Cable Wireless Router Reviews

Review by Doug:

I am not sure what all the others had problems with but my Linksys worked great out of the box. Setting it up I had an issue that was easily fixed by calling tech support,(only 5 min wait and worth it, the technician was very good). My laptop which will be connecting wirelessly was not connecting no matter what I tried. It turns out that you can't run wireless cards and ethernet cards (mine was built in} at the same time because the machine will always default to the ethernet card. Which is exactly what was happening. We removed the driver for the ethernet card and it began to work great right away. Everything else about the setup was fairly simple and went very smooth the directions were easy to understand. I especially liked the quick installation sheet which is what I used to setup with.I highly recommend this product and would buy it again if I had to do it all over. The distance of the wireless machine is really dependent on terrain. But for my two story house it was great. The only weak spot being downstairs in the opposite direction of the linksys base as far as I could go. However it still worked and was quite able to handle downloads even at the weakest point. You just can't go wrong till they come out with a new beakthrough in technology. But even then the prices will be to high in the beginning. For instance the new 802.11a is several hundred dollars more expensive then this machine. And for what you get I just don't need it.This is a winner. The newest version of the product is BEF11S4 VER 2. Many of the reviews done in this section were about the
BEF11S4 its the same model number but lacking the ver.2 after the BEF11S4. The newest version has fixed most of the bugs of the previous version. Good Luck!!! A very satisfied consumer

Review by :

I have read nothing but negative reviews about this product. Has anyone ever seen so much negativity on one product??? It's insane. Despite all this, I decided to put Amazon.com's 30-day return policy to the test and order this anyway. I also ordered the Linksys WPC11 Instant Wireless Network PC Card. I have two computers I networked, a Compaq Presario 600Mhz Intel Celeron Laptop and a Compaq Presario PIII 700Mhz desktop. Only one wireless card was purchased for the laptop; the desktop was plugged in directly to the hub using a CAT5 cable. That's it. So, I spent exactly 0.00 and the price has even seemed to go down more (I may complain about this and try to get a rebate, but that's not the point I want to make here). So, I open it up expecting any of the numerous terrible things so many of the so-called "I've been networking computers for years and this is the worst piece of hardware ever prodcued, folks" experts have to say about it. I was pleasently surprised. It works. The router works very well, which so many people said was a terrible, worthless piece of junk and even the card which was supposed to be fatally flawed works well. It does not drop off after walking 10 feet away, it does not die after the first 5 minutes, it has not crashed either of my computers. Not even once. I've got a cable connection, not DSL. The laptop uses Windows ME and the desktop uses Windows 98. The internet connection was relatively easy. Work slowly. Read the instructions very carefully. I spent about 45 minutes making absolutely certain I had every piece of information ready for the installation. It's all spelled out in the instruction manual so I won't bother going into too much detail here. Just hit START, hit RUN and type "winipcfg". This shows you all of the information you will need to know. Hit "More Information" to make sure you see everything. Also, make sure you install the card first. The biggest problem I had with that is that the drivers aren't in the folder they're supposed to be in on the CD for the card. Just search through the directories of the disk. They're easy to find. The internet connection was easy. Getting the computers to network was more difficult. Luckily, after hours of trying, I realized Windows Millenium has a homenetworking Wizard built in. Once you get the hardware setup and installed correctly, the Home Networking Wizard does the rest. It guides you through the process, then insert a floppy disk to install the networking wizard on your Windows 95 and 98 platform computers. I spent about 4 hours doing all this, but it's only because I am a very careful and meticulous worker. I want to make sure I understand everything thoroughly before I do anything. I recommend this philosophy when installing any kind of network. The Most important thing I can tell you I save for last: the range. This is why I haven't given the product 5 stars. It really is false advertising! It won't go as far as they say it does. The claims are outrageous. However, the range is still acceptable for my needs. I am 75 feet away from the access point as I type this. There are 3 walls and a ceiling in the way. The internet works very well at this distance. I get downloads as fast as I do on my desktop (up to about 100KB/sec which is very fast for the internet). Remember, 1MB/sec is as low as it is supposed to get. Don't let the number 1 fool you! This is still VERY fast. The cable internet cannot handle this speed. We have a T1 at work that doesn't even go that fast. If you are copying a LOT of big files between the two computers then you may run into some problems. A gigabyte will take 16 minutes. Is anyone really trying to copy that much??? Most people aren't, but I can see how some people might. Don't let the fact that the card registers "No Connection" fool you. At great distances the card will register no connection but that's not true. It says no connection right now at 75 feet. I probably can't go more than 75 feet. I went outside with one wall between myself and the access point. I got up to an impressive 250 feet! but, the advertised 400ft? Forget it. No way! In conclusion, the internet works great. It's fast and works all over this house and all over the yard (2 acres). It will suit most peoples' needs as long as you don't live in a house with metal walls (this is a 100% wood structure). The networking works, but not if you want to copy gigantic files on a regular basis at great distances (close distances will work, however, very fast). video games will probably be a little choppy as the distance increases. I can share my desktop's printer. That works great, but the desktop has to be on. Get a print server for 90 bucks to avoid this problem. I am keeping an eye on this thing and plan to use it excessively while the return policy is still valid. I will update my progress with the unit with a followup review, as I have only had it now for 3 days.

