| Belkin F5D7132 Wireless-G Universal Range Extender |
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Model: F5D7132
Brand: Belkin
Manufacturer: Belkin Components
Average Rating: 
(submit your review here)
Total Reviews: 173
Form factor: External
Hardware platform: PC
Data link protocol: IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g
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| Features: |
Offers one-touch setup for wireless repeater mode
Adds wireless-enabled PCs to your wired network in access-point mode
Works seamlessly with the majority of routers and access points available
Ensures data and network security
Works with PCs and Macintosh computers |
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| Description: |
| The 802.11g Wireless Universal Range Extender/ access point (WURE) connects to your network switch and lets you join your wireless-equipped PCs to your wired network in Access Point Mode, or lets increase the coverage of your existing wireless network in Range Extender Mode. Once you've done the simple setup, you can share data and peripherals, as well as a single Internet account among all your computers. It is based on standard 802.11g technology for fast wireless file transfers and downloads. |
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| User Reviews (173 total): |
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Easy Setup, June 7, 2007
By user (Hawaii)
This product was working within 5 minutes of opening the box. I just read the quick-setup instructions, and held the white button on the back for ten seconds and it picked up the wireless router, and that was it. Highly recommended. (Much easier to set up than a Linksys range extender.)
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still have not got it to work after 1.5 months, May 14, 2007
By user (Roseville, CA)
Played with it 4-5 times. Tried to follow the recipe for "secure" WiFi - never shows up on a local LAN so I can use the config utility. Kinda crappy and a waste of $50 in my opinion.
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nice!, May 6, 2007
By user
works as advertised, I had zero problems setting it up and never have any problems connecting with it.
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What a piece of junk, April 16, 2007
By user (New York)
This is such a piece of junk product. According to the instructions and sales material it will allow you to extend your wireless range. So after installing the unit I was surprised that I had a good signal in the before-bare area, very nice.
Sadly it totally disrupted the signal where both the base station and the range extender covered. This is 90% of the house. When I called technical support they told that this is sometimes an issue and there is no work around and I should stay out of the effected area.
I am trying to get a refund on the unit but I doubt I'm going to get anywhere. DO NOT BUY!
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Loses config if you lose power or get a power sag, April 6, 2007
By user
I bought this because it was inexpensive for its claimed capabilities, and it promised easy setup (read: no hassles).
It does a great job of expanding my network's range -- a computer in my work shop is over 200 ft from the wireless router, and the signal must go through several walls, doors, vehicles etc. but signal strength is like I'm next the router.
The device does not work as advertised in one respect, though. It loses its configuration if you lose power. Around here, that happens quite often, even if only for a few seconds. It also makes setup different than the documentation when you set this up as a range extender. You might as well bring the unit to the its ultimate location before setting up, as you will have to reassociate it with the router anyway. IN my case, the Belkin is up high, so when it loses config (every few days) I have to climb up and reset the power, then press the button etc. A bit of pain in the neck, but not so bad as to force me to return the unit. Just be aware that this "feature" makes this unit a hassle, especially if your network uses encryption.
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Great product. Very versatile., April 5, 2007
By user (Chicago, IL)
I just purchased two of these because of their versatility. I am using them as access points, although I did try the different configurations just to see how well it worked. Basically, you can use it three ways...
1. Access point. Connect to it with a hardwired connection and configure it through the web interface. Use the quick installer to detect it a little easier.
2. Range extender. Use the button on the back if you don't have encryption on your network. If you have encryption, best way is to connect with a hardwired connection and put in the Encryption settings manually through the web interface. I suggest starting by setting the router's settings first. Allow it to reset. Then go back in and set the Parent Network. The site survey is the easiest way to do it. When it saves and restarts, DISCONNECT the wired connection. You should be set.
3. Bridge. For network A, make sure you have an Access Point. If not, configure one of these as an Access Point (as stated above). For network B, plug one of these into the wired network B and configure it according to the instructions for Range Extender (as stated above). However, don't disconnect it from Network B when you are done. The unit in Range Extender mode will link to the access point and allow all hardwired connections on Network B to access Network A.
Everything worked fine for me without a single hitch. Just know that the auto button will only work if you have no encryption.
