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Product details
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
The Router
Whats In the Box?
There are no real surprises inside the box, you get the router itself, a mains power supply, an instruction book which is surprisingly good for an electrical product and a CD which contains all the necessary drivers and a more in-depth manual.
Setting up the router
Before you can connect to the router wirelessly, you need to have some form of wireless capability on your other device (desktop PC, laptop, PDA, games console, etc) I would recommend you install any necessary components on these devices first.
When you have a device capable of receiving the wireless signal, you will need to configure the router. This is done via an ethernet link into one of the four wired network ports on the router. As the router and wireless card in your other device have no information about each other, this is a very important stage so make sure you have an ethernet (CAT 4) cable available otherwise you will not be able to proceed. Once you have made this connection, the router will self-configure with your Internet Provider. At this point, you could continue to use the internet with the wired access but, seeing as you have just bought a wireless router, there would be little point in this. Now would be the time to test out your wireless connection by unplugging the ethernet cable and seeing if your router is detected by the wireless device.
Security
When I had established that the router and wireless device were talking to each other correctly, I wanted to apply some kind of security protocol as soon as possible. If I was to leave the router unsecured, it would mean that anyone in the surrounding area would be able to sit outside the house or in their back gardens and use my internet connection for free. Of course this bring all kinds of problems with it. suddenly, I would be responsible for the content they were browsing.
The Belkin router supports all the major encryption algorithms (WPA and WEP). When creating a security key, I made the mistake of attempting to do this wirelessly. Of course, as soon as I had changed the key on the router, my internet connection was disabled as the key on the router no longer matched the unsecure settings on my device. Luckily I was able to enter the passkey into the software on my device and get my connection back.
I chose the WEP encryption as at the time I had an old Windows 98 PC on my network that didnt support the newer WPA style. Again, I created the WEP code via the in build web browser. The Belkin router asked me for a phrase which it then converted to a series of hexdecimal numbers. There were 13 pairs of these number which was now my security key and would be needed to be entered into each device I wanted to connect to my router.
This stage was more complicated than it should have been as I was trying to enter the pass phrase into the device instead of the hex numbers that were generated. As I installed the router over Christmas, the Belkin support offices were closed so it probably took me a day or two to work this out as it wasnt clear in the manual.
Usage
The whole Belkin setup I have has served me very well. I have 2 PC's, a PDA and a PSP connected wirelessly to the router all at the same time as well as a network printer, connected by ethernet cable. All these devices connect perfectly to the router. It is very rare that I need to reset the router (once per month maximum) though I do switch it off overnight. I have found that I need to make sure my cable modem is switched on before the router else sometimes it has problems connecting to the internet. I have tested the range out on my PDA just for experimental purposes. I have no problem browsing the internet from the bottom of my garden and I have also taken the PDA 75 metres up the road and still been able to connect to the router.
I have also used the router for internal connections allowing me to access files on another of my PCs from the main one and vice versa.
The verdict
I am more than happy with this product. It has served me well for 18 months now and has proved to be very reliable. It is easily configurable via its web interface should you need to make changes. The four wired ports are more than adequate for the general home user and probably for the same business user too. Although this was the cheapest router on the market at the time I bought mine, it is certainly not cheap in terms of performance. I would recommend this router to anyone who wants to get onto the wireless platform or if anyone is looking to swap their current router. You cannot go wrong with the Belkin router. They are so easy to use, I've even talked somebody who is not computer literate through setting one up over the phone. It probably took 25 minutes in total which goes to prove how easy they are to set up and configure. It is imperative that security is used and this is the area of setup where you are most likely to encounter problems. Take your time with this step and you shouldnt have too many problems.
The USB Adaptor
Installation
On reading the quick installation guide, it was apparent that the software had to be installed before the adapter was plugged in. The reason for this was because, when the hardware was detected, the software would be available to complete a trouble free install. Installing the software was straightforward. There was a limited number of standard questions, such as install location and the wizard was happy to carry on unattended.