Review by D. Naas:

I set this wireless router up for my non-techy parents around Thanksgiving. The setup was probably about half-an hour if you're overly-thorough like me with wanting to check everything out. After the initial setup, the 'rents have not had a bit of trouble connecting wirelessly. I noticed another review (and a comment) mention not being able to make changes to the settings. I didn't experience any of their woes. However, I do remember logging in to the router not being very intuitive and I wonder if that could be causing the issues. I was able to change the default SSID, login password for the router, and setup WPA easily. I set everything up by connecting my laptop directly with an ethernet cord and going to the router's IP address. I didn't use the included software, so I have no idea how well that works. As far as speed goes, I can't tell a difference between this cheapy router and my nice expensive one at home. My parents are only using it for browsing/email, and since they just upgraded from dial-up, they feel like they are flying.

***Update 01/20/09

I just wanted to state that my positive review of this product was not paid for, in light of Belkin's recent pay for reviews scandal (65 cents not really worth my integrity). And my parents still haven't had any problems with this router.

Review by R. Nathaniel:

Just purchased this modem from Wal-Mart for (+tax). After reading the reviews here, I decided to try it out myself. Used the Non-routable IP address (192.168.2.1) to configure the router (since others here had suggested it), used the wired connection first. Then had the wireless up and running. Took about 15-20 minutes. Like any G router, the range is limited, but serves my purpose. Video streaming is excellent. Using WPA for Wireless Security. Was able to change the SSID (problem mentioned by another reviewer). Wired and Wireless working fine so far. Will update if things go bad or SSID disappears (mentioned by another reviewer).

Wired setup, is a breeze...just plug and play...after configuring the LAN using IP address.

The wireless setup is a bit more challenging...for a non-tech savy person like me, but after some trial and error things are sorted out.

Overall, very pleased with the buy. Excellent coverage. Ease of setup is the only drawback, however once done it is easy to use.

Review by Igor Matlin:

I've replaced my Linksys BEFW11S4 router with Netgear MR814, and I have not been disappointed. MR814 has a better range, better user interface, and several features missing from the Linksys model.Setup was very easy - Netgear setup wizard even recognized the type of the broadband connection I have (PPPoE-based DSL). The manual includes a handy table with settings for many US ISPs. Wireless LAN was also up and running in no time.I have no complains about the router operation so far. It's does not drop my PPPoE connection, and is generally *not noticeable* - just like a router should be.Features that make this router stand out in the crowded field of wireless routers: 24x7 tech support and 3yr. warranty, parental controls plus free Zero Knowledge Freedom Personal Firewall software (one-year license for up to 8 computers), and ability to update your dynamic ip address in DynDNS.org database automatically (very handy if you need to connect to your home computer).The only downside I can think of is the size. The unit is larger than many comparable routers, although it is not as tall as others, and can be positioned vertically with the included stand, or mounted on the wall.