I'm adding that I have unplugged and moved the two units I have numerous times as I was finding the ideal placement, and they never lost their config. If you are losing config when you lose power, you may have a defective unit and/or maybe there is a problem with your electrical wiring. Perhaps a surge protector or inexpensive UPS would help.
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Secure Setup Not Intuitive, But It IS Possible!, March 15, 2007
By user (Palm Beach, Florida, USA)
I just received this box today, and after about 2 hours, got it configured and working on my wireless network, in range extender mode. I bought it so my wife's new laptop could get a decent signal at the other end of the house from my office - where my new Netgear Wireless 4-port router is installed.
Here is how I finally got it working (Win XP):
1) Plugged the repeater into a port on my router using the cable provided
2) Using my hard-wired desktop and the Belkin utility I gave the repeater an IP address several integers above the four my router normally assigns via DHCP
3) Removed the WEP key from my laptop and from the router
4) Pushed the "search" button on the back of the repeater
5) At this point, the repeater connected automatically to the network and picked up the correct network SSID
6) Also at this point, my laptop displayed a message about an address conflict on the network. (And I figured out that it was caused by the repeater - one hard-wired connection to the router - AND a wireless connection to the router - both with the same IP address! I'll bet this is where most folks will have problems.)
7) I disconnected the cable between the router and the repeater, and moved over to my wireless laptop. It connected right away, using the IP address I had assigned to the repeater earlier as the browser URL.
8) I added a WEP key to the repeater. (And it immediately disconnected my laptop - so we know the network is secure!)
9) I entered the same WEP key on my laptop.
10) I went BACK to my desktop, connected to my router, and entered the same WEP key as the other two devices.
11) My laptop connected. Success!
12) I moved the repeater about 1/2 way to my wife's laptop, and it picked up the connection back to the router as soon as I plugged it in.
13) I went to my wife's laptop. Good signal strength. No network connection (wrong WEP)! I added the same WEP key to her system, and it took right off! (I should add, my wife's laptop is Win Vista. There is a disclaimer sheet in the repeater box, saying "The Windows Vista operating system is not supported by this device." I knew that was misleading, because it's the Belkin installation utility that isn't supported in Vista. If the Vista system can talk to your router, it will just as easily talk to this repeater.)
14) I ran a speedtest at Speakeasy, and the throughput was right at 6mbps with Bellsouth FastAccess Extreme DSL 6.0 - just like my hard-wired desktop - virtually no loss of bandwidth due to the extra hop.
I would give this device a 5-star rating - it performs exactly as advertised. But I don't think the installation is particularly straightforward, and for anyone without some networking background, I think it would be VERY difficult to figure out why it's not working when it should. The manual is like MOST manuals these days, that is, not a lot of help.
The KEY here is NO key (no WEP) on ANY device in the network to start out with.
I hope this helps somebody out there!
Update: After further review, I might drop my rating another notch to 3 stars. It has a very fragile browser interface. If you try to change the settings on the repeater (or even look at some of the settings), it locks up. This happens every time if you're using a computer that is hard-wired into your router. If you're using a wireless connection into your router (into your ROUTER - NOT into your repeater), then it's hit or miss. Rebooting the repeater (unplugging it for a few seconds) fixes the problem, but it is certainly annoying! The bottom line is: once you get the thing working, leave it alone, and it will work fine for the intended purpose.
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Great Quality and a bargin price!, March 15, 2007
By user (CA)
This one is very good. If you want to have two different SSID, then this will be the one for you. I liked it very much. It extended my wifi signal greatly, with different SSID. You can also set the SSID of the extender the same as your original wifi ssid. The setup is not difficult. But you better use a static ip address to setup the device. Read the menu first. I liked it very much. The price is very good too.
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Great Wireless Range Extender Easy to Set Up, February 24, 2007
By user (Mexico)
I bought this product based on price and technical specs, I was skeptical when I read the comments about it here but I can tell you that it works 100% as I expected. Very easy to set up and configure as wireless range extender, just by following the user's instructions.
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Excellant extension to Belkin router, February 21, 2007
By user (Michigan, USA)
It works great for the purpose I bought it ... extend signal from a Belkin 54G router.
