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D-Link DIR 857 Review | 77 Data compared

Avg. price:~£140Wi-Fi version:Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n)Wi-Fi speed:900 MbpsLAN port speeds:1 GbpsMesh Wi-Fi:no

D-Link DIR 857 Review: Compare 77 technical specifications and user reviews to see how this product ranks in the Routers category and whether it is worth buying.

6.7

Overall score

Score
6.7/ 10
✕
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 distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 62% of models
Score components

90%

6.7

Technical Score

10%

?

User score

â–¼Worse than 62% of routers
6.7

Technical Score

Technical score
6.7/ 10
✕
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 distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 59% of models
Score components

26%

5.2

Wireless

20%

5.8

Ports

18%

7.9

Networking

14%

9.3

Security

12%

5.9

Hardware

10%

7.2

Management

â–¼Worse than 59% of routers
?

User score

User score
8.0/ 10
✕
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 distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 70% of models
Score components

70%

?

User reviews

30%

?

Popularity

  • No image
No image

Best prices in UK

Best rankings

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

The D-Link DIR-857, also known as the HD Media Router 3000, is a simultaneous dual-band Wireless N router offering combined speeds up to 900 Mbps (450 Mbps on both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands). It features four Gigabit LAN ports, one Gigabit WAN port, and a rare inclusion of a USB 3.0 port and an SD card slot for media sharing via DLNA and SharePort technology. Its main advantages include stellar 5GHz Wi-Fi performance, effective HD Fuel QoS for smooth streaming, and robust IPv6 support. However, it lacks the newer 802.11ac standard, exhibits disappointing 2.4GHz wireless performance, and despite having a USB 3.0 port, its network storage speeds often fall short of high-speed expectations.

Technical Specifications of router D-Link DIR 857

Technical Score
Technical score
6.7/ 10
✕
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 distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 59% of models
Score components:

26%

5.2

Wireless

20%

5.8

Ports

18%

7.9

Networking

14%

9.3

Security

12%

5.9

Hardware

10%

7.2

Management

6.7
D-Link DIR 857 has a technical score of 6.7 points, which is lower than that of 58.6% of products in this category.
User score
User score
8.0/ 10
✕
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 distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 70% of models
Score components

70%

?

User reviews

30%

?

Popularity

?
Popularity
Popularity
1.0/ 10
✕
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.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 99% of models
Popularity:
D-Link DIR 857 has a popularity score of 1 point, which is lower than that of 72.1% of products in this category.
1.0
D-Link DIR 857 has a popularity score of 1 point, which is lower than that of 72.1% of products in this category.
Ratio quality/price
Value for money
7.6/ 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 66% of models
Score components:

60%

6.7

Overall score

40%

9.8

Price

7.6
D-Link DIR 857 has a value-for-money score of 7.6 points, which is lower than that of 60.1% of products in this category.
Brand name
D-Link
Wi-Fi version
Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n)
Wi-Fi version
Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n)
â–¼ Worse than 61% of models
This router uses Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n), which is less advanced than 60.8% of routers and equal to 37.3% of routers.
Wi-Fi bands
2.4 GHz + 5 GHz
Wi-Fi bands
2.4 GHz + 5 GHz
â–² Better than 25% of models
This router supports 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz Wi-Fi bands, which are more versatile than 24.8% of routers and equal to 68.1% of routers.
Wi-Fi speed
900 Mbps
Wi-Fi speed
900 Mbps
â–¼ Worse than 61% of models
Market range: <0 Mbps – >6k Mbps
This router delivers 900 Mbps Wi-Fi speed, which is lower than 60.7% of routers and equal to 2% of routers.
Channel widths supported
20 MHz + 40 MHz
Channel widths supported
20 MHz + 40 MHz
â–¼ Worse than 59% of models
This router supports 20 MHz + 40 MHz channel width options, which is fewer than 59.3% of routers and the same as 35.1% of routers.
Show more
Wi-Fi security protocols
WPA2, WPA, WEP
Wi-Fi security protocols
WPA2, WPA, WEP
â–² Better than 41% of models
This router supports WPA2, WPA, WEP Wi-Fi security protocols, which are more advanced than 40.9% of routers and equal to 17.7% of routers.
DoS protection
yes
DoS protection
yes
â–² Better than 13% of models
This router includes DoS protection. 12.8% of routers include DoS protection.
SPI intrusion protection
yes
SPI intrusion protection
yes
â–² Better than 6% of models
This router includes SPI-based intrusion protection. 6.1% of routers include SPI-based intrusion protection.
MAC address filtering
yes
MAC address filtering
yes
â–² Better than 2% of models
This router supports MAC address filtering. 2.2% of routers include MAC address filtering.
URL filter
yes
URL filter
yes
â–² Better than 3% of models
This router supports URL filtering. 3.4% of routers include URL filtering.
Show more
IPv6 support
yes
IPv6 support
yes
â–² Better than 12% of models
This router supports IPv6. 11.5% of routers are IPv6-ready.
Dynamic routing
yes
Dynamic routing
yes
â–² Better than 48% of models
This router supports dynamic routing. 47.8% of routers support dynamic routing.
Inter-VLAN routing
no
Inter-VLAN routing
no
â–¼ Worse than 24% of models
This router does not support inter-VLAN routing. 23.5% of routers support inter-VLAN routing.
VLAN tagging
no
VLAN tagging
no
â–¼ Worse than 62% of models
This router does not support VLAN tagging. 62% of routers include VLAN tagging.
QoS
yes
QoS
yes
â–² Better than 3% of models
This router includes QoS controls. 3.2% of routers include QoS controls.
Show more
N. of LAN ports
4
N. of LAN ports
4
â–² Better than 24% of models
Market range: <0 – >5
This router has 4 LAN ports, which is more than 23.7% of routers and the same as 69.2% of routers.
LAN port speeds
1 Gbps
LAN port speeds
1 Gbps
â–² Better than 27% of models
This router offers 1 Gbps on its LAN ports, which is faster than 27.1% of routers and on par with 59.9% of routers.
N. of WAN ports
1
N. of WAN ports
1
â–¼ Worse than 9% of models
Market range: <0 – >5
This router has 1 WAN ports, which is more than 1% of routers and the same as 90.1% of routers.
N. of USB ports
1
N. of USB ports
1
â–² Better than 39% of models
Market range: <0 – >5
This router has 1 USB ports, which is more than 39.5% of routers and the same as 39.5% of routers.
Power over Ethernet (PoE)
no
Power over Ethernet (PoE)
no
Category Benchmark
This router does not support Power over Ethernet (PoE). 0.5% of routers can be powered over Ethernet.
Show more
Management interface
Web UI
Management interface
Web UI
â–¼ Worse than 72% of models
This router uses Web UI for management, which is less advanced than 72.2% of routers and equal to 27.3% of routers.
Firmware upgrade method
Web UI, Automatic
Firmware upgrade method
Web UI, Automatic
â–² Better than 35% of models
This router 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
yes
Traffic monitoring
yes
â–² Better than 18% of models
This router includes traffic monitoring. 18.1% of routers include traffic monitoring.
Guest Wi-Fi network
yes
Guest Wi-Fi network
yes
â–² Better than 9% of models
This router offers a guest Wi‑Fi network. 8.6% of routers offer a guest Wi‑Fi network.
Captive portal
no
Captive portal
no
â–¼ Worse than 24% of models
This router does not offer captive portal features. 23.5% of routers offer captive portal features.
Show more
CPU clock speed
0.6 GHz
CPU clock speed
0.6 GHz
â–¼ Worse than 69% of models
This router runs at 0.6 GHz, which is slower than 69.2% of routers and on par with 2.9% of routers.
RAM capacity
512 MB
RAM capacity
512 MB
â–² Better than 64% of models
Market range: <0 MB – >1k MB
This router has 512 MB of RAM, which is more than 64.4% of routers and the same as 22.8% of routers.
Internal storage
0.015625 GB
Internal storage
0.015625 GB
â–¼ Worse than 59% of models
Market range: <0 GB – >0.5 GB
This router has 0.015625 GB of internal storage, which is less than 58.6% of routers and the same as 13.8% of routers.
Hardware acceleration
no
Hardware acceleration
no
â–¼ Worse than 69% of models
This router does not offer hardware acceleration. 68.9% of routers offer hardware acceleration.
N. of external antennas
0
N. of external antennas
0
â–¼ Worse than 60% of models
Market range: <0 – >10
This router has 0 external antennas, which is fewer than 59.6% of routers and the same as 40.4% of routers.
Show more