Review by :

I recently got this wireless router to replace a Linksys cable/dsl router. The power supply was starting to get noisy after a year or two's use and it was bugging me. So I got the Netgear and I'm extremely satisfied.I was up and running in 5 minutes and that includes the time I spent setting up the security. (I'm very familiar with these type of devices so your results may vary.) The security is very high with this device. You can specify which MAC addresses (and thus network cards) you want to be able to access the wireless network and you can also turn on WEP encryption. Furthermore, you can also turn off the SSID broadcasting which makes your access point act in stealth mode where people would have to know the name (SSID) you configured it with in order to connect. When you combine these three levels of security, you get a great system. Besides security, it also has a much better web interface than the Linksys Cable/dsl router. There are more options for content filtering, logging, firewalls, etc. Besides that, I haven't had to reset it yet while I used to reset my Linksys about once every two weeks or so. This device is just more stable. Previously, when I would try to ftp to the public IP address of my FTP server from inside my LAN, it would hang my Linksys. This works perfectly with the Netgear.To all the geeks out there, this is a great device. Check it out!

Review by D. Duncan:

Did a lot of confusing research on routers. I was at target one day and looked at what they had and had a choice between this and a much more expensive linksys. The employee at target told me that this would be great for my needs. Could not find much info on this particular one but decided to give it a try.

I am definitely not very computer literate, so this was a dream to connect. Just follow the easy directions and CD it supplies. I have an apple computer and vonage phone hooked to the back with ethernet connection (has 4 ports on the back). Then I also have a nintendo wii and sony ps3 that is connected wirelessly. All of these were a breeze to connect. No problems whatsoever. Please note I have not done any online gaming with the ps3 and probably won't. Mainly want internet for updates and the shopping channels so have no idea about gaming lag times. For my purpose it is great. No problems with any connections so far. Hope this helps someone.

Review by yO:

This router and software is VERY user friendly..

I had a bad experience with the new linksys(internal antenna model) and tried this Belkin..Very glad I tried this model..Setup was toooo easy(even the wireless security was a setup dream,,no talking to TEC Support)..This took me 10 mins to setup(with wireless security enabled) and most importantly ,,no dropped wireless signals even after 4 hours..

The linksys (internal antenna model) had to be constantly unpluged and repluged after 1 or two hours...

THIS BELKIN G+MIMO IS THE ONE!!!!

VERY Easy Setup!!!!!

Review by Carlos Emmanuel Batista:

For the price I got this router, it is pretty good although it cuts your speed in half on wireless mode.

Review by Neil Gandhi:

Im sitting on this thing right now. Man oh man...im getting a "very good" signal where my connection used to be dropping...

I used to have a few problems with WiFi. The first problem was obviously the range...as I said a few moments ago, the DIR-655 fixed that...I mean, even though it claims 6x range, but I was going to be happy with just a 25% improvement...I seriously think that this router increased my range 50-75%!

I used to always be frustrated with the lack of settings in many routers. Some would have QoS (Quality of Service...something that can prioritize important internet activity like Voice Over IP...internet phone) but it didnt really work. Some would be lacking in semi-advanced routing features...others would barely have any non-novice features at all...This one has plenty of options for the advanced user to have a lot of fun screwing with settings. The most beautiful thing about it though, is that there is a wizard in the interface so that even the most novice of users can set up a great network with strong security. It also has context sensitive online help...what that is, is when you are trying to adjust settings and you dont know what something means, there is a little help button right there that you can click to get an explanation right then and there! Its kinda like the Yin-Yang of routers...

I want to mention that I have been looking at draft-N routers for a few weeks now and have been reading the reviews. The reason that I am writing this review is that it was so hard for me to find a good review on this router. Cnet doesnt even have an official review (as of 2/13/07) but it does have very positive user comments. From my homework though, (user reviews, and more importantly official reviews from Cnet, engadget, etc) every Draft-N wireless router has some kind of problem. Some dont work well in environments with more than a couple neighboring networks, some dont have good throughput, and some dont have better range. Again, I didn't want to buy this one because I couldn't find any solid review on it. After going through a couple of different Draft-N routers, Let me help you out. This is the one.

BTW...im not running an "N" wireless adapter...this thing even increases the range of "B" and "G" signals. GREAT JOB D-LINK!

