable it is for speed, coverage, and stability according to user feedback.

Score components:

70.0%

0.0

User reviews

30.0%

1.0

Popularity

?
Popularity
What it is: An indicator based on the number of reviews received by the router.
When it matters: When you prefer to choose a router reviewed and selected by many other buyers.
1.0
D-Link DIR 850L has a popularity of 1 points, which is lower than 71.1% of products in this category.
Ratio quality/price

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 components:

60.0%

6.1

Overall score

40.0%

10

Price

7.2
D-Link DIR 850L has a quality-to-price ratio of 7.2 points, which is lower than 71.6% of products in this category.
Brand name
What it is: The manufacturer or brand of the product.
When it matters: When you prefer a specific ecosystem, support network, or design philosophy.

Importance: MEDIUM

D-Link
Wi-Fi version
What it is: Identifies the Wi-Fi generation the router supports, such as Wi-Fi 5, 6, 6E, or 7.
When it matters: When newer phones, laptops, and consoles need the latest Wi-Fi efficiency and speed features.

Importance: HIGH

Good value: Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)

Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)
D-Link DIR 850L uses Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), which is more advanced than 39.4% of routers and equal to 25.4% of routers.
Wi-Fi bands
What it is: Lists which wireless frequency bands the router can use, such as 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, or 6 GHz.
When it matters: When you need to balance range, speed, and congestion across different types of client devices.

Importance: HIGH

Good value: 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz

2.4 GHz + 5 GHz
D-Link DIR 850L supports 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz Wi-Fi bands, which are more versatile than 25% of routers and equal to 67.9% of routers.
Wi-Fi speed
What it is: The advertised maximum wireless throughput rating of the router under supported conditions.
When it matters: When several users stream, download, and game at once and you want more wireless headroom.

Importance: HIGH

Good value: >2700 Mbps

1,200 Mbps
D-Link DIR 850L delivers 1200 Mbps Wi-Fi speed, which is lower than 52% of routers and equal to 5.8% of routers.
Channel widths supported
What it is: Lists the Wi-Fi channel widths the router can use, such as 20, 40, 80, or 160 MHz.
When it matters: When you want the option to trade peak speed against stability in crowded wireless environments.

Importance: MEDIUM

Good value: 20 MHz + 40 MHz + 80 MHz

20 MHz + 40 MHz + 80 MHz
D-Link DIR 850L supports 20 MHz + 40 MHz + 80 MHz channel width options, which is more than 40.4% of routers and the same as 32.1% of routers.
Show more
Wi-Fi security protocols
What it is: Lists the wireless security standards the router supports, such as WPA2 or WPA3.
When it matters: When you want stronger wireless protection without locking out older devices that still need compatibility.

Importance: HIGH

WPA3, WPA2, WPA, WEP
D-Link DIR 850L supports WPA3, WPA2, WPA, WEP Wi-Fi security protocols, which are more advanced than 72.5% of routers and equal to 2.5% of routers.
DoS protection
What it is: Provides defenses intended to reduce the impact of denial-of-service traffic against the router or network.
When it matters: When exposed services or remote access make resilience against traffic floods more important.

Importance: HIGH

yes
D-Link DIR 850L includes DoS protection. 11% of routers include DoS protection.
SPI intrusion protection
What it is: Uses stateful packet inspection to track sessions and block suspicious unsolicited traffic more accurately.
When it matters: When the router needs a stronger first line of filtering on an internet-facing connection.

Importance: HIGH

yes
D-Link DIR 850L includes SPI-based intrusion protection. 3.6% of routers include SPI-based intrusion protection.
MAC address filtering
What it is: Lets the router allow or block devices based on their MAC addresses.
When it matters: When you want an extra device-level access rule beyond passwords and network names.

Importance: MEDIUM

yes
D-Link DIR 850L supports MAC address filtering. 1% of routers include MAC address filtering.
URL filter
What it is: Allows the router to block or allow access based on website addresses or domain rules.
When it matters: When you need to restrict specific sites for children, guests, or work-policy reasons.

