D-Link DIR-655 N300 Wireless Gigabit Router — 300Mbps 2.4GHz with 4x Gigabit LAN Ports

The D-Link DIR-655 is an N300 Wireless Gigabit Router that combines 300Mbps 2.4GHz 802.11n WiFi with four Gigabit LAN ports — making it one of the most compelling value-for-money routers for home users and small offices in Uganda who need both reliable wireless coverage and full-speed wired Gigabit connections at an accessible price point.

Unlike budget routers with 100Mbps Fast Ethernet ports, the DIR-655's four Gigabit LAN ports (10/100/1000Mbps) eliminate the wired bottleneck for desktop computers, NAS drives, smart TVs, and office switches — delivering full-speed wired connections to every device while the 300Mbps 2.4GHz WiFi covers smartphones, laptops, and wireless peripherals throughout the home or office.

Key Specifications

• Model: DIR-655
• WiFi Standard: IEEE 802.11n/g/b (2.4GHz)
• WiFi Speed: 300Mbps (2.4GHz, 2T3R)
• Antennas: 3x fixed external antennas for enhanced 2.4GHz coverage
• WAN Port: 1x Gigabit WAN (10/100/1000Mbps)
• LAN Ports: 4x Gigabit LAN (10/100/1000Mbps) — full-speed wired connections
• WAN Types: Dynamic IP, Static IP, PPPoE, PPTP, L2TP — compatible with all Uganda ISP connection types
• Security: WPA/WPA2-PSK, 64/128-bit WEP, SPI firewall, DoS protection, IP/MAC/URL filtering
• Features: QoS (traffic prioritisation), guest WiFi, DHCP server, UPnP, IPv6, remote management, port forwarding, DMZ, VPN pass-through
• USB Port: 1x USB 2.0 (SharePort — for printer and storage sharing)
• Power: 12V/2A DC (adapter included)

Why the DIR-655 for Home and SME Use in Uganda?

• Gigabit LAN at an entry-level price: Most routers at this price tier have 100Mbps Fast Ethernet LAN ports. The DIR-655's four Gigabit LAN ports deliver 10x the wired throughput — future-proofing your wired network as ISP plans scale toward 100Mbps and beyond in Uganda's expanding fibre rollout.
• 3-antenna 2T3R design: Three antennas with a 2T3R (2 transmit, 3 receive) configuration deliver stronger, more reliable 2.4GHz coverage than standard 2-antenna routers — important for penetrating the concrete walls common in Ugandan home and office construction.
• PPPoE and all ISP WAN types: Compatible with all ISP connection methods used by Ugandan providers including MTN Fiber, Airtel Fiber, WISP wireless delivery, and direct PPPoE broadband — no additional modem or bridge device required in most deployments.
• QoS traffic prioritisation: Prioritise VoIP calls, video conferencing, and streaming over background downloads — essential when multiple users share a single ISP connection.
• SharePort USB: Attach a USB printer or storage drive for network-wide sharing — a useful feature for small offices that need shared printing or file access without a dedicated NAS device.
• Guest WiFi: Isolate visitor devices on a separate guest network — they get internet access without touching your main network devices or files.

DIR-655 vs Comparable Routers in the NetEdge Range

• vs TP-Link TL-WR845N 300Mbps: Both are N300 2.4GHz routers. The key difference: the DIR-655 has 4x Gigabit LAN ports vs the TL-WR845N's 100Mbps Fast Ethernet ports. If you have a fibre or high-speed ISP plan and wired devices that need full-speed connectivity, the DIR-655's Gigabit LAN is a significant advantage.
• vs TP-Link Archer C9 AC1900: The Archer C9 adds dual-band 5GHz 802.11ac (1300Mbps), a dual-core processor, and USB 3.0 — significantly more capable for high-density environments. The DIR-655 is the budget-conscious Gigabit LAN option for 2.4GHz-only deployments.
• vs D-Link DSR-1000AC: The DSR-1000AC is an enterprise service router with dual-WAN, SSL VPN, and rack-mount form factor. The DIR-655 is a straightforward home and SME WiFi router for single-WAN deployments.

ISP Subscriber CPE Deployment

The DIR-655 is an effective last-mile subscriber CPE router for ISPs deploying Gigabit-capable equipment at subscriber premises on entry-to-mid-tier internet plans. It sits downstream of your MikroTik aggregation infrastructure, connecting via the Gigabit WAN port to your outdoor wireless CPE or fibre ONT. Your ISP billing system manages subscriber bandwidth queuing and service activation at the upstream MikroTik aggregation router layer via RouterOS API, while the DIR-655 handles WiFi distribution and wired LAN connectivity at the subscriber premises.

Recommended Companion Products

• MikroTik hEX S RB760iGS — Core ISP distribution router with SFP fibre uplink and RouterOS billing API integration — upstream of DIR-655 subscriber deployments
• MikroTik hEX RB750Gr3 — Zone aggregation router for multi-subscriber building deployments
• D-Link DGS-105 5-Port Gigabit Switch — Expand wired LAN ports downstream of the DIR-655 for offices needing more than 4 wired connections
• TP-Link TL-WR845N 300Mbps — Entry-level alternative without Gigabit LAN — for basic subscriber premises on lower-speed plans
• TP-Link Archer C9 AC1900 — Upgrade option with dual-band 5GHz AC and USB 3.0 for premium subscribers
• Cat6 Ethernet Cable — Gigabit-capable wiring to connect DIR-655 LAN ports to desktop computers, NAS, or switches

Frequently Asked Questions