One for All you Landline Lovers

I want to make this quite clear; I don't understand you.

Why do you need a landline? I've asked people who insist they do so many times and no-one has convinced me yet. The closest thing I've heard to a good reason is that people already have their number.

I guess, given I'm the type of guy who wishes less people had his number, I don't really see changing it as a massive issue. But then, I don't even like talking on the phone anyway.

However, if you can't be bothered letting your mates know you're now only on mobile, perhaps you have a small business with a memorable landline number, or if you're just... you know... somebody's nana (no offence, Mum) there is now a way you can enjoy the benefits of 2022-style Wi-Fi - even though you insist on using 20th-Century talking machines.

The DSL-X1852E is not one of D-Link's new line of AI-enhanced EAGLE PRO mesh Wi-Fi devices. So you won't need the EAGLE PRO app to set it up. In fact, you won't even need the D-Link Wi-Fi app to set it up. That's because you can't use an app to set it up.

This is another example of why I suspect there are lot of people working on a lot of different things at D-Link but perhaps they don't have as many company-wide staff meetings as they should. I'm not complaining about the quality of the products - far from it. I've been reviewing various D-Link bits and pieces for years and I've seldom been disappointed. But why you wouldn't just have one unified app to set up everything is a mystery to me.

Anyway...

That means setting up the DSL-X1852E is a little more cumbersome than most of us are now used to. Which is ironic, because perhaps the main reason someone would opt to upgrade their modem/router for this particular device is the fact it offers not one but two FXS ports for Voice Over IP (landline phone). If that's the case, you might be someone like... you know... my mum - which means you need to keep the setup process as simple as possible.

To be fair, if you are someone like... you know... my mum - you're still coming to terms with the fact smartphones have apps. Or indeed, what apps actually are. Which again, is probably why you're still so attached to that landline of yours. So maybe D-Link's web-based browser-only setup for the DSL-X1852E isn't such a silly plan after all.

Of course, this is how most modem/routers used to be set up so it's not a total culture shock. The instructions are also pretty clear - both in the quick installation guide included in the box and once you run the setup wizard on the aforementioned browser page.

There's a real merging of old and new going on with the DSL-X1852E. For example - it still has a DSL port and comes with an xDSL microfilter/splitter if you're still on a VDSL connection instead of fibre. I didn't mean that to sound condescending. Did that sound condescending? Sorry for being condescending. I keep forgetting not everyone has access to fibre. Even now. In 2022.

In fact if it's ports you're looking for, the DSL-X1852E has heaps; WAN ethernet to connect your fibre modem of course, those two VoIP ports, a USB 3.0 slot (for shared network storage or perhaps to create your own media server) and an impressive four LAN ports to connect devices via hard line.

This is certainly a device designed to be the central hub of connectivity in your home - and as such, you'll need to take that into account when you're positioning it. If you're hardwiring things like smart TV's and phones into it, there's no point hanging it on the wall in the garage; unless you've get some serious data cabling running through your house. 

The other consideration is Wi-Fi coverage. In my testing I was very impressed with Wi-Fi speed and also the range offered by the DSL-X1852E. All my devices connected reliably both inside and outside my large, four-bedroom home. This is thanks to the raft of modern Wi-Fi protocols which are now commonplace in most of D-Link's recent home-networking devices; Wi-Fi 6, OFDMA and Smart Steering are all technologies designed to optimise the Wi-Fi bandwidth available, avoiding multiple devices having to queue up for the internet access they require to function to their full potential.

That's good news, because my testing also revealed this particular router doesn't necessarily play that well with others - not in terms of the recent line of mesh extenders I've been trailing for instance. D-Link makes no claim about the DSL-X1852E having any mesh abilities but I thought I'd try pairing it with a couple of extenders just for funsies to see what would happen. Disaster. When connected through the extender my download seeds dropped from the 100's of Mbps down to low double figures. I was literally better off without them. So I unplugged them and happily carried on with the whole-house coverage provided by a single modem/router.

Another spinoff advantage of the rather retro browser-based setup and settings access is the ability to separate the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, giving them unique network names if you wish. Lately I've read a lot about offloading your home's IoT devices onto the slower but more far-reaching 2.4GHz band if possible, thereby freeing up the more zoopy-doopy 5GHz space for things that really matter, like PC's, laptops, phones and above all else, your TV. Recently I've tried quite few routers that won't let you split up the two bands making keeping your devices out of each others' way impossible. Just something little to think about anyway.

Finally, let's talk lights. If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times; I hate little lights. Fortunately, most D-Link routers these days let you deactivate any status LEDs once you've set everything up. UNfortunately, not the case with the DSL-X1852E. Which is a real bummer because there are a lot of lights - one for each port (including power and WPS) - all lined up at the front of the device, which can be pretty distracting if it's somewhere prominent, like under the TV. Luckily, these particular lights are incredibly small so the green disco effect they create is actually quite hard to see from across the room.

Unnecessary lights aside, I've been impressed by the good-old, plug-it-in, set-it-up and it just works nature of this device. The Wi-Fi coverage is fast and strong and there aren't too many other home modem/routers out there right now offering this range of connectivity options. And hey, if you need two landline phones (and who doesn't?) it's an absolute no-brainer.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the D-Link DSL-X1852E modem/router with VoIP.