I did a lot of research into routers before jumping onto the wireless bandwagon and eventually plumped for the Belkin and I am more than happy with my purchase.
The Belkin was by far the cheapest router at the time (I paid £50 in 2005) compared to most other models which were on average ... Read review
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Belkin Wireless Router gets top marks
Advantages: Self configurable, Web interface, Free Lifetime support, ease of use Disadvantages: None
...and eventually plumped for the Belkin and I am more than happy with my purchase.
The Belkin was by far the cheapest router at the time (I paid £50 in 2005) compared to most other models which were on average £20 more expensive for what I could see, was the same functionality. The Belkin also offered free lifetime support which could turn out to be a lifesaver as I have become very dependant on the internet to carry out my day to day ... ...browsing.
The Belkin router supports all the major encryption algorithms (WPA and WEP). When creating a security key, I made the mistake of attempting to do this wirelessly. Of course, as soon as I had changed the key on the router, my internet connection was disabled as the key on the router no longer matched the unsecure settings on my device. Luckily I was able to enter the passkey into the software on my device and get my connection ... more
I did a lot of research into routers before jumping onto the wireless bandwagon and eventually plumped for the Belkin and I am more than happy with my purchase.
The Belkin was by far the cheapest router at the time (I paid £50 in 2005) compared to most other models which were on average £20 more expensive for what I could see, was the same functionality. The Belkin also offered free lifetime support which could turn out to be a lifesaver as I have become very dependant on the internet to carry out my day to day duties.
--Whats In the Box? --
There are no real surprises inside the box, you get the router itself, a mains power supply, an instruction book which is surprisingly good for an electrical product and a CD which contains all the necessary drivers and a more in-depth manual.
--Setting up the router--
Before you can connect to the router wirelessly, you need to have some form of wireless capability on your other device (desktop PC, laptop, PDA, games console, etc) I would recommend you install any necessary components on these devices first.
When you have a device capable of receiving the wireless signal, you will need to configure the router. This is done via an ethernet link into one of the four wired network ports on the router. As the router and wireless card in your other device have no information about each other, this is a very important stage so make sure you have an ethernet (CAT 4) cable available otherwise you will not be able to proceed. Once you have made this connection, the router will self-configure with your Internet Provider. At this point, you could continue to use the internet with the wired access but, seeing as you have just bought a wireless router, there would be little point in this. Now would be the time to test out your wireless connection by unplugging the ethernet cable and seeing if your router is detected by the wireless device.
I found this stage very simply to complete, I would say that it took 5 minutes to set up with my NTL connection. As I had done my research I had the ethernet cable to hand so I had no nasty surprises. All the setup is carried out via a web form within the router and is very self explanitory.
---Security--
When I had established that the router and wireless device were talking to each other correctly, I wanted to apply some kind of security protocol as soon as possible. If I was to leave the router unsecured, it would mean that anyone in the surrounding area would be able to sit outside the house or in their back gardens and use my internet connection for free. Of course this bring all kinds of problems with it. suddenly, I would be responsible for the content they were browsing.
The Belkin router supports all the major encryption algorithms (WPA and WEP). When creating a security key, I made the mistake of attempting to do this wirelessly. Of course, as soon as I had changed the key on the router, my internet connection was disabled as the key on the router no longer matched the unsecure settings on my device. Luckily I was able to enter the passkey into the software on my device and get my connection back.
I chose the WEP encryption as at the time I had an old Windows 98 PC on my network that didnt support the newer WPA style. Again, I created the WEP code via the in build web browser. The Belkin router asked me for a phrase which it then converted to a series of hexdecimal numbers. There were 13 pairs of these number which was now my security key and would be needed to be entered into each device I wanted to connect to my router.
This stage was more complicated than it should have been as I was trying to enter the pass phrase into the device instead of the hex numbers that were generated. As I installed the router over Christmas, the Belkin support offices were closed so it probably took me a day or two to work this out as it wasnt clear in the manual.
--Usage--
The whole Belkin setup I have has served me very well. I have 2 PC's, a PDA and a PSP connected wirelessly to the router all at the same time as well as a network printer, connected by ethernet cable. All these devices connect perfectly to the router. It is very rare that I need to reset the router (once per month maximum) though I do switch it off overnight. I have found that I need to make sure my cable modem is switched on before the router else sometimes it has problems connecting to the internet. I have tested the range out on my PDA just for experimental purposes. I have no problem browsing the internet from the bottom of my garden and I have also taken the PDA 75 metres up the road and still been able to connect to the router.
I have also used the router for internal connections allowing me to access files on another of my PCs from the main one and vice versa.
-Helpdesk support-
I have had to phone the free Belkin support a couple of times, both when upgrading the firmware. The support technicians at the other end of the line have proved to be friendly and knowledgeable on both occasions and resulted in my getting up and running again in a short time. All support calls are followed up with an email questionnaire which is designed to allow Belkin to improve their service.