D-Link DIR 857 vs the average router

246810TotalWirelessSecurityNetworkingPortsManagementHardware
  • 2x more RAM
    RAM capacity
    512 MB
    â–² Better than 64% of models
    Market range: <0 MB – >1k MB
    This router has more RAM than the average router (512 MB vs 256 MB). The average router has 256 MB of RAM.
    512 MB vs 256 MB
  • Suitable for gaming
    Suitable for gaming
    yes
    â–² Better than 63% of models
    This router is designed for gaming, while the average router is not. 36.9% of routers are designed for gaming.
  • Stronger Wi-Fi security
    Wi-Fi security protocols
    WPA2, WPA, WEP
    â–² Better than 41% of models
    This router supports the Wi-Fi security protocols WPA2, WPA, WEP, while the average router supports WPA2, WPA, WEP, WPS.
    WPA2, WPA, WEP vs WPA2, WPA, WEP, WPS
  • Includes memory card slot
    Memory card slot
    yes
    ★ Better than 90% of models
    This router has a memory card slot, while the average router does not. 9.8% of routers have a memory card slot.
  • 2 more internal antennas
    N. of internal antennas
    2
    â–² Better than 62% of models
    Market range: <0 – >10
    This router has more internal antennas than the average router (2 vs 0). The average router has 0 internal antennas.
    2 vs 0
  • Stronger Wi-Fi security
    Wi-Fi security protocols
    WPA2, WPA, WEP
    â–² Better than 41% of models
    This router supports the Wi-Fi security protocols WPA2, WPA, WEP, while the average router supports WPA2, WPA, WEP, WPS.
    WPA2, WPA, WEP vs WPA2, WPA, WEP, WPS
  • Includes memory card slot
    Memory card slot
    yes
    ★ Better than 90% of models
    This router has a memory card slot, while the average router does not. 9.8% of routers have a memory card slot.
  • 2x more RAM
    RAM capacity
    512 MB
    â–² Better than 64% of models
    Market range: <0 MB – >1k MB
    This router has more RAM than the average router (512 MB vs 256 MB). The average router has 256 MB of RAM.
    512 MB vs 256 MB
  • Suitable for gaming
    Suitable for gaming
    yes
    â–² Better than 63% of models
    This router is designed for gaming, while the average router is not. 36.9% of routers are designed for gaming.
  • 2 more internal antennas
    N. of internal antennas
    2
    â–² Better than 62% of models
    Market range: <0 – >10
    This router has more internal antennas than the average router (2 vs 0). The average router has 0 internal antennas.
    2 vs 0
  • Older Wi-Fi version
    Wi-Fi version
    Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n)
    â–¼ Worse than 61% of models
    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 Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac).
    Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) vs Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)
  • No VLAN tagging
    VLAN tagging
    no
    â–¼ Worse than 62% of models
    This router does not support VLAN tagging, while the average router does. 61.9% of routers support VLAN tagging.
  • No hardware acceleration
    Hardware acceleration
    no
    â–¼ Worse than 69% of models
    This router does not offer hardware acceleration, while the average router does. 68.7% of routers offer hardware acceleration.
  • Limited firmware updates
    Firmware upgrade method
    Web UI, Automatic
    â–² Better than 35% of models
    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
  • Weaker management tools
    Management interface
    Web UI
    â–¼ Worse than 72% of models
    This router uses the management interface Web UI, while the average router uses Web UI, App.
    Web UI vs Web UI, App
  • Narrower channel widths
    Channel widths supported
    20 MHz + 40 MHz
    â–¼ Worse than 59% of models
    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
  • Lower CPU clock speed
    CPU clock speed
    0.6 GHz
    â–¼ Worse than 69% of models
    This router has a lower CPU clock speed than the average router (0.6 GHz vs 2x0.5 GHz). The average router has a CPU clock speed of 2x0.5 GHz.
    0.6 GHz vs 2x0.5 GHz
  • No beamforming
    Beamforming
    no
    â–¼ Worse than 57% of models
    This router does not support beamforming, while the average router does. 56.7% of routers support beamforming.
  • 6.54x less popular
    D-Link DIR 857 is less popular than the average router (1 vs 6.5).
    1 vs 6.54
  • 55.6% more expensive
    D-Link DIR 857 is more expensive than the average router (£140 vs £90).
    £140 vs £90