As an experiment, I tried the extender with a 2WIRE router from SBC. It did not work.
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Device just doesn't work, February 3, 2007
By user (Boston, MA)
I bought this to use as an access point and it just doesn't work.
I can set the IP address and that is about all. All other attempts to change settings are erases when that device applies the changes and reboots.
Very diappointed.
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Works Great!, January 31, 2007
By user (Upstate NY)
I bought this to use with a laptop and a wired router as an access point and it works fine.
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Belkin F5D7132 Wireless-G Universal Range Extender, January 30, 2007
By user (San Martin, CA United States)
This unit offers several nice features:
1) The antenna is connectorized, making it possible to replace the antenna. 2) The price is quite reasonable.
3) The RF performance is fine. My signal range has increased considerably.
However, there are some drawbacks:
1) The firmware has bugs. When logging in and changing a setting over the remote interface, the firmware locks up, making it impossible to use the remote interface further. A hard reset solves the problems, but then all settings are lost. Power cycling also solves the problem, and retains settings. However, this is extremely unsatisfactory.
2) The web interface is primitive, and requires special communication settings on your pc.
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Difficult to setup on "protected" networks, January 26, 2007
By user (Charlotte, NC)
I have an entire network of Belkin products. And this is the first item I have had trouble with. After 4 weeks I still can't get it to work. It has a easy setup button on the back, which automatically configures the device. However, if you have anykind of protection using IP range limiting, mac address blocking, WPA, WEP or other mechanism to protect your wireless network, then the it is usless. I purchased 2 of these devices and neither one will operate on my wireless network. These devices have to be assigned a static IP address. This can be difficult if you have other devices which have dynamic IP address assigned by the server. Put the Extended / UR in the upper range of your available IP addresses. But like I said... I haven't figured how to get these to work. I will try the 24hour customer service next.
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Pretty much does what it claims, January 19, 2007
By user (Eugene, Oregon)
We're using the device to extend the range of a Belkin router that was strong enough for the old iBook upstairs but not for the new Mac Mini. The signal boost is very strong. The instructions leave out one important step; after setting up the device and moving it to a new location, one has to momentarily press the button on the back to bring it to life. The box claims that the device handles encription, but the manual clearly, and correctly, states that it has to be set up without it. I have not yet been able to figure out a way to restore encription after the setup. But I haven't called for help yet, either.
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Ok, but not great, January 12, 2007
By user (SF Bay Area)
Works reasonably well. The range extension is not huge, but it is noticeable. Downside is that if the mother wireless modem for some reason (loss of power, for example) stops broadcasting, the range extender does not automatically pick it up again when the mother resumes sending. You have to reinitialize. Annoying.
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Good range but bad firmware., January 12, 2007
By user (VA, USA)
It's a very nice Extender as well as repeater, but the only complaint I have is there's no new updated firmware for it. Don't know why it keeps kicking me out after 3rd or 4th click in the software configuration. I've tried to contact Belkin Support three times, but they keep putting me on hold for average 35-40 minutes and still didn't get problem resolved.
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Does what it's supposed to do., January 11, 2007
By user (Jerusalem, Israel)
These devices (not limited to this brand specifically, but most of the major brands)are wonderful because they truly require no work to set up. Literally 3 minutes from opening the box it was up and running. You simply press a button on the back, it finds the base unit and "becomes" the proxy for it. You don't need to change your settings in the wireless router on your laptop, and you don't need to configure anything on this device. And since this one is priced so competitively, it's a no-brainer. Just grab it.
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Does what it's supposed to do -- most of the time., January 11, 2007
By user (Tucson, AZ USA)
The Belkin Wireless-G Range Extender did what it was supposed to do. I get good signal strength in areas of my house that had were total dead spots before. However, the unit drops the connection to the router for a second and then reconnects. This happens quite often. It could be just that it's having trouble maintaining a connection to the weak signal, I'm not sure. But for the most part, this unit does exactly what it was bought to do.
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Great product, solved my problems, January 10, 2007
By user (Guatemala)
I had a few blind spots on my home wireless LAN, setup this extender in a few seconds and eliminated the blind spots. Great great product.
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