Importance: MEDIUM

yes
D-Link DIR 850L supports URL filtering. 1.8% of routers include URL filtering.
Show more
IPv6 support
What it is: Support for the newer IPv6 internet addressing standard alongside the older IPv4 system.
When it matters: When your internet provider or network already uses IPv6, or you want the router to stay compatible as IPv6 use becomes more common.

Importance: HIGH

yes
D-Link DIR 850L supports IPv6. 10.9% of routers are IPv6-ready.
Dynamic routing
What it is: Supports routing protocols or dynamic route updates instead of relying only on static route entries.
When it matters: When the router sits in a more complex network with changing paths between multiple subnets.

Importance: MEDIUM

no
D-Link DIR 850L does not support dynamic routing. 53.4% of routers support dynamic routing.
Inter-VLAN routing
What it is: Allows the router to pass traffic between separate VLANs under controlled rules.
When it matters: When you need segmented networks to communicate selectively instead of staying fully isolated.

Importance: MEDIUM

no
D-Link DIR 850L does not support inter-VLAN routing. 22.2% of routers support inter-VLAN routing.
VLAN tagging
What it is: Lets the router mark traffic with VLAN tags for segmented or ISP-specific network setups.
When it matters: When you separate guest, office, IoT, or ISP-required traffic into different network segments.

Importance: MEDIUM

yes
D-Link DIR 850L supports VLAN tagging. 37.2% of routers include VLAN tagging.
QoS
What it is: Provides quality-of-service controls that prioritize some traffic over less important traffic.
When it matters: When calls, gaming, and downloads compete and you want latency-sensitive traffic protected.

Importance: HIGH

yes
D-Link DIR 850L includes QoS controls. 2.7% of routers include QoS controls.
Show more
N. of LAN ports
What it is: Measures how many LAN ports the router includes. A higher count expands direct connectivity for matching devices.
When it matters: When you run a home office with NAS, TV boxes, and desktops, having more LAN ports avoids extra switches and keeps latency lower on wired links.

Importance: HIGH

Good value: 4 ports

4
D-Link DIR 850L has 4 LAN ports, which is more than 23.4% of routers and the same as 69.5% of routers.
LAN port speeds
What it is: Lists the Ethernet speeds available on the router’s LAN ports, such as Gigabit or multi-gig.
When it matters: When wired transfers to NAS, desktops, or access points need more than basic Ethernet speeds.

Importance: HIGH

Good value: 1 Gbps

1 Gbps
D-Link DIR 850L offers 1 Gbps on its LAN ports, which is faster than 27.2% of routers and on par with 59.8% of routers.
N. of WAN ports
What it is: Shows how many separate WAN uplink ports the router provides for internet connections.
When it matters: When you use dual internet lines, backup WAN, or load balancing between multiple external links.

Importance: HIGH

Good value: 1 WAN port

1
D-Link DIR 850L has 1 WAN ports, which is more than 1% of routers and the same as 90.1% of routers.
N. of USB ports
What it is: Shows how many USB ports the router includes for storage, printers, or modem accessories.
When it matters: When you plan to share storage, attach a printer, or use USB-based network extras.

Importance: MEDIUM

Good value: 1 USB port

1
D-Link DIR 850L has 1 USB ports, which is more than 39.2% of routers and the same as 39.9% of routers.
Power over Ethernet (PoE)
What it is: Power over Ethernet support, meaning the router can receive power, deliver it, or be part of a PoE-based installation.
When it matters: When you want cleaner installation with fewer separate power cables, especially in ceilings, walls, racks, or remote locations.

Importance: MEDIUM

no
D-Link DIR 850L does not support Power over Ethernet (PoE). 0.5% of routers can be powered over Ethernet.
Show more
Management interface
What it is: Shows how the router is configured and monitored, such as web UI, app, or command-line tools.
When it matters: When setup depth and day-to-day admin convenience are part of the buying decision.