  • 2.6% worse value for money
    D-Link DIR 857 has worse value for money than the average router (7.62 vs 7.8).
    7.62 vs 7.82
  • Older Wi-Fi version
    Wi-Fi version
    Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n)
    â–¼ Worse than 61% of models
    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 Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac).
    Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) vs Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)
  • Narrower channel widths
    Channel widths supported
    20 MHz + 40 MHz
    â–¼ Worse than 59% of models
    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 beamforming
    Beamforming
    no
    â–¼ Worse than 57% of models
    This router does not support beamforming, while the average router does. 56.7% of routers support beamforming.
  • 39% slower Wi-Fi speed
    Wi-Fi speed
    900 Mbps
    â–¼ Worse than 61% of models
    Market range: <0 Mbps – >6k Mbps
    This router has a lower Wi-Fi speed than the average router (900 Mbps vs 1475 Mbps). The average router reaches Wi-Fi speed of 1475 Mbps.
    900 Mbps vs 1,475 Mbps
  • No VLAN tagging
    VLAN tagging
    no
    â–¼ Worse than 62% of models
    This router does not support VLAN tagging, while the average router does. 61.9% of routers support VLAN tagging.
  • Limited firmware updates
    Firmware upgrade method
    Web UI, Automatic
    â–² Better than 35% of models
    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
  • Weaker management tools
    Management interface
    Web UI
    â–¼ Worse than 72% of models
    This router uses the management interface Web UI, while the average router uses Web UI, App.
    Web UI vs Web UI, App
  • Less capable NAS services
    Built-in NAS services
    SMB, FTP, media server, web access
    â–² Better than 74% of models
    This router includes SMB, FTP, media server, web access NAS services, while the average router includes SMB, FTP, time machine, NFS, web access.
    SMB, FTP, media server, web access vs SMB, FTP, time machine, NFS, web access
  • No hardware acceleration
    Hardware acceleration
    no
    â–¼ Worse than 69% of models
    This router does not offer hardware acceleration, while the average router does. 68.7% of routers offer hardware acceleration.
  • Lower CPU clock speed
    CPU clock speed
    0.6 GHz
    â–¼ Worse than 69% of models
    This router has a lower CPU clock speed than the average router (0.6 GHz vs 2x0.5 GHz). The average router has a CPU clock speed of 2x0.5 GHz.
    0.6 GHz vs 2x0.5 GHz
  • 2 fewer external antennas
    N. of external antennas
    0
    â–¼ Worse than 60% of models
    Market range: <0 – >10
    This router has fewer external antennas than the average router (0 vs 2). The average router has 2 external antennas.
    0 vs 2
  • 87.5% less internal storage
    Internal storage
    0.015625 GB
    â–¼ Worse than 59% of models
    Market range: <0 GB – >0.5 GB
    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.
    0.015625 GB vs 0.125 GB
  • 3 older release date
    Release date
    2012
    â–¼ Worse than 65% of models
    Market range: <2k – >2k
    This router is an older model than the average router (2012 vs 2015). The average router release year is 2015.
    February 2012
    2012 vs 2015

Graphic comparison of D-Link DIR 857 and other routers

No results found

Third-party reviews

What customers like about D-Link DIR 857?

  • Stellar Wi-Fi performance on the 5GHz frequency band
  • First-in-class inclusion of a USB 3.0 port and SD card slot for easy storage sharing
  • Effective Quality of Service (QoS) features that prioritize HD media streaming, gaming, and VoIP
  • User-friendly setup and management interface
  • Full IPv6 support for modern networking requirements
  • Includes four Gigabit LAN ports and one Gigabit WAN port for high-speed wired connections

What customers dislike about D-Link DIR 857?

  • Lacks support for the newer 802.11ac Wi-Fi standard
  • Average to disappointing performance on the 2.4GHz frequency band
  • Built-in network storage speeds are significantly slower than actual USB 3.0 potential
  • Physical hardware is known to run quite hot during operation
  • Limited status indicators with only two lights on the unit
  • Some users reported frequent reboots when making configuration changes

Video reviews

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

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