Belkin F5D7330 802.11g Wireless Ethernet/Gaming Adapter
See it at Amazon.com for $19.99Average Customer Rating
(4.0 out of 5)
Amazon Customer Reviews
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(5 out of 5)Possibly the best wireless bridge out there
I initially had reservations about adding Belkin to my Linksys-only wireless network because early implementations of wireless bridging were vendor-specific. Unfortunately, my Linksys WET11 performed so poorly that I had to explore other options. This device costs only slightly more than the WET11, and substantially less then the widely criticized WET54G. In fact the Belkin works so well that I wonder whether I should have used their stuff for the rest of my network.
For many users there should be almost no setup required. In fact, the documentation suggests that you just plug it in and it should work. If you're within range of several different access points, or you need to configure any security settings, the installation is only slightly more complicated.
Once it's set up it has much better range and througput than the WET11. I use it to do slideshows of 8-megapixel images over the network and it's noticeably faster and more reliable than my previous solution. Overall, the benefits of this device are:
- Easy to set up
- Has great range
- Gives high throughput
- Interoperates with other brands
- Has a small footprint
If it has any disadvantages I haven't found them yet.
Frankly, I'm delighted with this thing.
(5 out of 5)This unit DOES support WPA-PSK encryption
I'm writing this review because I have had a hard time getting this information so, hopefully, this will help some of you out.
I have a Belkin Pre-N Router and the F5D7330 ethernet adaptor. The adaptor is plugged into my Xbox.
Out of the box, the F5D7330 does not support WPA-PSK encryption, only 128bit or 64bit WEP. To enable WPA-PSK you need to download the firmware upgrade from here:
edit: OK, so Amazon remove links - the file is on the US Belkin site, in the support pages for the F5D7330.
The file you will download is a zip file, extract the firmware file relevent to your country (US or UK). Inside the zip file is a *second* zip file. This contains the new Setup.exe program that will enable you to change the encryption settings to WPA-PSK.
(5 out of 5)Best of breed wireless ethernet adapter
So, the first thing you should know about this adapter is that Belkin now has a firmware update for this device that allows it to support WPA (Wifi protected access), a better and as yet uncracked form of wireless security than WEP (currently breakable in a short amount of time by a determined attacker).
Other things that sold me on this adapter:
* Interoperates with a lot of different types of wireless equipment (tested it with Netgear, Linksys, and Dlink) without any problems.
* No 'mysterious' problems. I had a Linksys wireless to ethernet adapter that would have to be powered on and off if I accidentally unplugged the ethernet cable, and a Dlink adapter which would overheat and lose contact with the access point every few hours (also requiring a reboot).
* Ease of use: Generally, you can just plug in and it works. Configuring after that seems simple and easy. Note that while it comes with a configuration program that runs only on Windows, it has a web interface for people on other operating systems.
Finally, some things to be aware of if you're totally new to wireless networking solutions:
- A wireless to ethernet adapter has an external power supply, by contrast to USB, PCMCIA, or PCI-based wireless adapters, which means it's slightly less portable.
- Historically, these devices seem a little more expensive than their counterparts. On the other hand, they require absolutely no drivers to use -- they'll work with basically any operating system or appliance (so they're great for things like Tivo or a game system that needs internet access).
- In conjunction with a hub or a switch, you can use a wireless ethernet adapter to allow multiple computers to have access to the wireless network. This is extremely useful if you're the sort of person who has a lot of computers on your desk, or a small office.
(2 out of 5)If it work - great, If it doesn't - watch out
Well, after a fair amount of prodding and poking - I've got it working. Here's the deal:
I bought this to provide wireless conncetivity for a Mac Mini that wasn't equipped with an airport card. While I love Mac's - the other options (USB wireless, etc) generally are problematic.
The setup software that comes with the unit is Windows only so I had to fall back to the web-based setup system. This requires various jiggering with your IP addresses and such to allow you to connect to configure the box. Once you're in the configuration system - expect a pretty darn lean experience. In fact - there is actually no way to know if you have connected to your router/access point at all. You're forced to go back to the client machine and see if the connection is working. This is a serious hassle when the Belkin is set up for a different network range than you are trying to configure it for.
So, dragged out the windows box and got it configured. But - no joy. I can ping to my hearts content - but cannot resolve domain names. For some reason the box does not pass the ID of the DNS server back to its client. Once I figured that out and hard coded that in the Mac - all is looking good.
So, I'd say if you're using Windows and this works out of the box - you're golden. If there's a problem - expect to be doing a LOT of black box troubleshooting.
And, it's kinda ugly as well.
Sigh.
(5 out of 5)SWEEEEEET!
This device is doing EXACTLY what it is supposed to be doing, and I am loving it as long as it stays this way!
I've had DLink and Linksys in the past that claim to do the job of an ethernet adapter and more, but fall short of consistently performing the job that this guy does flawlessly!
The Belkin underdog is the champ of wireless products on the market today...
My Setup:
Starts with the Belkin Pre-N router (8230-4) for tremendous range and speed with our existing wireless PCs.
Next, on the other end of the house, this device (7330) receives the signal from the Pre-N router and delivers it to the internet port of my Belkin WirelessG router (7230-4) which cost me a whole $9.99 at Circuit City (after mail-in rebates). And I am happy :-)
A few sidenotes here, I forced the Pre-N router to operate on channel 11 and the WirelessG router to operate on channel 1 to avoid each other as much as possible. Also I could've went with an access point vs. a second router, but it provides a nice double firewall and keeps prying family eyes out of my business. Plus my only other Belkin choice would be their 7130 access point, but it is an older device, and has received some questionable reviews. The 7130 also supposedly doubles as an ethernet adapter (or bridge) in conjunction with other Belkin products only, but there does not appear to be a Site Survey incorporated to survey the wifi signals in the surrounding area. The 7330 does incorporate this feature!
When speed testing a PC wired to my WirelessG router, I get speeds of 3.0Mbps which is the best Time Warner Cable of Hawaii is doing right now, (even though they are claiming 5.0). So this speedy signal is twisting it's way through each of my 3 Belkin devices with ease! And never SLOWS DOWN! It's a home network enthusiasts dream, man!
Happy Wireless Networking! (with Belkin, the best)