--The verdict--
I am more than happy with this product. It has served me well for 18 months now and has proved to be very reliable. It is easily configurable via its web interface should you need to make changes. The four wired ports are more than adequate for the general home user and probably for the same business user too. Although this was the cheapest router on the market at the time I bought mine, it is certainly not cheap in terms of performance. I would recommend this router to anyone who wants to get onto the wireless platform or if anyone is looking to swap their current router. You cannot go wrong with the Belkin router. They are so easy to use, I've even talked somebody who is not computer literate through setting one up over the phone. It probably took 25 minutes in total which goes to prove how easy they are to set up and configure. It is imperative that security is used and this is the area of setup where you are most likely to encounter problems. Take your time with this step and you shouldnt have too many problems.
craggybuk 21.05.2007 (21.05.2007)
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Review of Belkin Wireless G Router F5D7230-4 - wireless router
Advantages: Easy setup, very good performance. Disadvantages: sparse Web site support
...the quicker 802.11g products. The Belkin 54g wireless cable/DSL gateway router is competitively priced but its easy installation, good range, and perfect compatibility with old and new data radios put the router at one of the best around. Add in a built-in firewall, a lifetime warranty, and a six-month subscription to a versatile Web-filtering program for parents, and you have a great all-around solution for distributing Internet access, audio, and ... ...most of the competition, the Belkin 54g wireless cable/DSL gateway router comes with an optional vertical-mounting base. You'll also find recessed holes on the bottom of the router where you can screw it onto a wall or a shelf. With LEDs for power, along with WLAN, LAN, WAN, and Internet connections, the system gives you plenty of information about possible connection problems or errors. The setup of the router is web based; it is very easy to follow ...
mjawales 04.01.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Belkin Wireless G Router F5D7230-4 - wireless router
Advantages: Share an internet connection and files without loads of cables! Disadvantages: Can be tricky to set up, not as fast as I thought it would be with networking
Belkin Wireless router is ideal for sharing an ADSL Internet connection between two or more computer without the use of
cables. All you need is a least one other computer with a ireless network card. You have to plug your broadband modem
into the router and then the router into your main PC and then you can wirelessy connect your other computer to the router so that it can use the same Internet connection. You can set up a home network so you can ... ...happily recommend this router as Belkin makes it which is a highly reputable company. I got a great price and I very happy that I brought one. Considering what this can do, the problems I had are only minor. If the instructions are followed step by step, you won't have any problems. This is a great piece of technology and with the range on this router I can sit in the garden with my laptop and still have a broadband speed
connection! ...
johnsy32 21.06.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Belkin Wireless G Router F5D7230-4 - wireless router
Advantages: Fast speed wired, No connection loss, Less lagg than other routers Disadvantages: Slow wireless connection
I have had this router for a little over 5 months now and before this i had a wireless router from another company (can't remember name or model). i had some problems when playing games over both wired and wireless connection so i went and bought this router from my local computer store. at the time i had 10mb cable connection and i was getting lower speeds than i expected. when i fitted the new router and set up the network (3 computers) in my house ... ...old router (i am not saying this thing will make everyones speed better or faster). now my downloads take a much shorter time to download and i get much less lagg in games and streaming media than i used to.
Wired:
Ports: 4 (can add four computers to the network)
Socket type: RJ-45
Connection: Great connection no loss or drop in signal
Wireless:
Speed: 54 Mbps
Signal Type: IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g
Antena: Single antena, adjustable position
...
pfishers 08.08.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Belkin Wireless G Router F5D7230-4 - wireless router
Advantages: Cheap, reliable, easy to set up Disadvantages: Documentation, software, no ADSL modem
This router is an ideal budget device to share a broadband internet connection between multiple computers. It does not contain a modem of any kind, so it is only suited to NTL or Telewest connections in the UK, as they supply their own modems with network sockets. There may be others I am not aware of, but generally it will not work with any ADSL broadband connections, because the supplied modems generally only have USB connectors, and not network ... ...is one socket to plug the cable modem into (one short network cable is supplied), one socket for the mains power, and four sockets for any computers you wish to connect with a cable.
Out of the box it will "just work" with no setup required - the default settings work perfectly OK with NTL or Telewest systems, though you may have to restart your cable modem to get it to recognise the router has been connected.
However, what you must realise is ...
tcumming 28.09.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Belkin Wireless G Router F5D7230-4 - wireless router
** Belkin Wireless G Router **
When i first moved from PC to Laptop i was still using a bunch of wires to connect to the internet, after a few months I'd had enough and set off to buy a wireless router. As every teenager knows, we'd be lost without our internet right? So i was willing to pay out for a good router, however when i found this one in argos i found i didn't need to pay that much out after all, it cost me around £50 Available from Argos ... ...other stores that stock Belkin products ;
dixons
staples
john lewis
pc world
althought im not sure if they sell exactly the same make
The Belkin Wireless G Router lets you share files and a broadband internet connection among several PCs / Notebooks without using networking cables. It can be used for accessing files such as hard drives, printers, CD-ROMs, and DVDs
The 802.11g model provides you with networking speeds nearly five times faster ...
Sammyantha2k 23.07.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Belkin Wireless G Router F5D7230-4 - wireless router
Product Information for "Belkin Wireless G Router F5D7230-4 - wireless router" »
Manufacturer's product description
The Belkin Wireless G Router lets users share files and a broadband Internet connection among their computers-without using networking cables. It features 802.11g technology that makes accessing files and networked peripherals-such as hard drives, printers, CD-ROMs, and DVDs-easier than ever. 802.11g technology provides you with networking speeds nearly five times faster than the current Wi-Fi (802.11b) standard. An integrated, 4-port 10/100Base-T Ethernet switch also allows you to connect wired computers to the network. 802.11g technology is the easiest wireless network to implement. The Router uses the wireless 802.11g 2.4GHz standard to offer you 400 feet of wireless coverage. 802.11g technology is backward compatible with the 802.11b Wi-Fi networking standard, so it allows you to implement faster wireless technologies in combination with existing 802.11b Wi-Fi networks.
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