Many users have purchased the D-link DI-624 "Xtreme-G" wireless router for its ability to transfer at speeds up to 108Mbps (even though those speeds are more marketing hype than reality). Unfortunately for many, the latest version of the product's firmware does little more than turn the unit into an expensive, stuttering paperweight. Our Dlink forum is filled with complaints about the new DI-624 revision C v 2.36 firmware update and what users have dubbed the "60 second disconnect" problem.

Many DI-624 users were fence sitters, waiting to see if this latest update would make or break their opinion of the router. Last fall the router won CNet's Editor's Choice award. Early this year the company announced that new firmware would bring 108Mbps speeds and other improvements to the Atheros Super-G chipset, making the product even more appealing.

With the latest firmware version 2.36 and the new adventures in 60 second connectivity however, some users have found the only way to obtain stable performance (among other sacrifices like disabling logging and using it solely as an AP) is to disable the unit's 108Mbps "Xtreme" capabilities - the product's most interesting selling point.

We recently discussed how third party firmware revisions improve the range, performance, and feature-set of some Linksys routers. The problems with the latest Dlink firmware upgrade leave many users wondering if hardware manufacturers should just build the gear, make their firmware open-source, and allow the community to "have-at-it."

Could the result be worse than a massive portion of the Dlink customer base complaining about routers that can't offer connectivity for more than sixty seconds? Not that having your modem reboot every time your phone rings isn't a neat party trick, but firmware updates traditionally should improve a product, not cripple it.