Review by Robert Salita:

Very satisfied. Smaller than expected. Fast enough to play HD-DVDs wirelessly to my notebook (Dell Inspiron E1505, 802.11BGN, 945GM, Core Duo (2) 2GHz, Vista Premium, Arcsoft Digital Theater, D-Link DNS-323 NAS). Great speed and coverage. 120 to 240 volts. Also handles HDTV perfectly via HDHomeRun device.

Don't forget to upgrade firmware.

Update 11-Nov-2007: This router may be my biggest gadget surprise this year. It continues to perform better than expected, completely solving all past wireless issues and handling all tasks such as streaming HD-DVD.

Review by Picky Consumer:

Upgrading finally from my B router. Probably the last one in the neighborhood to do so.

There are three versions of the TEW-432BRP (the outer casings look slightly different). They're roughly labelled A, B, and C. I wound up with the C one. Its the best G router i've ever seen, for a few reasons:

1. "Easy CD" actually worked and led me through a wizard that had me running in under 5 minutes. It was even intelligent enough to figure out that my cable company's router needed a reset.

2. When you go into the firmware, there are some interesting and unusual settings you can tweak. It has the usual things like 'dont broadcast ssid' and all the rest of it. But it also had unusual settings that I'd never seen before, like the ability to set the output of its signal at "full power" or "half power" or "quarter" or "eigth" or "minimum". Seemed like an interesting option; I usually sit 10 feet from it, maybe I can reduce the microwaves bombarding my brain? I tried it on the various levels and did throughput tests. Interestingly, it was at "quarter power" that I had the fastest throughput. I dont know why, but I can live with that. I was glad to have that option to reduce the output signal's power level in the router, though.

3. Excellent transmission spread, strong signal, and fast. I know the bottleneck is supposed to be the dsl/cable conneciton itself, but I would swear my browsing is faster and snappier now. And my connection speed to my local network drive improved five-fold (which was why I got a g router in the first place).

Its a great deal under twenty-five on sale.

Review by Vishwa Ramachandran:

The router works fine, but I wish they had specifically told us that the CD that comes along with contains "only" the installation manual and no s/w. Since I had already installed these kinds of wireless router before, I had no problems, but I am pretty sure that a newbie would struggle with it. They must say that one has to open a web browser and point it to the address http://192.168.1.1 and use "admin" as the default user name and passwd to get into the system admin tool s/w.

Review by Photoshop User:

I have this router now for six weeks. Right out of the box it gave me great speed over wired Gigabit ethernet. But over a few days, the speed went down to good ol' dial-up times. Only a router reset gave back the full speed - for a few hours until the problem came up again.

There was long discussion about this problem over at the vendor forum, and finally the issue was solved by Linksys/Cisco (had something to do with UPnP, you don't wanna know the details).

So please do yourself a favor: Buy this router. It is the best device for a home great network with a fast internet connection. BUT immediately after purchase, upgrade the router firmware to Ver 1.0.03 build 10 (release date 08/13/2009). It will save you the trouble I had.

Review by Fourmaples:

I'm your average end user. Not a geek, not a technophobe. I bought this when changing ISP's where the new modem didn't have a wireless router. I have a laptop/docking station, 2 pc's, 1 ethernet 3/1 network printer, and wireless samsung blu ray for streaming pandora and netflix (an excellent device, by the way). I thought the second channel would be good for the streaming media. I had significant trouble getting the linksys router set up. After 3 unsatisfying and lengthy calls to tech support over 10 days and multiple hours spent, I still don't have use of the printer or true interconnectivity of the pcs and laptop. The desktop interface is "pretty" and very intuitive, and the wireless "router-ing" aspect is working fine now. One of the tech support calls had to end because the technician wasn't familiar with the linksys wireless network tool! I wouldn't buy this product again due to the abysmal support. Note to Shah at Cisco support: I'm still waiting for you to call me back "within an hour" as you assured me you would...

Review by ChurchOfJesusChrist.Net:

I think this router might be getting a bad rep on the wireless end, because it comes with a proprietary setting enabled by default that I think does more harm than good. If you have this router and are getting intermittent or no wireless connectivity, and you've verified all your settings are right, try this.

