D-Link 2542B - 4 Port Modem Router

My old and trusty Aztech 4 port modem router (DSL1100R) gave up on me last week. It has served me for more than 5 years under harsh conditions. So, I had to get a new one as soon as possible because everyone in the house need their daily internet 'fix' including me.

Got a D-Link DSL-2542B 4 port modem router (wired) that's cheap with basic features. What's in the box? ADSL2/2+ Modem Router, power adapter, RJ-11 telephone cable, RJ-45 ethernet cable, quick install guide, installation CD and a splitter.

Getting the D-Link 2542B up and running is easy. Just pop in the installation CD and follow the steps in the wizard, and you will be connected to the internet in less than 10 minutes.

At first glance, it's much smaller than my Aztech router. The silver strip across the sides of the D-Link 2542B is replaced with black which is different from photos provided on the D-Link official site. Although it looks much better and smaller compared to my Aztech router, it runs much hotter. So a good ventilation for this little D-Link router is important.

Just like any other routers in the market, settings and configuration is web-based. That means you'll need a browser to configure and change the settings in the modem router. Logging in the router is done by typing 192.168.1.1 in your browser address bar. Then it will prompt you for a username and password. The default username and password is admin/admin.

The appearence of the router console may differ, for example the UK version looks slightly different.

Port forwarding

Port forwarding can be done by going to 'Virtual Servers' section of the router console. Goto Advanced Setup>NAT>Virtual Servers .

On a side note, it says 'MAC Filtering is only effective on ATM PVCs configured in Bridge mode'. So, if you can't find the MAC Filtering section don't be alarmed. There are no official firmware or drivers upgrade at the time of posting.

The equivalent model in the US is the DSL-2540B which has a higher upstream capability and a slightly different LED and ports layout. Take a look on Amazon.com .

*Update 28 October 2009.

I found a personal site offering a firmware update download. My advice is 'do not download from unknown sources', other than D-Link official website. So far I've found a firmware upgrade(dated 4th December 2008) on the UK D-Link official website.