The DIR-865 is in the house. In a nonscientific semi-subjective survey of the 2.4Hz WIFI signal strength in various locations in my house (as measured by the WiFi Analyzer app on my Galaxy S3), I can report that in most locations the signal strength does seem somewhat improved over the readings I got from the DIR-857. Between 10-20% better depending on location. My most problematic location (2.5 floors up in an attic room, away from the stairwell leading downstairs) stayed the same (-75 dbm on average, which is still usable and no worse than the 857). If I step into the part of the room that has a direct view of the stairwell, the signal jumps up significantly. The signal strength on the 2nd floor is way better than with the 857. All in all, I guess I'll keep it. The UI is more like my old DIR-655. In particular, whereas the 857 seemed to reboot every time I made the slightest change to anything, the 865 only reboots for earth-shattering changes (e.g. the IP address, a new password, etc.). That's appreciated. As to the 5G signal levels, they are pathetic as compared to the 2.4G levels, but since I haven't really used 5G much yet, I don't have a good feeling for whether they are better or worse than what the 857 puts out. I've got a lot more exploring to do, so consider this an extremely preliminary report.
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bc