D-Link DIR-505 brings media sharing to iOS, Android

Posted on 20 Jun 2012 at 11:03, by Gareth Halfacree

D-Link has announced a pocket-sized router with media sharing capabilities, the DIR-505, which it claims will help make smartphone and tablet users' lives easier.

The size of a slightly bulky power adapter, the DIR-505 All-in-One Mobile Companion - to give the device its full name - is aimed primarily at users of Android and iOS-based portable devices, including the iPhone and iPad. Used for its most basic function, the device connects to a power socket and then to the internet or a local area network (LAN) via an RJ54 wired Ethernet port, providing wireless access for mobile devices in the manner of a Wi-Fi access point.

If wireless connectivity is already available in an area, the DIR-505 can be configured as a wireless repeater to help boost the signal strength. It's the USB port that offers the most impressive functionality, however: media sharing.

Connected to any USB Mass Storage device - such as a flash drive or external hard drive - the DIR-505's USB port provides secure wireless access to all the files stored on the device, through the D-Link SharePort app for Android or iOS. Provided free to owners of the DIR-505, the app allows smartphone and tablet users to stream video, music and photos from the external storage device to their hand-held gadget.

D-Link has yet to confirm UK pricing and availability for the DIR-505, with the US edition launching today priced at $70 (around £45 excluding taxes).