This router (Belkin model F5D7230-4, and other models) has a (proprietary?) feature called "Protected Mode". The default setting on this model (at least the one I got), unlike other models, has that mode set to "Auto" under the Wireless settings, which I take to mean "on". So turn it off. It's wonky, because even tho it's a proprietary feature, there is NO documentation in the router's online "Help" section. However, it IS described in the user's manual:

"As part of the 802.11g specification, Protected mode ensures proper operation of 802.11g clients and access points when there is heavy 802.11b traffic in the operating environment. When protected mode is ON, 802.11g scans for other wireless network traffic before it transmits data. Therefore, using this mode in environments with HEAVY 802.11b traffic or interference achieves best performance results. If you are in an environment with very little--or no--other wireless network traffic, your best performance will be achieved with Protected mode OFF."

Okay, so if it works best off, why does it ship in "Auto" mode? Turn it off. On other models, by default it does ships with the feature "off".

Basically, I recommend setting this router up as simply as possible, but still having wireless encryption, of course.. So here are my further recommendations for setting this up. There's another (proprietary?) feature called "Turbo" mode. Again, no description of this on the interface itself, but it is described in the manual:

"Turbo mode is enabled by default. It allows the Router or Access Point to use frame bursting to deliver the maximum throughput, 2 times faster than any standard 802.11g equipment, to 802.11g clients. This measurement is based on aggregate throughput in a mixed 802.11b and 802.11g environment. Belkin 802.11g clients with the latest driver will support Turbo mode. Clients that do not support Turbo mode will operate normally with it enabled."

Again, I recommend turning it off. I also recommend deleting "Belkin Router" from the "domain" section under (I think) LAN settings, just keeping that field blank, and leaving wireless Channel as Auto (default choice, which normally goes to Channel 11 in the USA). And, as with any wireless rouer, you DEFINITELY want to put in a new wi-fi network name (SSID). Change the default SSID to something impersonal, but still unique. Further recommendations are keeping the thing well-ventilated, such as propping it up (securely) at an angle so air flows below it, above, and around the sides, and adjust the antenna of course then so it is vertical. Another thing I did was to turn Range Extension on, but I'm not sure that's necessary or if it just creates unnecessary heat, but since my friend was across the country, I was trying to pull out all the stops.

I chose this router for a friend (who purchased it on their own, and then I set it up). I chose it because it was the cheapest one in the store, and Belkin is a generally respected name when it comes to all their equipment (if often having the reputation of being a little expensive), and my past knowledge of their reputation with routers was good. Even though they don't make them themselves, but farm them out to others, their choices in the past have been good.

I initially set the router up at my home. I noticed that I had trouble connecting using Vista's wireless connection wizard, and I hate wizards and Vista's "wow" crap in general, so I got frustrated and found a "connect manually" choice, which was a whole lot easier for me, and after that, I was able to connect fine wirelessly for that time I was setting it up. However, my friend took it home and reported back that the laptop wasn't connecting, then it did, and then it stopped after a few minutes. Only then did I come to Amazon and read the reviews, where I saw so many others having similar issues. I suspected Protected and/or Turbo modes, so I did a little research, which confirmed my suspicions. I read a review of a similar Belkin router, the following excerpt summing it succinctly: "[Protected Mode] seems to make the network invisible to wireless devices you may be trying to set up for the first time".

With my friend having gone home (across the country), I was relieved to find this router has a remote admin mode (called Remote Management in the router). I learned this by downloading the User Manual. The manual doesn't have great screen shots, and my friend is not tech-savvy, but after only moderate pain, I had them successfully enable Remote Management, and tell me the WAN IP address (which, strangely enough, is nowhere to be found under WAN Settings--you have to go to the "Home" page of the interface, and it tells you there). I was then able to plug their WAN IP address into my browser, and wham--I'm signing in and configuring their router from across the country (we had set up an Admin Password together before leaving--very important).

So after disabling Protected and Turbo modes remotely, and doing my other recommendations above, my friend's laptop then connected immediately and automatically, with no action on their part (I had originally set up the laptop with the router when my friend was here). The connection now seems reliable and strong. My friend commented that it seemed fast.