Importance: HIGH

Web UI, App
D-Link DIR 850L uses Web UI, App for management, which is more advanced than 33.4% of routers and equal to 57% of routers.
mydlink app
Firmware upgrade method
What it is: Describes how router firmware updates are installed, such as automatic OTA, web UI, or manual upload.
When it matters: When you want security fixes and new features applied with less maintenance friction.

Importance: HIGH

Web UI, Automatic
D-Link DIR 850L supports Web UI, Automatic firmware update methods, which are more convenient than 35.4% of routers and equal to 37.8% of routers.
Traffic monitoring
What it is: Lets the router track bandwidth usage by device, app category, or time period.
When it matters: When you need to find which devices or activities are causing slowdowns or high data use.

Importance: MEDIUM

yes
D-Link DIR 850L includes traffic monitoring. 17.5% of routers include traffic monitoring.
Guest Wi-Fi network
What it is: Lets the router create a separate wireless network for visitors or less-trusted devices.
When it matters: When guests need internet access without reaching private devices on the main network.

Importance: HIGH

yes
D-Link DIR 850L offers a guest Wi‑Fi network. 8.6% of routers offer a guest Wi‑Fi network.
Captive portal
What it is: Supports a login or acceptance page that users must pass before getting internet access.
When it matters: When guest networks, rentals, cafes, or managed access points need a sign-in page.

Importance: MEDIUM

no
D-Link DIR 850L does not offer captive portal features. 23.9% of routers offer captive portal features.
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CPU clock speed
What it is: Shows the operating frequency of the router processor, often listed per core.
When it matters: When routing, encryption, QoS, and many active clients can put heavier load on the CPU.

Importance: HIGH

0.5 GHz
D-Link DIR 850L runs at 0.5 GHz, which is slower than 77.8% of routers and on par with 3.2% of routers.
RAM capacity
What it is: The amount of working memory available for sessions, routing tables, and running router services.
When it matters: When many devices, VPN tunnels, or advanced features need the router to stay responsive under load.

Importance: HIGH

Good value: >=512 MB

128 MB
D-Link DIR 850L has 128 MB of RAM, which is more than 33.3% of routers and the same as 16.8% of routers.
Internal storage
What it is: The built-in storage available for logs, apps, shared files, or other local router functions.
When it matters: When the router runs extra services and needs space for logs, packages, or shared content.

Importance: MEDIUM

Good value: >=8 GB

0.125 GB
D-Link DIR 850L has 0.125 GB of internal storage, which is more than 44.4% of routers and the same as 22.5% of routers.
Hardware acceleration
What it is: Uses dedicated hardware paths to offload routing, NAT, encryption, or switching tasks from the main CPU.
When it matters: When heavy routing or security features would otherwise reduce throughput on the processor alone.

Importance: HIGH

no
D-Link DIR 850L does not offer hardware acceleration. 81% of routers offer hardware acceleration.
N. of external antennas
What it is: Shows how many antennas are mounted externally on the router.
When it matters: When you want stronger adjustable coverage or plan to aim antennas for difficult room layouts.

Importance: MEDIUM

Good value: 3 antennas

0
D-Link DIR 850L has 0 external antennas, which is fewer than 59.7% of routers and the same as 40.3% of routers.
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D-Link DIR 850L vs the average router

  • Stronger Wi-Fi security
    D-Link DIR 850L supports the Wi-Fi security protocols WPA3, WPA2, WPA, WEP, while the average router supports WPA2, WPA, WEP, WPS.
    What it is: Lists the wireless security standards the router supports, such as WPA2 or WPA3.
    When it matters: When you want stronger wireless protection without locking out older devices that still need compatibility.

