D-Link routers get green friendly firmware update

D-Link's testing out the waters on whether green-friendly branding can sell a few more routers. Its new DWA-643 and DWA-556 "Green Ethernet" routers claim to use 32 percent and 41 percent less power than older models, and those power savings are now being passed down to the DIR-665 Xtreme N Gigabit and DIR-855 Dual Channel routers.

It's kind of cool, but a rather low-key gesture towards the environment. Engadgetcommenter Neil Bradley does the math: a D-Link 665 sucks up 500ma at 12 volts. If power is $0.10 per kilowatt hour, the router (without the new firmware) could run for 166 hours at full power until it cost 10 cents. Per month, it would cost you $0.42. The bottom line is routers just don't take a lot of energy to operate (my new Time Capsule notwithstanding): a 40% savings is going to be a couple bucks a year.

That doesn't make the gesture worthless, of course: devices retaining their functionality but using less power is always a good thing. But it does seem to be more of an advertising initiative than anything else.

D-Link firmware goes green-friendly [D-Link via Engadget via Trusted Reviews]

[#1 posted by mralistair , August 11, 2008 9:15 AM]

I wonder if it makes any difference to teh amount consumed by the transformer, i'd guess that will easily use more than the unit itself.

[#2 posted by 5000! , August 11, 2008 11:00 AM]

That doesn't make the gesture worthless, of course: devices retaining their functionality but using less power is always a good thing. But it does seem to be more of an advertising initiative than anything else.

It irritates me that the first metric most analysts still go to to judge green products is whether the energy savings translate to substantial savings on your operating costs (and the requisite conclusion that it's just a marketing ploy if they don't). The Prius has proved beyond any doubt that there's a demographic that's interested in environmentally conscious products not as a money saving strategy but rather specifically as a way to reduce the consumer's carbon footprint.

[#3 posted by Anonymous , August 11, 2008 5:10 PM]

The bottom line is routers just don't take a lot of energy to operate (my new Time Capsule notwithstanding): a 40% savings is going to be a couple bucks a year.

You + friend + friend of friend + other ppl..

Just add and it will make sense

[#4 posted by mightymouse1584 , August 11, 2008 11:35 PM]

sweet. i cant wait do download the update for my dir655, which btw is an awesome router. I've been thoroughly pleased with it running 2 desktops, 3 laptops, and an xbox360.

[#5 posted by straponego , August 12, 2008 2:28 AM]

5000: Good point, but... in this case, I think money is a pretty good metric, because we're walking about money which is spent specifically on electricity from the grid. The other factor in determining the greenness an AC powered device is the carbon/pollution footprint of its production process... but since this is a software update, that is not relevant.

[#6 posted by spazzm , August 12, 2008 4:17 AM]

Might I suggest that D-Link instead should concentrate on making firmware that doesn't crash every 5 minutes?

[#7 posted by Anonymous , November 28, 2008 1:53 AM]

ah.. the capitalist way of seeing the environment. Since the market price of electricity is low, and therefore you won't save much money from the reduction in electricity consumption, it's not worth reducing electricity consumption. Very smart thinking... And here we are.