I think this is a good router for a beginner or someone who wants to purchase & config it for a less-advanced user. First, it looks cool in person, which means a surprising amount to newbies (frustratingly), but more importantly, the interface is very easy to understand, and well laid-out and not intimidating or illogical, unlike some of D-Link's later interfaces. Part of that is the logical layout itself. Some part of that is the absence of a lot of advanced features most people will never use, such as being able to tweak the Beacon and Broadcast Interval settings on wireless. However, the truly important advanced features seem to be there, such as MAC address filtering (both wired and wireless, where some routers won't let you filter wired MAC addies), Remote Admin, and the standard fare. The only thing I noticed that i'd like to see would be an option to completely disable the radio from the interface (because apparently the antenna is non-removable/non-upgradeable), but then again, you CAN set the radio to not broadcast its SSID (network name).

I liked this router enough that I only half-jokingly offered to my friend to trade my current router for this one--an offer which was promptly declined!

The router has 4 or 5 wired network ports in the back. It feels very lightweight. I didn't see any holes for airflow or heat management and it does not stand on its side, which is why I recommended leaning it against something on an angle (airflow is an issue on most home routers). The LED light array on the front seemed less obnoxious than D-Link's. For wi-fi encryption, I chose WPA-PSK. The password field is less confusing than some other brands, and it lets you choose either a hexadecimal or plain-text password, and it doesn't make you fill up all 64 or 128 characters, unlike some other brands I've seen IIRC, which can ironically make for a more complex password in some cases, because people can pick a long phrase they can actually remember. The passphrase we chose was long and plain-text, but did not use all the characters allowed, and it worked just fine with the Vista laptop.

Further recommendation: if you're not a newbie, you'll know you don't have to run that silly "installation CD" that comes with the router. They REALLY encourage you to run the CD before you do ANYTHING, even before plugging in the router. It is obviously aimed at trying to cut down on the amount of tech support calls, which in spirit is a good idea. However, this gives new users the impression that routers need some kind of "driver" to work properly on a computer, which isn't true. Although the CD is probably nothing more than a glorified Computer-Based Training session, I wish they'd just provide a real manual instead (they do provide a paper Quick Start Guide). However, newbies will probably appreciate the interactive guidance and it does sound like a good idea for them. I don't know how many other companies are doing this now (nothing similar came with the 2 other routers I've bought, although the second one did have a "Wizard" built into the interface), but this could be a value-added feature for beginners who don't have a generous computer-savvy friend.

The default gateway address for this router is 192.168.2.1, not the traditional ~.0.1. This is good, because most DSL and cable modems are now selfishly commandeering ~.0.1. Another good thing is that I was able to do either all or almost all interface functions in Mozilla (Firefox of Seamonkey) browsers. I think there may have been one screen where I needed to switch to IE, though; I can't remember. I know that tonight when I did remote admin for my friend, I didn't have any problem. I made a bookmark for 192.168.2.1 in my friend's Mozilla browser before leaving, and named it "Router". This way, I could just tell them to drop down Bookmarks, and choose "Router" when the inevitable tech support call came.

I didn't bother updating the firmware, because I usually don't mess with firmware unless something's not working right--and I almost did so tonight in attemt to solve the wireless problem. Since updating firmware usually resets all previous settings (and often, backed-up settings [which this router allows you to do] won't work in newer firmware versions [somewhat defeating the purpose of backup settings, I think]), and we got it working right, I left it on the original firmware. The firmware version it shipped with was 9.01.05, and the latest version is 9.01.07--not too far off, and from August 8, 2007--pretty recent as of this writing, so as of this writing, the firmware is still being actively developed.

That's about it, as far as commenting on things I haven't seen in other reviews. One last comment could be that DSL modems now commonly act more like cable modems, from the perspective that you don't have to input all that PPoE information directly into the routers anymore, and you can leave the router's WAN configuration in "Dynamic" (i.e. standard cable modem). The DSL modems I've seen recently give you the option of letting the router handle the PPoE info, or the modem, and I strongly recommend letting the modem handle it--it's just easier in multiple ways. So what I mean is don't necessarily set this router's WAN setting up as "PPoE" just because you have DSL. "Dynamic", the default setting, is much easier if you can let the DSL modem handle that. For most cable users, this and most other routers will pick up the cable modem automatically.

