Is a Belkin router really that bad?

[kc7jty]

I was going to buy a Belkin G router today for the new laptop but the salesman told me they were crapola. I went with a Lynksis N ultra range plus, but on Roadrunner Lite it probably won't make a difference. Maybe better range?

Anyway the thing was on sale and I got an additional 10% off with an on line coupon. $100 -$20 -$8 = $72.

Can I run an older G laptop with this N router?

[ad4mg]

I was going to buy a Belkin G router today for the new laptop but the salesman told me they were crapola. I went with a Lynksis N ultra range plus, but on Roadrunner Lite it probably won't make a difference. Maybe better range?

Anyway the thing was on sale and I got an additional 10% off with an on line coupon. $100 -$20 -$8 = $72.

Can I run an older G laptop with this N router?
Absolutely! They are backwards compatible. I had a Belkin WAP once, it did a good job, but it ran quite hot. Replaced it with a Linksys WAP54G router. The Linksys routers have served me well ... I still use two WAP11's to bridge the networks between the house and the shack out in the garage. Those things are probably 8 or 9 years old, and they are 802.11b WAP's.

Make sure to turn on WAP encryption, and it is best to use the MAC address filtering as well. This will help keep others from using your broadband connection. And, change the default admin password in the router, too. The setup program should offer enough help to get you through this. Run that setup on a computer that is hard wired to the router. Linksys has a setup available through your web browser, so you don't have to actually install additional software to set the router up. In the past, the default IP for the router was 192.168.1.1, and all you had to do was type that IP in the address bar in your browser to get to the setup utility.

Have fun with the new toys!

[AE1PT]

My experience with Belkin wireless routers is that the have a tendency to run hot (as previously noted), momentarily drop connections, can freeze up requiring a reboot, and have an internal IP conflict with various Embarq ADSL modems.

They can also arbitrarily reset themselves, and unexpectedly die a year or two into deployment. I ditched mine some time back--as I think that many of the problems are due to the heating issue...

[kc7jty]

tnx folks

[kf0rt]

Does Belkin actually make anything? I was always under the impression that they're a "middleman" marketing outfit for cheap Chinese made goods.

[kc7jty]

I just took this thingie outta the box:
http://ces.cnet.com/i/bto/20080106/Linksys_WRT160N_540x343.JPG
Linksys WRT160N

[N1LAF]

My experience with Belkin wireless routers is that the have a tendency to ... momentarily drop connections, can freeze up requiring a reboot, and have an internal IP conflict with various Embarq ADSL modems.

They can also arbitrarily reset themselves, and unexpectedly die a year or two into deployment. ...
How is this different from the Linksys WET54G?



... and unexpectedly die a year or two into deployment.
The Netgear wireless print server was notorious for this.


I recently setup a Belkin router for a friend, bought from the evil Walmart store. Easy to set up, and surprised of the options it had for setup, such as option to be a wireless access point. Do this, connect to WAN connector, autosetup (on Netgear router), and you can bridge networks.

[kc7jty]

Took me 2 hours on the phone with India then the Phillipines to get the Lynksis router functioning properly.
NUTZ!!

Posted with laptop, edited with desktop, so I guess they are both working now.

[N2NH]

Took me 2 hours on the phone with India then the Phillipines to get the Lynksis router functioning properly.
NUTZ!!

Posted with laptop, edited with desktop, so I guess they are both working now.

Sounds about right. Same thing happened here with the router I had when I started up. I hate to tell you how long I was on to set up my HP printer which is still not working the way it should.
:wall

[kc7jty]

Took me 2 hours on the phone with India then the Phillipines to get the Lynksis router functioning properly.
NUTZ!!

Posted with laptop, edited with desktop, so I guess they are both working now.

Sounds about right. Same thing happened here with the router I had when I started up. I hate to tell you how long I was on to set up my HP printer which is still not working the way it should.
:wall
Same thing with a friend of mine who had a Lynksis router a couple years ago.

This time with me it was an American sounding gal, a guy in India, & a woman in the Phillipines. Constantly pulling and reconnecting plugs (everyone imaginable) over and over. Then when they knew they finally got it right they wanted $10 to get into my machine and finish it. I said I didn't want to spend any money so they said OK & I finished it myself, with their assistance, that took only 3 minutes.
http://marilyn.indstate.edu/~vijaysomu/ ... Finger.jpg (http://marilyn.indstate.edu/~vijaysomu/funny/JonnyCashFinger.jpg)

[KC2UGV]

All the issues I've seen arise in setting up linkshit routers came from using that CD to set it up. If you go right to the web interface for it, it's usually a snap.

[kc7jty]

All the issues I've seen arise in setting up linkshit routers came from using that CD to set it up. If you go right to the web interface for it, it's usually a snap.
I believe it.

[kf0rt]

Let us know how it works out, Bill.

I use Linksys WRT54 hardware here, but with DD-WRT firmware. It's amazing, and works quite well.

[KC2UGV]

Let us know how it works out, Bill.

I use Linksys WRT54 hardware here, but with DD-WRT firmware. It's amazing, and works quite well.

Make sure it's the WRT54G-L if you wanna do the DD-WRT. And +1 vote for DD-WRT.

[kc7jty]

I can't get the users guide to display from the disc due to some Adobe glitch.
I'll have to try to view it from the HP laptop. I currently have WPA security that the lady in the Philippines gave me, but want to go to WEP and have no idea how to do it

[W2NAP]

ill toss in, im connected to a belkin54g atm (not sure the model) but it has ran for a year only issues has been due to comcrap

[ad4mg]

I can't get the users guide to display from the disc due to some Adobe glitch.
I'll have to try to view it from the HP laptop. I currently have WPA security that the lady in the Philippines gave me, but want to go to WEP and have no idea how to do it
Stay with the WPA encryption, it's much more secure than WEP. WEP is old, and is easily cracked!

[kb2crk]

i have tried the belkin but at the time it did not have the range i needed. i then went to the linksys and it did barely have the necessary range. added two range extenders and it took off.
since then i have been using the linksys routers. i do use belkin wireless cards in the laptops and they are over 2 years old and i have had no issues with them.

[n6hcm]

i have a belkin n1 ap/router and i'm afraid i can't recommend it. while the range is good and i get excellent throughput, it wedges up pretty regularly when used with other 802.11n (draft) clients. there hasn't been a firmware update for the model i have in well over a year--they could be holding out for the 802.11n standard but i doubt it.

[kf0rt]

Belkin is on my "do not buy" list.

Why? Because they sell overpriced crap (USB cables, etc.) and don't respond to customer comments. They are one of the very few companies I've tried to contact with a complaint, and their response was nil. My impression is that they remarket Chinese crap, and make a fortune doing it. "Gold" USB cables for $35 is their forte'.

Linksys is now owned by Cisco; probably the best known name in Internet routing. As far as I know, the core Linksys firmware is still Linksys -- it doesn't seem to have changed much since the takeover. The hardware itself is solid (but cheap) and many "hacks" have been applied to their little WRT54 series routers. It's a solid platform, and you can buy perfectly usable WRT routers on eBay all day long for about $35 (I've done it).

No experience with Belkin routers here; never used one. I've got three WRT54's that have been converted to DD-WRT, and they all work great.

Repeater mode... man, that's some interesting stuff!

[n6hcm]

i've had no trouble with other belkin products. the key is to buy during several periods during the year when they have half off sales. solid usb and firewire hubs ... kvms ... pretty decent. but, not so much for 802.11* service.