3Com - Mind Blowing Wireless Range!

Advantages: Awesome Value for Money, Great Setup Utility
Disadvantages: Not the best looking object in the world!

...When you purchase an all-in-one solution for broadband in your home these days, you want something that will sit in the background, quietly providing you with fast broadband - whether wired to your desktops, wireless to your laptops or networked to a whole range of bandwidth hungry appliances. You want it to work and you want it to be reliable and of course it must be simple to set-up. The 3Com OfficeConnect Wireless Router ticks all these requirements. I originally purchased one for a client, and I was surprised at how easy the installation was, especially since they used dreaded AOL! Many manuals for routers are usually of two distinct formats: horrendously complicated jargon-spewing bohemoths aimed at network professionals with accreditation from Cisco, or are partonising pamphlets covering the "perfect" install, which we all know...

Radical-Machine 14.07.2006 · Read review
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Review of 3Com OfficeConnect Wireless 11g Cable/DSL Router - wireless router

3Com OfficeConnect Wireless 11g Access Point

Advantages: Bargain bundle with wireless card for my laptop
Disadvantages: Just an access point, no modem/hub/etc

...I use the 3Com OfficeConnect Wireless 11g Access Point in my home wireless network, and bought it as part of a bundle with a laptop wireless card - check my other reviews to see if I've got round to reviewing that too... It used the IEEE 802.11g standard (data transfer speeds of up to 54Mbps), plus is backwards compatible with IEEE 802.11b (upto 11Mbps) so works with older equipment (such as a slightly outdated laptop from a previous employer) with no problems. The included CD installed all the necessary drivers very quickly and also contains all the manuals in PDF format. Once the drivers were installed, the configuration wizard runs in a standard web browser. This involves configuring IP addresses, encryption settings, DHCP settings and other techy bits and bobs. This was pretty straightforward, although a basic knowledge...

matt_fantastic 02.04.2006 · Read review
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Review of 3Com OfficeConnect Wireless 11g Access Point

Great Mid-Range router

Advantages: Good price, reliable, lifetime warranty, easy setup
Disadvantages: No way to add an external antenna

...I bought the 3Com router after having countless problems with my previous router (Linksys WAG354G *shudder*). The set-up is suprisingly easy to be honest, especially with the step-by-step instruction booklet (only a few pages long, and in 5 or 6 languages). All that was needed was to plug in the ADSL filter (into the landline socket), connect the line to the back of the router, plug in the power supply and connect the ethernet cable (the large-ish square one) to the pc and router respectively. Then all that's left is to run the, very easy, set-up wizard. If my memory serves me right it's accessed by going to http://192.168.1.1 from your internet browser. The basic information needed is time/date settings, ISP username/password settings, a password for the WiFi (or use the automatically generated one) and a few other bits...

mr_lee_06 12.09.2007 · Read review
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Review of 3Com OfficeConnect ADSL Wireless 54 Mbps 11g Firewall Router - wireless router

Belkin - High-Speed Mode Wirless G Router

Advantages: High speed sharing of internet connection. Free on-line and phone help
Disadvantages: A bit tricky to set up for me at first..

...though they kept saying, "it's up to you mate, but we can put it downstairs and you can use a wireless router." That, I thought, would have meant opening my brand new computer and putting in a wireless PCI card. No way was I prepared to do that. I wanted my new machine to be wired and my wife's to connect wirelessly, so with a few sighs they set about installing the cable where I wanted it. After considerable furniture shifting in our bedroom so that the cable could be routed through it (no pun intended), we had our first connection and got it working. The very next day - I'm a glutton for punishment - we went out to look at some routers. The Belkin G router, is what the helpful assistant in PC World advised us to get as we were connected to cable broadband with NTL. Questions I had were, "will the wireless connection connect...

derek-j-a 25.09.2005 · Read review
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Review of Belkin Wireless Cable/DSL Gateway Router wireless router

Belkin 54g Wireless Cable/DSL Router

Advantages: Mut's Nuts Fast
Disadvantages: Not idiot proof

...Q - HELP! A - RTFM. OK! But if you can't be bothered to read the manual then you can always ring the freephone helpline, somewhere in punjhabi-land, they understand that you are English - and end up calling their "rowter" a "rooter" - so by the end of the call ... (allow a/b*c =t where a = idiot level; b=have you read the manual, c=phone charge and t=time spent wasted where you should have done b) ... you are up and running. And there you are - one fully functional Mut's Nuts wireless network. We chose wireless to - - save drilling holes in floors, ceilings and walls - running cables through heating ducts and some holes. We chose Belkin ' cos at the time of purchase we could get all the bits for a whole network** all in the same shop*. * Use PCW at your peril, as ever. They insisted we needed a wireless...

