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Belkin Wireless-G Router DSL/Cable Gateway | List Price: $49.99
Discount Price: Too low to display
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Brand: Belkin
Binding: Electronics
Warranty: Limited lifetime warranty
Features: - Creates a network in your home or office without cables
- Ensures data and network security with wireless 64- and 128-bit WEP encryption
- Offers backward-compatibility with all 802.11b devices
- Sets up easily with Belkin Easy Install Wizard-automatically detects Internet settings and self-adjusts Router to get you online in under 3 minutes
Works fine as a "Wireless Switcher" [Posted on 2008-07-09]
I have already a ethernet network and I was looking for a wireless access point in a corner of my network. I didn't wanted to remove the ethernet that was working fine. I was a afraid that this device needed to be connected directly to the DSL modem (as shown on the box). I just plug it in on one of the ethernet cables (that already has gone by the router) and bingo, it worked! No messing around with configuration or anything. I access the setting via 192.168.2.1 to put a wireless password and that was all, it is working fine and I am very happy.
It has some setting that extend the range but since I don't need them I haven't played with them.
Better Wired than my Linksys [Posted on 2008-07-12]
My level of computer competency: Advanced (knows what goes on inside)
First off, I'm going to say that this router's wired functionality trumps my Linksys 10/100 4-port router (Model BEFSR41). The linked model does not support high amounts of traffic over multiple connections (BitTorrent), and the aforementioned product seems to self-reset every few minutes during BitTorrent trafficking (and for a few hours afterwards), which is probably the one thing that I cannot understand further than "the router can't handle the weight."
Conversely, this product (which retails for half the price) can handle the same load of traffic... and it is also wireless. I switched to this product when I found out that the aforementioned problem is almost unique to Linksys routers, which ironically seem to hold more prestige.
The product itself functions very well. It handles any load that I can place on it, but the front-end is relatively silly to navigate through. To go back to the root, you have to leave the all-inclusive navigation menu on the left and go all the way to the right to click an unnecessarily small "Home" button; the Belkin logo at the top-left, where the Home navigation should sit, directs to Belkin's website. Also odd is the fact that two options in the "System Settings" screen (NAT and UPnP) have their "Apply Changes" buttons switched: Select the setting you want for UPnP and click the "Apply Changes" button under NAT to make your change. But don't forget to enter your "Current" and "New" password before making changes to either of these settings, or it will let you know that your password is too short before changing the settings that don't relate to password changing! (UPDATE: This is fixed with 9.01.10, and I didn't want to re-write this paragraph after I figured out that it exists, as you will have this problem unless you manually find the new version... see next paragraph)
Please note that the most recent version of the firmware at time of writing is 9.01.10. I personally had version 9.01.07 installed, but when I check for firmware updates, it lets me know that there's a new version available: 9.01.07. Visit http://www.belkin.com/support/article/?lid=en&pid=F5D7230-4&aid=5027&scid=221 and manually download 9.01.10 and upgrade it. With this installed, the router's "Firmware Update" functions now to tell me that there is no new version. Still keeping my 3-star rating, because I shouldn't have to hunt down new firmware updates... even though the firmware update fixes that problem in the firmware. Come on, Belkin... test things before you release them!
Aside from unnecessary difficulties in navigating to the home menu, the router does offer the functions that I need. Its wireless functionality is good. I can connect to it from upstairs, a good few feet above the router and separated by a floor and bed. The only problems that I have are with the front-end.
Also, I couldn't find a way to describe the feel of the plastic that this is made of... my significant other calls it "happy-meal plastic", as though it were a toy out of a combination food-and-children's-toy combo meal. It feels like the same type of plastic, so I will agree with that.
Other misc. notes:
--Lightweight
--Gets really hot... make sure there's airflow
--Not complicated: plug stuff into it and it works.
I give it 3 stars, because even though it works for me and I can work it, you don't get ahead of the competition by just having things work "eventually" (with the exception of Linksys... see first paragraph)... it should work "out of the box", and the "automated firmware update check" should actually update to the newest version, especially if the firmware fixes an error in changing something on "System Settings".
DO NOT BUY!!!! [Posted on 2008-07-12]
The router we wanted was not stocked in the store so we took the Belkin on the advice of the clerk. It did not work at first. Finally after lots of resetting it allowed internet to the pc for a minute. I tried without firewall to same result. Finally, I could at least keep the internet to the pc but the laptop would not connect. Then after a week it started to work for five or six days. The connection would drop every 5 minutes. Then it would not work at all. Tech support was terrible. Total waste of time and when he sent me to the level two his only idea was to shut off the firewall. Thats when I hung up and boxed the thing up and returned it. Bought a Linksys and it worked perfectly.
Not very user friendly [Posted on 2008-07-14]
I've had this router for about 9 months or a little more. First off, I am not a techie type person, although I do know my way around computers for the basics and maybe a little more. When I initially bought it, I had to call customer service several times to get all the kinks out. It may have been that it was just my first time using a router. I had a hard time with customer service, because I couldn't understand what they were saying a lot of the time. I'm not prejudiced or anything, but it was very frustrating trying to get technical information from someone with a strong accent. This may be an issue with other brands, I'm not sure. Well, now since it's been a while since I purchased the router, I'm having trouble with my internet being slow when I am wireless. That's really frustrating since I'm paying for high-speed internet. I'm looking into buying a better one that is more user friendly, and I'll do a little more homework this time.
Tenuous Connection [Posted on 2008-07-20]
Right out of the box this router had trouble establishing a consistent connection at any range. Every 5 minutes or so I have to repair the connection, which thankfully can be done laptop-side, but these outages make streaming and chatting impossible.
I did turn off Protection (from Auto to "Off") as was suggested in another review (just navigate to 192.168.2.1 and go to the SSID page), but unfortunately that didn't work for me. I understand that the way the router deals with encryption is potentially the source of the issue, but I am not going to remove security from my network.
Bottom line, pay $30 for a Belkin router and you are playing router roulette. Sadly, I bet on Black and it came up Red this time. I'm here on Amazon right now to buy a different router, and probably spend a bit more money on a Netgear or Linksys this time.
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