Once the software was installed, it was time to plug in the USB adapter. This is the same as plugging in any other USB device such as a digital camera. As mentioned in the previous section, you can either plug the adapter directly into a free USB port or you can plug the stand into the USB port and then connect the adapter to the stand. This was my preferred method as it gives you more scope for moving the adapter around to get a better signal.
Security
If you have no encryption on the router, you are ready to surf, though this is not recommended. If you have encryption on the router, open up the Wireless software on your PC and select the encryption mode you are using and enter the pass key. I personally found the software that comes with the USB adapter to be less 'professional' than the software which came with the PCI card version. Saying that, it was still straightforward enough to complete this task with very little effort.
Useage
I have had no problems with this adapter in all the time I have been using it. Occasionally the signal will drop down to a low level but it has never cut out completely. Once the initial setup has been done, there is no need to worry about the adapter, it will look after itself and connect to the router once it has been switched on. If you are experiencing a poor signal though, all you need do is to experiment by putting the adaper in different places. For best results, try to make sure that the USB adaptor is at a higher level than the wireless router as the signal is at its strongest when it is transmitted upwards.
Verdict
This adapter is so easy to set up and use, you'll probably forget you have it installed. It looks after itself and has proved to be very reliable. Setting up the security key is straightforward providing you take your time (unlike me) and after that, there is really nothing else to do. This product complements the Belkin wireless router perfectly, although it can be used, just as easily with other routers.
I would highly recommend this wireless adapter to anyone, whether they are new to the wireless scene of just looking to upgrade their exisiting setup. If I was pushed to choose between this and the Belkin Wireless PCI card though, I would have to go for the PCI card as I feel that it just has the edge in terms of performance.
Whats In the Box?
There are no real surprises inside the box, you get the router itself, a mains power supply, an instruction book which is surprisingly good for an electrical product and a CD which contains all the necessary drivers and a more in-depth manual.
Setting up the router
Before you can connect to the router wirelessly, you need to have some form of wireless capability on your other device (desktop PC, laptop, PDA, games console, etc) I would recommend you install any necessary components on these devices first.
When you have a device capable of receiving the wireless signal, you will need to configure the router. This is done via an ethernet link into one of the four wired network ports on the router. As the router and wireless card in your other device have no information about each other, this is a very important stage so make sure you have an ethernet (CAT 4) cable available otherwise you will not be able to proceed. Once you have made this connection, the router will self-configure with your Internet Provider. At this point, you could continue to use the internet with the wired access but, seeing as you have just bought a wireless router, there would be little point in this. Now would be the time to test out your wireless connection by unplugging the ethernet cable and seeing if your router is detected by the wireless device.
Security
When I had established that the router and wireless device were talking to each other correctly, I wanted to apply some kind of security protocol as soon as possible. If I was to leave the router unsecured, it would mean that anyone in the surrounding area would be able to sit outside the house or in their back gardens and use my internet connection for free. Of course this bring all kinds of problems with it. suddenly, I would be responsible for the content they were browsing.
The Belkin router supports all the major encryption algorithms (WPA and WEP). When creating a security key, I made the mistake of attempting to do this wirelessly. Of course, as soon as I had changed the key on the router, my internet connection was disabled as the key on the router no longer matched the unsecure settings on my device. Luckily I was able to enter the passkey into the software on my device and get my connection back.
I chose the WEP encryption as at the time I had an old Windows 98 PC on my network that didnt support the newer WPA style. Again, I created the WEP code via the in build web browser. The Belkin router asked me for a phrase which it then converted to a series of hexdecimal numbers. There were 13 pairs of these number which was now my security key and would be needed to be entered into each device I wanted to connect to my router.
This stage was more complicated than it should have been as I was trying to enter the pass phrase into the device instead of the hex numbers that were generated. As I installed the router over Christmas, the Belkin support offices were closed so it probably took me a day or two to work this out as it wasnt clear in the manual.