Final thoughts: cable modems and DSL modems need to be power cycled (unplug, wait 10-15 seconds, plug back in) to change network devices (i.e. changing from a computer directly plugged into the cable modem, to attaching your router). I'm sure this is covered in the guidance CD, but it's worth mentioning. Also, with reviews on any router, you're going to see a lot of people having reliability problems, and it's usually going to focus around wireless. So if horrified by the reviews, make sure to check out other routers' reviews as a reality check. Also, different routers will tend to have people of different skill levels using them, which I think can affect review ratings. In this router's case, it draws many new and less-skilled users, who have more difficulty, as configuring a router is going to probably be the most complex thing an average user ever does with a computer. What routers do, even (especially?) home routers, is actually incredibly complex, and it's a minor miracle they are available at such low prices, as they are like mini computers in their own right. That is the other reason for so many bad reliability reviews with routers in general, far worse than with other products.

Conclusion: a nice router with a good, understandable interface, for a good price, which has most of the advanced features most people will need, and therefore very good for the beginner or average-needs advanced user. Sad that one or two simple but badly-chosen default settings are apparently causing a lot of trouble and making the router seem less reliable than it is. Armed with the knowledge in this review as a proviso, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this router. BTW, tier 1 tech support, though free and on a toll-free number, is apparently Asian Indian from what I've read, and not very helpful. This product gets 4 stars, not 5, because of that, and the obvious problem-causing default setting.

Review by The Grumpy Hacker:

I bought this Belkin wireless router to see if it'd work with my company's VPN so I could work from home because the two Netgear routers I've tried only let me do it wired--not wirelessly. I'm happy to say the Belkin does indeed let me do VPN wirelessly! I was also happy about how easy it was to set up--after I realized I needed to totally unplug my cable modem first. I've had continuous, error-free connections since plugging it in, and I'm even getting slightly better signals through walls and floors, using a mix of b and g equipment.

There are a few features I don't like about, or are missing from, this Belkin as compared to other brands I've used--I'll just list the major ones here: 1) Anyone on your network, whether they're allowed on it or not, can see certain configuration information on the web interface because it's not password-protected. 2) You can't see a list of associated wireless devices. 3) You can't set whether you want to use only open or only shared key WEP (you also can't set some other advanced wireless settings that D-Link is known for, such as transmit power). 4) You can't see details of what was happening in the security logs (e.g. it says "Blocked by DoS protection" but you don't know what was actually blocked. 5) You can't manually release/renew the dynamic IP of the router. 6) You can't turn off NTP or specify the server.

It also has some features I like that my Netgear routers don't have, like the ability to specify a local domain name, restart and reset the router from the web interface, and set DHCP lease time.

The only problem I've had with it is it doesn't allow the 802.11b bridge I have to do DHCP. I can set a static IP and it works fine, though, so I'm not too upset about it. Also, I can't comment on the parental controls since you have to subscribe to activate them.

Review by dizhu:

This is a replacement for D-Link DIR-655 which is not stable under heavy load and will hang up from time to time. This router performs very well under the same circumstances. Straightforward web page which I think is a plus. 3COM provides networking products to business users and their home products are in same high quality in my opinion.

UPDATE: If you are using bittorrent, set firewall to medium security level to avoid over zealously dropping p2p packets.

Review by Alexandre Laroche:

I used linksys and dlink in past. The linksys is dead after 6 months and the dlink just drop connection every 5 minutes.

Most of new linksys users say the connection drop every 5 minutes so I guess it's a firmware problem since I had no problem with the old one.

No more dropping packets with 3COM. This router is stable and faster than any dlink/linksys. The problem about dlink/linksys routers is the firmware, they don't want to fix it, last upgrade was in 2007 ..

I recommand this router to any small buisiness and home users. I'm not a wireless user but I tested it. Short range (like normal routers) but you have an option "protected mode" to reduce interference and to get better wireless performance for people that don't live in a house. If you live in a house then just keep it off to get best performance. It's to avoid interference with other wireless routers.

Cons : There is some bug with firefox ONLY to configure the router. Exemple, you can't set WPA2/AES (only TKIP) with firefox but you can do it with explorer. This router is not plug-n-play but you only have to type 192.168.1.1 in your browser (I recommand Internet Explorer only to configure it) then you get an user friendly wizard to configure it.