DaveLloyd180 21.08.2004 (26.09.2004) · Read review
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Review of Belkin Wireless G Router F5D7230-4 - wireless router

A Wireless Cable ?

Advantages: Cheap, Easy Setup
Disadvantages: Poor WiFi Coverage, Limited sofwtare features

...When my old Netgear wireless router broke down (for the fourth time) at the beginning of December I decided that enough was enough. A trip to PC world saw me return with one of these puppies (and £60 lighter in the pocket). 30 minutes after getting home saw my Internet access and wireless network reinstated. Yup, 30 minutes was really all it took, and that included unwrapping it, fiddling round with the power supply & cables as well as some basic configuration. This was helped along by the excellent quick-start guide on a large, fold-out sheet with it's clearly numbered and documented steps. At about the size of a large-format paperback, it's middle of the road in terms of size. Aesthetically it's not going to win any prizes, but it does the job. There are screw-holes on the base to allow for wall-mounting should you desire...

LegendaryMrDude 30.12.2004 · Read review
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Review of Belkin 54g Wireless Cable/DSL Router

I have a lot to say: GREAT GREAT GREAT

Advantages: Seamless networking, consistent speed, easy, EASY, install : )
Disadvantages: Plastic casing, Just like retro machines : (

...This was the first purchase of its kind on my part so I have no other similar routers to compare it to, except the ADSL modem which is supplied with my tiscali broadband. The router unit was originally, purchased to allow us to share the internet connection throughout the household, it has never ceased to impress me. I sure this is exactly what happens with everyone, we take the product out of the box, and the static bags and what have you, and immediately our intuition kicks in and we start plugging in cables. The correct set-up is easy enough to achieve, even without the instruction manual, (which is printed in very small print, in black and white so it wasn't too appealing in the first place.) I had connected all the cable and was ready to do away with my unreliable overheating tiscali ADSL modem. I turned on the power to...

Askluke 31.12.2006 · Read review
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Review of 3Com OfficeConnect ADSL Wireless 54 Mbps 11g Firewall Router - wireless router

Belkin F5D7230 Wireless ADSL Modem Router

Advantages: Easy Set-up, Simple Interface, Good Performance
Disadvantages: 'Just Right' positioning required

...I purchased this router to enable me to use my laptop to access the internet both in my bedroom and elsewhere around the house at the same time as my mum was using the desktop PC, and also to avoid the need for trailing wires. I was hesitant at first as the £76.00 it cost was expensive, but I am glad I spent the money now. My laptop already had a wireless card, so all I needed to do was purchase a pci LAN card for my desktop and I was ready to go. It took about 10 minutes to set up the router. I just plugged it in, connected the broadband microfilter and RJ11 cable, hooked it up to the desktop and it was ready. The quick-start guide was useful to a point, however it did not explain the settings well. Fortunately though, the user interface is quite helpful and the settings are pretty self-explanatory. Accessing the router...

patwanet 18.08.2005 · Read review
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Review of Belkin 54g Wireless Cable/DSL Router

Speed, Reliability and Control - All in One Router

Advantages: Fast, Reliable and Easy to Administer
Disadvantages: 802.11b may be difficult to setup as opposed to 802.11g

...modem (Internet Service Provider ?NTL?) into the Router via an Ethernet cable and then connected an Ethernet cable from the Router to my Computer. Straight away without having to configure anything, I was able to access the internet from my computer via the router. (Under Windows XP.) This Router uses 802.11g technology and although ?Belkin? claim that it also supports 802.11b (a slightly older and slower technology),I have heard of a few people who have had problems connecting 802.11b devices to the Router so if you are going to buy this router I would stick to wireless network cards that support 802.11g. I was able to setup my Laptop via a PCMCIA wireless network card and other PC via a USB wireless networking device within minutes, both of which supported 802.11g technology. Currently in my home there is no need for me to take any...

janemenagh 29.12.2004 · Read review
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Review of Belkin 54g Wireless Cable/DSL Router

belkin 54g router.

Advantages: durable.
Disadvantages: can cut out without warning leaving you to troubleshooting it.

...The belkin 54g wireless router is very good when it comes to a strong signal, yet i still find it immensly annoying!!! When its running smoothly, it is no problem what so ever, but every now and then, maybe once every week or so, the signal will cut out for no reason and you will find yourself VERY frustrated when trying to retrieve it. apart from this minor annoyance, the belkin is generally a very good piece of kit for your money. I payed around £50 for mine, and havent regretted it too much yet. the quality is OK but not amazing, its built well as i found out when i trod on mine, not even a crack appeared, there was nothing damaged what so ever... wich impressed me because it looks plastic and cheap. the belkin is very easy to use and can easily be reset with the little push button on the back if it does decide to go a bit off...

gregory-j 25.08.2008 · Read review
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Review of Belkin 54g Wireless Cable/DSL Router