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Belkin N1 Wireless Router
See it at Amazon.com for $99.99Average Customer Rating
(3.0 out of 5)
Amazon Customer Reviews
Most Helpful First | Newest First | + Share11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
easy user interface
(5 out of 5) by J. Soard on Nov 5, 2006 (nyc)This router does what it is supposed to do, namely, broadcast a strong dependable signal, in my case - throughout a 4 story brownstone. The interface is VERY user friendly. It has WPA security features and a clean, simple design. Some N1 routers look like they were designd by someone who has a fetish for "transformer" toys.
29 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
The best router in the market compatible with everything! Much better than Linksys!
(5 out of 5) by Will on Jul 7, 2006 (Los Angeles, CA)I have tried over 10 different routers over the past 9 months, mostly Linksys, since in my opinion they made "the best looking devices," but certainly not the best in any way and I finally found the best wireless router of them all and the best looking one as well!
I have tested over 5 Linksys devices, including their first one with SRX, then the SRX200 and SRX400 and most recently the very nice looking N from them to connect the following items: Two laptops, two PDA's, an XBox 360, an HP wireless printer, a Motorola Ojo and several VOIP (Sunrocket) telephones as well as wireless security cameras!
After countless days and hours of painstaking configuration and endless hours on the phone with Linksys' very poor English speaking and poorly trained support, I could never get any of these devices to work with all of the wireless devices I own!
Their latest one, the "N," is a joke! That thing never did anything other than look nice on my desk and their customer support was horrible!
Their technician had the audacity to tell me that all of my over 10 recent wireless devices were incompatible with their product, instead of the other way around and advised me to call Sony, Toshiba, HP, Microsoft, ReplayTV, the makers of my devices customer support to configure each and every single device individually to work with their piece of junk!
The truth is, technical support from Microsoft, Motorola and HP told me that they always had some kind of issue with most of the products made by Linksys! It doesn't surprise me, after their wireless print server device fried my printer!
This one from Belkin was so simple to set up, it only took me about 12 minutes and I was up and running in a secured wireless network with every single one of my devices working better than ever! I can now stream live TV, videos and music to my XBox 360 without any jitter or lag!
My online gaming is awesome! No lag either, so I highly recommend this router for XBox 360 owners!
Take it from me! Buy this router from Belkin, you will not regret it, this is truly a work of art with its really helpful status glowing icons, which also makes it look awesome and sets it apart from all the other manufacturers!
Most importantly, it is a very compatible router, working with over 10 wireless devices which I currently own from different manufacturers and it is also amazingly easy and quick to set up! Trust me on this one, you will not go wrong with this awesome product from Belkin!
In fact, I am so impressed with this company, that I will be replacing any Linksys devices that I may still have with Belkin devices, which should be easy to do, since they are quite literally plug and play! Thank you Belkin!
I have tested over 5 Linksys devices, including their first one with SRX, then the SRX200 and SRX400 and most recently the very nice looking N from them to connect the following items: Two laptops, two PDA's, an XBox 360, an HP wireless printer, a Motorola Ojo and several VOIP (Sunrocket) telephones as well as wireless security cameras!
After countless days and hours of painstaking configuration and endless hours on the phone with Linksys' very poor English speaking and poorly trained support, I could never get any of these devices to work with all of the wireless devices I own!
Their latest one, the "N," is a joke! That thing never did anything other than look nice on my desk and their customer support was horrible!
Their technician had the audacity to tell me that all of my over 10 recent wireless devices were incompatible with their product, instead of the other way around and advised me to call Sony, Toshiba, HP, Microsoft, ReplayTV, the makers of my devices customer support to configure each and every single device individually to work with their piece of junk!
The truth is, technical support from Microsoft, Motorola and HP told me that they always had some kind of issue with most of the products made by Linksys! It doesn't surprise me, after their wireless print server device fried my printer!
This one from Belkin was so simple to set up, it only took me about 12 minutes and I was up and running in a secured wireless network with every single one of my devices working better than ever! I can now stream live TV, videos and music to my XBox 360 without any jitter or lag!
My online gaming is awesome! No lag either, so I highly recommend this router for XBox 360 owners!