    Importance: HIGH

    D-Link DIR 850L supports the Wi-Fi security protocols WPA3, WPA2, WPA, WEP, while the average router supports WPA2, WPA, WEP, WPS.WPA3, WPA2, WPA, WEP vs WPA2, WPA, WEP, WPS
  • 15,609 more NAT sessions
    D-Link DIR 850L has more concurrent NAT sessions than the average router (19,705 vs 4,096). The average router supports 4,096 concurrent NAT sessions.
    What it is: The number of simultaneous NAT-tracked connections the router can handle before tables become a bottleneck.
    When it matters: When many apps and devices open lots of parallel internet sessions at the same time.

    Importance: MEDIUM

    Good value: >=16000 sessions

    D-Link DIR 850L has more concurrent NAT sessions than the average router (19,705 vs 4,096). The average router supports 4,096 concurrent NAT sessions.19,705 vs 4,096
  • Stronger Wi-Fi security
    D-Link DIR 850L supports the Wi-Fi security protocols WPA3, WPA2, WPA, WEP, while the average router supports WPA2, WPA, WEP, WPS.
  • 15,609 more NAT sessions
    D-Link DIR 850L has more concurrent NAT sessions than the average router (19,705 vs 4,096). The average router supports 4,096 concurrent NAT sessions.

Total
Security
Networking
  • 60.2% narrower wireless coverage
    D-Link DIR 850L has narrower wireless coverage than the average router (74 m² vs 186 m²). The average router offers wireless coverage of 186 m².
  • No band steering
    D-Link DIR 850L does not support band steering, while the average router does. 52.6% of routers support band steering.
  • No beamforming
    D-Link DIR 850L does not support beamforming, while the average router does. 59.6% of routers support beamforming.
  • 17.2% slower Wi-Fi speed
    D-Link DIR 850L has a lower Wi-Fi speed than the average router (1,200 Mbps vs 1,450 Mbps). The average router reaches Wi-Fi speed of 1,450 Mbps.
  • 49 fewer connected devices
    D-Link DIR 850L supports fewer connected devices than the average router (15 vs 64). The average router supports 64 connected devices.
  • No dynamic routing
    D-Link DIR 850L does not support dynamic routing, while the average router does. 53.3% of routers support dynamic routing.
  • Limited firmware updates
    D-Link DIR 850L supports the firmware update methods Web UI, Automatic, while the average router supports Web UI, App, Automatic.
  • Less capable NAS services
    D-Link DIR 850L includes media server, web access NAS services, while the average router includes SMB, FTP, time machine, NFS, web access.
    Requires attached USB storage.
  • No hardware acceleration
    D-Link DIR 850L does not offer hardware acceleration, while the average router does. 80.7% of routers offer hardware acceleration.
  • Lower CPU clock speed
    D-Link DIR 850L has a lower CPU clock speed than the average router (0.5 GHz vs 2x0.5 GHz). The average router has a CPU clock speed of 2x0.5 GHz.
  • 2 fewer external antennas
    D-Link DIR 850L has fewer external antennas than the average router (0 vs 2). The average router has 2 external antennas.
  • 60.2% narrower wireless coverage
    D-Link DIR 850L has narrower wireless coverage than the average router (74 m² vs 186 m²). The average router offers wireless coverage of 186 m².
    What it is: The estimated area the router is intended to cover with usable Wi-Fi signal.
    When it matters: When one router needs to serve a large apartment, multi-room house, or open office area.

    Importance: HIGH

    Good value: >230 m²

    D-Link DIR 850L has narrower wireless coverage than the average router (74 m² vs 186 m²). The average router offers wireless coverage of 186 m².74 m² vs 186 m²
  • No dynamic routing
    D-Link DIR 850L does not support dynamic routing, while the average router does. 53.3% of routers support dynamic routing.
    What it is: Supports routing protocols or dynamic route updates instead of relying only on static route entries.
    When it matters: When the router sits in a more complex network with changing paths between multiple subnets.