Usage
The whole Belkin setup I have has served me very well. I have 2 PC's, a PDA and a PSP connected wirelessly to the router all at the same time as well as a network printer, connected by ethernet cable. All these devices connect perfectly to the router. It is very rare that I need to reset the router (once per month maximum) though I do switch it off overnight. I have found that I need to make sure my cable modem is switched on before the router else sometimes it has problems connecting to the internet. I have tested the range out on my PDA just for experimental purposes. I have no problem browsing the internet from the bottom of my garden and I have also taken the PDA 75 metres up the road and still been able to connect to the router.
I have also used the router for internal connections allowing me to access files on another of my PCs from the main one and vice versa.
The verdict
I am more than happy with this product. It has served me well for 18 months now and has proved to be very reliable. It is easily configurable via its web interface should you need to make changes. The four wired ports are more than adequate for the general home user and probably for the same business user too. Although this was the cheapest router on the market at the time I bought mine, it is certainly not cheap in terms of performance. I would recommend this router to anyone who wants to get onto the wireless platform or if anyone is looking to swap their current router. You cannot go wrong with the Belkin router. They are so easy to use, I've even talked somebody who is not computer literate through setting one up over the phone. It probably took 25 minutes in total which goes to prove how easy they are to set up and configure. It is imperative that security is used and this is the area of setup where you are most likely to encounter problems. Take your time with this step and you shouldnt have too many problems.
The USB Adaptor
Installation
On reading the quick installation guide, it was apparent that the software had to be installed before the adapter was plugged in. The reason for this was because, when the hardware was detected, the software would be available to complete a trouble free install. Installing the software was straightforward. There was a limited number of standard questions, such as install location and the wizard was happy to carry on unattended.
Once the software was installed, it was time to plug in the USB adapter. This is the same as plugging in any other USB device such as a digital camera. As mentioned in the previous section, you can either plug the adapter directly into a free USB port or you can plug the stand into the USB port and then connect the adapter to the stand. This was my preferred method as it gives you more scope for moving the adapter around to get a better signal.
Security
If you have no encryption on the router, you are ready to surf, though this is not recommended. If you have encryption on the router, open up the Wireless software on your PC and select the encryption mode you are using and enter the pass key. I personally found the software that comes with the USB adapter to be less 'professional' than the software which came with the PCI card version. Saying that, it was still straightforward enough to complete this task with very little effort.
Useage
I have had no problems with this adapter in all the time I have been using it. Occasionally the signal will drop down to a low level but it has never cut out completely. Once the initial setup has been done, there is no need to worry about the adapter, it will look after itself and connect to the router once it has been switched on. If you are experiencing a poor signal though, all you need do is to experiment by putting the adaper in different places. For best results, try to make sure that the USB adaptor is at a higher level than the wireless router as the signal is at its strongest when it is transmitted upwards.
Verdict
This adapter is so easy to set up and use, you'll probably forget you have it installed. It looks after itself and has proved to be very reliable. Setting up the security key is straightforward providing you take your time (unlike me) and after that, there is really nothing else to do. This product complements the Belkin wireless router perfectly, although it can be used, just as easily with other routers.
I would highly recommend this wireless adapter to anyone, whether they are new to the wireless scene of just looking to upgrade their exisiting setup. If I was pushed to choose between this and the Belkin Wireless PCI card though, I would have to go for the PCI card as I feel that it just has the edge in terms of performance.
Hi,
They have send me wrong router. I ordered for
Bundle: Belkin F5D7050 Wireless G USB 2.0 Network Adaptor + Belkin F5D7230-4 Wireless DSL Router 54g (B5Duk035) but got
Belkin Wireless G USB Desktop/Laptop Network Kit - F5D7050/F5D7230-4
They have send me wrong router. I ordered for
Bundle: Belkin F5D7050 Wireless G USB 2.0 Network Adaptor + Belkin F5D7230-4 Wireless DSL Router 54g (B5Duk035) but got
Belkin Wireless G USB Desktop/Laptop Network Kit - F5D7050/F5D7230-4
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