Take it from me! Buy this router from Belkin, you will not regret it, this is truly a work of art with its really helpful status glowing icons, which also makes it look awesome and sets it apart from all the other manufacturers!
Most importantly, it is a very compatible router, working with over 10 wireless devices which I currently own from different manufacturers and it is also amazingly easy and quick to set up! Trust me on this one, you will not go wrong with this awesome product from Belkin!
In fact, I am so impressed with this company, that I will be replacing any Linksys devices that I may still have with Belkin devices, which should be easy to do, since they are quite literally plug and play! Thank you Belkin!
12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
Excellent Speed-Easy Installation and Setup
(5 out of 5) by James D. Jasperson on Sep 23, 2006 (Valparaiso, IN USA)I first installed the latest firmware from Belkin's site on my PC, and then hooked up the Router via the supplied cables to one of my PC's. I then installed the latest firmware for the matching wireless card on another PC, and the installed the PCI card itself, (I made sure to FIRMLY push the antenna cables onto the card. The connection was snug and I had no problems with it loosening up.
After powering up the router and the PC's, the router virtually set itself automatically with no problems whatsoever.
The wireless signal strength is excellent and constant acroos two floors of my large house. I'm getting download speeds of almost 30 mbs according to the "SPEAKEASY speed test" is use via the internet.
The only complaints I have are minor. One is, that I wish the user manuals were supplied via hardcopy and not just on a CD. The other is, that the antenna cable for the wireless PC Card needs to be longer to more easily place the antenna on my computer's furniture cabinet.
After powering up the router and the PC's, the router virtually set itself automatically with no problems whatsoever.
The wireless signal strength is excellent and constant acroos two floors of my large house. I'm getting download speeds of almost 30 mbs according to the "SPEAKEASY speed test" is use via the internet.
The only complaints I have are minor. One is, that I wish the user manuals were supplied via hardcopy and not just on a CD. The other is, that the antenna cable for the wireless PC Card needs to be longer to more easily place the antenna on my computer's furniture cabinet.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
Not worth the trouble that it will cause you
(1 out of 5) by Sammy on Sep 3, 2008I purchased the Belkin N1 Wireless router after a Best Buy employee told me that it was one of the best routers that they carried. He was horribly wrong. There are several problems with this router that should prevent you from making the same mistake that I did when I purchased it.
1. The router constantly gives out duplicate IP addresses. I can't begin to tell you how many times I would be in the middle of a research paper or just doing some work on the web when all of the sudden, my IP address disappeared. Often when another computer in my network was turned on, the router would give the computer the exact same IP address that I was using, forcing my computer off the internet. This occurred on every wireless device in my house.
2. The router is especially prone to random disconnects. Often the router would cease to function for no apparent reason. It would go offline and would require a power cycle to get online again.
3. The router constantly dropped the connection to my modem. As if it wasn't bad enough that the wireless constantly lost a connection, I would often see that annoying flashing "modem" light on my router which signaled that the connection was lost to my cable modem. In order to fix this problem, I often had to reset both the modem and router several times, only to have it happen again an hour later.
4. The range on the router is pathetic. Sure I have a few concrete walls in my house, but I shouldn't have to purchase a range extender just to get the router to extend its signal throughout my basement.
At best the router would function properly for about a week at a time, and at worst it would only function for a couple of minutes. It was truly one of the worst purchases that I have ever made. I owned this router for a couple of years, and it was quite expensive so I was hesitant about replacing it. Make sure that you do a lot of research before investing in a router. I recently replaced the Belkin N1 with an Apple Airport Extreme, which instantly solved all of my problems. I would highly recommed the Airport Extreme as an alternative to this abomination of a router.
1. The router constantly gives out duplicate IP addresses. I can't begin to tell you how many times I would be in the middle of a research paper or just doing some work on the web when all of the sudden, my IP address disappeared. Often when another computer in my network was turned on, the router would give the computer the exact same IP address that I was using, forcing my computer off the internet. This occurred on every wireless device in my house.
2. The router is especially prone to random disconnects. Often the router would cease to function for no apparent reason. It would go offline and would require a power cycle to get online again.