    Importance: MEDIUM

    D-Link DIR 850L does not support dynamic routing, while the average router does. 53.3% of routers support dynamic routing.
  • No hardware acceleration
    D-Link DIR 850L does not offer hardware acceleration, while the average router does. 80.7% of routers offer hardware acceleration.
    What it is: Uses dedicated hardware paths to offload routing, NAT, encryption, or switching tasks from the main CPU.
    When it matters: When heavy routing or security features would otherwise reduce throughput on the processor alone.

    Importance: HIGH

    D-Link DIR 850L does not offer hardware acceleration, while the average router does. 80.7% of routers offer hardware acceleration.
  • Limited firmware updates
    D-Link DIR 850L supports the firmware update methods Web UI, Automatic, while the average router supports Web UI, App, Automatic.
    What it is: Describes how router firmware updates are installed, such as automatic OTA, web UI, or manual upload.
    When it matters: When you want security fixes and new features applied with less maintenance friction.

    Importance: HIGH

    D-Link DIR 850L 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
  • Lower CPU clock speed
    D-Link DIR 850L has a lower CPU clock speed than the average router (0.5 GHz vs 2x0.5 GHz). The average router has a CPU clock speed of 2x0.5 GHz.
    What it is: Shows the operating frequency of the router processor, often listed per core.
    When it matters: When routing, encryption, QoS, and many active clients can put heavier load on the CPU.

    Importance: HIGH

    D-Link DIR 850L has a lower CPU clock speed than the average router (0.5 GHz vs 2x0.5 GHz). The average router has a CPU clock speed of 2x0.5 GHz.0.5 GHz vs 2x0.5 GHz
  • No band steering
    D-Link DIR 850L does not support band steering, while the average router does. 52.6% of routers support band steering.
    What it is: Can guide dual-band or tri-band clients toward the more suitable frequency band automatically.
    When it matters: When you want devices spread more intelligently across 2.4, 5, or 6 GHz bands.

    Importance: LOW

    D-Link DIR 850L does not support band steering, while the average router does. 52.6% of routers support band steering.
  • Less capable NAS services
    D-Link DIR 850L includes media server, web access NAS services, while the average router includes SMB, FTP, time machine, NFS, web access.
    Requires attached USB storage.
    What it is: Lists the onboard file-sharing services the router can provide, such as SMB, FTP, or media sharing.
    When it matters: When the router is expected to handle light file serving without separate NAS hardware.

    Importance: MEDIUM

    D-Link DIR 850L includes media server, web access NAS services, while the average router includes SMB, FTP, time machine, NFS, web access.media server, web access vs SMB, FTP, time machine, NFS, web access
  • No beamforming
    D-Link DIR 850L does not support beamforming, while the average router does. 59.6% of routers support beamforming.
    What it is: Uses signal-shaping techniques to direct wireless energy more effectively toward connected clients.
    When it matters: When coverage at the edge of the home needs to stay more stable for active devices.

    Importance: MEDIUM

    D-Link DIR 850L does not support beamforming, while the average router does. 59.6% of routers support beamforming.
Total
Overall
Wireless
Networking
Management
Hardware

Graphic comparison of D-Link DIR 850L and other routers

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Third-party reviews

What customers like about D-Link DIR 850L?

  • Competitive price providing high value for money as a budget AC1200 router
  • Stylish and compact cylindrical design that blends well with home decor
  • Quick and easy setup process using the web interface or dedicated mobile app
  • Strong wireless throughput at close range, outperforming some similarly priced competitors
  • Includes Gigabit Ethernet ports and a USB 2.0 port for basic file sharing
  • Features dual-band support (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) and is fully compatible with IPv6

What customers dislike about D-Link DIR 850L?

  • Significant performance drop-off and inconsistent signal strength as range increases
  • Poor handling of simultaneous high-bandwidth upload and download traffic
  • Multiple reported security vulnerabilities, including flaws in the MyDLink cloud protocol and potential for unauthorized access
  • Limited status indicators with only two lights on the device
  • Lacks advanced software features like a dedicated bridge mode or high-end QoS customization
  • Boot times are notably longer compared to other routers in the same class

Video reviews

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