Belkin Wireless G Plus MIMO Router wireless router

...so much nicer to sit in on the sofa working than it is to sit at a desk and when it's nice outside it's a bonus to be able to sit in the fresh air. Also another plus to this router is that Belkin sell it with a lifetime warranty.  ... more

After getting my laptop last year and knowing that I already had a wi-fi adaptor installed I was keen to go out and buy a wireless router so that I could enjoy being hooked up to my laptop whilst not being confined to being sat in the spare room - especially not as it was winter!!

So off I went to look at the routers available. At this point I should say I had never even looked at routers before and didn't really have a clue as to what I was needing or even for that matter wanted!! I looked through a lot of the catalogues that had mini guides in them and from what I understood there were 3 types of router to buy depending on how far you want the signal to reach and how powerful it will be. I didn't really want the lowest one as I didn't want to be paying out again at a later date to then upgrade and I couldn't really afford the top notch one either so the middle size it was!!

So what size is it?
Well the router I have is a wireless G router as mentioned in the title which in terms of size means the signal strength can go that little bit further. In fact I can sit in the garden which is the furthest point away from my wireless router and still get a decent enough signal to be on the Internet smoothly.

Connecting it:
To get started using your laptop wireless you have to actually connect the router up first to your Internet connection. This is actually quite simple and quick to do and all the instructions are in the box enabling you to do this along with the installation CD which guides you through the whole thing! The basics of it is simply by connecting your wireless router to both your Internet modem and your laptop at the same times it connects the two and then once you unplug it all after installing it can then connect through your wireless router rather than you having to be plugged into your modem.
It is overall very easy to install and if you do have problems there is a number to ring for assistance.

So does it work?
In a nutshell yes it works!
I can sit in any room and still get a great signal so cannot fault it at all. In my current home there would be no need for me to upgrade to a better router as the signal is brilliant in which ever room I am in. The only downside which I think is more to do with my modem than anything else is sometime it will just kick me out of the Internet for no reason at all but if you just turn if off at the mains and straight back on again it sorts the problem out instantly!

Design:
The router I have I personally think is very nice as it is a light grey/silver colour and is quite compact - the whole thing is just under 15cms long and only 7cms wide and is quite flat too. The aerials are two small stumps attached to the back with one on either side that can be moved up or down so it isn't an eye sore where ever you have it!

Price:
For my router I paid £50 from Argos which is not too bad but do shop around as prices may have gone down by now since I bought mine last year.

Overall opinion:
I would recommend anyone who uses a laptop to get themselves wireless as it is so much nicer to sit in on the sofa working than it is to sit at a desk and when it's nice outside it's a bonus to be able to sit in the fresh air. Also another plus to this router is that Belkin sell it with a lifetime warranty. 

...less