If you don't think routers can be sexy, take a look at the D-Link Xtreme N Storage Router (model DIR-685). Making a Wi-Fi router look like a digital photo frame is awesome. Add a hard drive to it to turn it into a NAS, that's brilliant.

Feature-rich color LCD screen doubles as digital photo frame; Fantastic streaming capabilities for online photos; Turns SATA drives into instant NAS

LCD and touch buttons don't always respond fast

D-Link's DIR-685 Wi-Fi router generated a lot of buzz at CES this past January. And when we took a gander at its spec sheet, we thought it a contender for Best of the Best in the router category; something that would finally displace the Linksys WRT600N , which is becoming hard to find.

LCD; internal hard-drive bay; built-in FTP and BitTorrent software

Expensive; slow wireless and NAS throughput; hard-drive bay limited to 2.5-inch drives

It's not uncommon to find networking manufacturers adding unique features to their products in an effort to stand out from the crowd. The Linksys by Cisco WRT160NL , Belkin's N+ as well as D-Link's DIR-825 all include USB ports to convert an attached USB drive to networked storage.

Gigabit WAN and LAN w/ jumbo frame support; Wire-speed Gigabit routing; Wireless Guest zone; NAS performs better and has more features than other router NASes

Fan screams like a banshee; Screen too small; FrameChannel won't work behind another router; Membrane switch failed on review sample

Featuring a 3.2-inch LCD monitor that can display images, SharePort technology for printer sharing and an FTP server for remote access, the DIR-685 802.11n Wi-Fi router also employs D-Link Green technology.

It seemed a good idea to have a local data store accessible from all my computers, The D-link Xtreme Wireless Router promises this. I found that the best deal was from the USA and it was dispatched quickly to me.

Wireless routers are generally seen as boring devices that only serve to provide signal coverage for internet access throughout the house. But the latest "storage router" from D-Link is quite a big exception, and an exciting one at that.

We were happy with the DIR-685's wireless performance but disappointed with network storage performance. The router's wireless performance was among the fastest single-band Wireless-N routers we've reviewed.

Fast wireless performance; Built-in network storage; Photo frame; A comprehensive set of networking features; Its web interface is responsive and intuitive

Single-band router that's more expensive than most; if not all; true dual-band routers; Front panel LCD/photo frame is too small; Network storage performance is slow; Doesn't include a hard drive

The D-Link Xtreme N Storage Router DIR-685 is a very good single-band Wireless-N router; however, its extra features hardly justify the price.

Fast wireless performance; Built-in network storage; Photo frame; A comprehensive set of networking features; Its web interface is responsive and intuitive

Single-band router that's more expensive than most; if not all; true dual-band routers; Front panel LCD/photo frame is too small; Network storage performance is slow; Doesn't include a hard drive

Reasonably good router - range matches netgear DGN2200. Only has 2.4 ghz band. Easy to set up, however Wireless security is not enabled as the default setting. Good user interface with plenty of advanced features. Screen is a bit of a gimmick, used it for the first day and then that was it.

A highly capable and feature-packed router for homes and offices, the D-Link DIR-685 Xtreme N Storage Router is one of the most innovative models we've tested. It's also the first router that shouldn't get hidden on a shelf somewhere; a 3.2-inch color LCD screen on the front lets this device double...

Fast throughput; Good picture frame; Hard drive bay for network storage; USB port enables printer sharing,

Small LCD for photos; No dual-band support,