Product

Review:

Belkin N Wireless Router

Reviewed by: Jason Gillard

Wireless routers are now a reality for most people.  With all the gadgets out there that have some sort of Wi-Fi capability it’s almost a guarantee that you need a wireless router.  Today I am going to review Belkin’s N Wireless Router (F5D8233-4).  Previous to this I had been using a Netgear router.  With that particular router I was having problems with it dropping connections.  I also found that the range on it was not that great, and that was probably because the antennas on that router were internal and not external. 

Most routers I have owned in the past were pretty boring looking.  They were usually grey or silver with not much going for them.  The Belkin router is really nice.  It has a glossy black casing.  All of the icons on the front are bright blue led’s.  These icons on the front tell you information about your network (Security, Wireless, Wired, Modem, Internet) so if there is a problem you can know at a glance what that problem is.  The router comes with a network cable but it’s pretty short, so hopefully you’re placing it next to the modem.

Installation of this router had to be one of the simplest installations of a router I have had. Basically in less than 10 minutes I had it set up and connecting to the Internet.  It comes with a CD that has a setup program that guides you through everything.  So all you have to do is plug the cable from your modem into the Belkin router and pop in the CD and follow the instructions.  It’s as simple as that.  The router comes with a simple diagram that details these steps and was easy to follow. 

Once it is setup and working you can log into the router via a web browser and set up all your settings.  So I proceeded to set up the security and change the SSID.  Again everything was a breeze and I noticed there seemed to be a lot more options compared to wireless routers I have owned in the past.

To test this router at N speeds and range, I was going to use my Macbook.  It has the N capability built right in.  It was easy for the Macbook to connect to the router.  All I had to do was enter the password that I set up earlier and it was connected.  Since the computer is in the basement and I tend to use the laptop upstairs that was the first place I went.  With my old router it had trouble penetrating the floors and I would get about half the signal strength.  I should mention that the old router was an N router as well.  Well when I got upstairs and opened the Macbook, I was pleased to see a full signal.  I checked the connection speed and it said 300mbs!  So I went to Apple’s QuickTime site to load up an HD trailer.  In case you’re wondering I watched the trailer for The Golden Compass.  It was able to stream and actually keep up with out stopping it to buffer.  I was impressed!  I also found that everywhere I went in my house the signal was just as strong.  In my books that’s what you want in a wireless router.  I doubt I would be going outside with my laptop, and I wouldn’t be doing it at this time of year anyway or I might end of freezing it.

Overall if you’re looking for a wireless N router, you should take a look at this router from Belkin.  It’s easy to setup, has great range and speed.  It worked well with my Mac, which some routers have trouble with.  Plus it looks nice if that’s important to you.

Highly Recommended.