3. The router constantly dropped the connection to my modem. As if it wasn't bad enough that the wireless constantly lost a connection, I would often see that annoying flashing "modem" light on my router which signaled that the connection was lost to my cable modem. In order to fix this problem, I often had to reset both the modem and router several times, only to have it happen again an hour later.
4. The range on the router is pathetic. Sure I have a few concrete walls in my house, but I shouldn't have to purchase a range extender just to get the router to extend its signal throughout my basement.
At best the router would function properly for about a week at a time, and at worst it would only function for a couple of minutes. It was truly one of the worst purchases that I have ever made. I owned this router for a couple of years, and it was quite expensive so I was hesitant about replacing it. Make sure that you do a lot of research before investing in a router. I recently replaced the Belkin N1 with an Apple Airport Extreme, which instantly solved all of my problems. I would highly recommed the Airport Extreme as an alternative to this abomination of a router.
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
Another Winner from the folks @ Belkin
(5 out of 5) by Warren Mells on Dec 2, 2006Belkin is making a name for itself in the WiFi market with this gem. I own a Belkin USB Wireless Adapter for a PC in my Local Mesh and it works like a charm...I was so impressed with the PC Adapter that when it came time to upgrade my LAN to all wireless as some of the CAT-5 Cables were degenerating over time, I decided to give up my Linksys 'G' router and opt for the Big Belkin N.
Now...here's the deal. There are actually two phases of setup for the Router...one is easy and the other a bit more challenging. The first part just gets the unit communicating with the other wireless adapters in your network...the second part gets you hooked to the internet.
After following the instructions...YES, I had to read the users guide, I was able to get the Mesh up and running. After a brief conversation with the techies @ Belkin, I was hooked to the internet in about 10 minutes.
Let me say at this point in time that the unit is also UPnP for media streaming and shows up as an icon in your 'My Network Places' Window. Just right click the icon to 'Invoke' the Set Up Page and you've got enormous control over the setup and nuances of your Belkin N Router.
As a side note...it works great with my Roku M500 streaming music device which is another great wireless item and when used with Yahoo's Music Jukebox with Unlimited service, you may never have to buy another CD in your life. Also, the Belkin delivers great video signals to my Sony Location Free TV system and works like a charm when I'm viewing TV & DVDs at my local Hot Spot.
A lot of problems that others encounter may not be issues with the Router itself but with the Modem supplied by their ISPs. The Netopia DSL Modem supplied to me by AT&T is a bit quirky as it is a Router as well as a Modem...so a bit of tweaking and uncoventional thinking was used to get the two Routers to cooperate. As I said, after about 10 minutes with the Belkin agent..I was painlessly up and running.
Now...about the signal. It is very strong...very fast...and very reliable.
That being said....spend the dough and get one.
Warren
Now...here's the deal. There are actually two phases of setup for the Router...one is easy and the other a bit more challenging. The first part just gets the unit communicating with the other wireless adapters in your network...the second part gets you hooked to the internet.
After following the instructions...YES, I had to read the users guide, I was able to get the Mesh up and running. After a brief conversation with the techies @ Belkin, I was hooked to the internet in about 10 minutes.
Let me say at this point in time that the unit is also UPnP for media streaming and shows up as an icon in your 'My Network Places' Window. Just right click the icon to 'Invoke' the Set Up Page and you've got enormous control over the setup and nuances of your Belkin N Router.
As a side note...it works great with my Roku M500 streaming music device which is another great wireless item and when used with Yahoo's Music Jukebox with Unlimited service, you may never have to buy another CD in your life. Also, the Belkin delivers great video signals to my Sony Location Free TV system and works like a charm when I'm viewing TV & DVDs at my local Hot Spot.
A lot of problems that others encounter may not be issues with the Router itself but with the Modem supplied by their ISPs. The Netopia DSL Modem supplied to me by AT&T is a bit quirky as it is a Router as well as a Modem...so a bit of tweaking and uncoventional thinking was used to get the two Routers to cooperate. As I said, after about 10 minutes with the Belkin agent..I was painlessly up and running.
Now...about the signal. It is very strong...very fast...and very reliable.
That being said....spend the dough and get one.
Warren