| Belkin F5D8230-4 Wireless 802.11x Pre-N Router |
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Model: F5D8231-4
Brand: Belkin
Manufacturer: Belkin Components
Average Rating: 
(submit your review here)
Total Reviews: 221
Form factor: External
Hardware platform: PC
Data link protocol: Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, IEEE 802.11n (draft), IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g
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| Features: |
LAN Ports - N/A
WAN Ports - N/A
Warranty - Lifetime Limited Warranty
LEDs - Yes |
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| Description: |
| Powered by Airgo Network's True MIMO technology, Belkin Pre-N products improve wireless reliability and performance, and enable users to work with high-bandwidth applications, such as audio and video streaming.Belkin utilizes True MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) from Airgo Networks in its Pre-N products. True MIMO is the first technology to address the issues of coverage, speed, and interference in larger homes and offices.True MIMO is a smart-antenna technique that uses multiple antennas to transmit and receive wireless signals. It reaches a step further than other smart-antenna technologies by transmitting multiple signals on each antenna. As a result, Belkin's Pre-N products with True MIMO technology create a robust wireless connection while providing a larger coverage area with the bandwidth and quality of service needed to run advanced applications, such as streaming video or Voice over IP (VoIP).True MIMO is one of the underlying technologies being considered for 802.11n, a standard in the works for the next generation of Wi-Fi technology. |
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| User Reviews (221 total): |
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Works great BUT..., January 3, 2007
By user (Huntington Beach, CA USA)
... continuing...
Belkin has released its N1 router, which uses the actual draft 11n standard.
The router that is the subject of this review is ***PRE-N***, i.e., it's somewhat obsolete.
For a few bucks more, you get the actual standard.
There was a firmware flash upgrade for the pre-N routher (the subject of this review) released on December 6, 2006 (today being January 3, 2007), but I don't know how much it advances the router toward the actual 11n standard.
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Runs our 3 cable and 3 wireless connections well, December 29, 2006
By user (Frederiksberg C. Denmark)
Have had this router together with 3 Belkin Pre-n lan cards for a year now. It has excellent speed, good to excellent range and OK stability.
We run a fairly complex set-up with a mix of 3 cable and 3 wireless connections and a heavy load too (16/24/7, broadband internet video, lan gaming, internet based telephone etc.).
On average we need to restart router through its software settings menu 3-4 times per week and maybe soft-repair the Pre-n lan card connection on one of the machines just as often. This is not unsual for a wireless router. Takes three clicks and one to two minutes to complete so its OK - but still not perfect - and makes it loose one star here.
The plastic box looks and feels flimsy, but its been solid enough to work with on a day-to-day basis - and there is really not much reason to touch the router anyway after the cables are plugged in.
Do not expect to upgrade anytime soon.
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Best router available, December 27, 2006
By user (New Jersey)
I had to replace my Linksys wireless G router due to the signal dropping all the time. The Belkin Pre-N got the highest rating at CNET so I thought I would give it it try. I could not be happier. The coverage area on this router is amazing. It was a breeze to setup and is mac compatible. Been using it for 3 weeks now and havent dropped the signal once. The pre-N is worth the extra money.
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I have had this router for 6 months NOW!! Perfect for office of home NETWORK.., December 23, 2006
By user (AZ)
I have a desktop contected through ethernet (WIRE) and a laptop through the wireless belkin pre-N adapter. I have had two or three self-inflicted issues in the 6 months I have had my network set up. Belkin customer service is GREAT. You might wait 2 to 6 minutes to get help. These things are pretty simple so use COMMON SENSE and stay calm!! Manual will be a great help so read for instructions.
I would not buy anything slower than 108 MBPS. When running a laptop off of a main computer you will want access to your file as quick as possible. This means you will want the DOCUMENT screens to populate as fast as possible. If you have 10 GIGS of files on your main computer document file you are going to want 108 mega bites per second transmission. This is faster than any consumer wire I am aware of!!! If you buy any thing else you are buying OLD TECHNOLOGY. Take it from me. Do not SKIM on technology that makes your life easier. I am adding my xbox 360 to my network so I will be reveiwing the buffulo BRIDGE!!
Happy Holidays and good luck with the network
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By far the best router I have owned, December 20, 2006
By user (St Louis)
I have tried D-Link, NetGear and Belkin Wireless G routers in the past. Had issues with their range, frequently dropped signal, interference and performance issues when encryption was enabled.
I bought this Belkin router last year and it's the longest I have owned same router. Installation was a breeze, admin tool is easy to use.
Would recommend Pre-N Notebook card to take advantage this routers full potential.
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Can't even handle streaming video., December 18, 2006
By user
UPDATE - as you can see from the below review, I didn't particularly like this product. Unsurprisingly, Belkin was sued, and decided to settle -- thanks to this class-action lawsuit, we can all get a full refund of this and other Belkin products!
www.belkin.com/class_notice/settlement.asp
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Bought this based on positive reviews, but I really have been having a poor experience with it over the last 6 months. Sorry for the below techno-babble, but wanted to throw it in for those inclined to care. The long and short of it is, I regret the purchase.
My setup: Belkin router, connected via Ethernet to an homebuilt desktop (we'll call it an Asus), connected via Belkin's matched pre-n PCMCIA card in a Dell Latitude C840, and connected via Belkin's matched pre-n PCMCIA card in a Dell Precision (using a PCMCIA adapter bay). The Asus desktop is my personal PC and loaded with (legal!) videos. My intention in buying this product was to stream videos to the Latitude, which is connected to my TV. Finally, the Precision is my partner's computer located in the bedroom, where it wouldn't be feasible to run Ethernet cable.
The Latitude is 10 feet from the router and gets a maximum speed of 18.6 Mbit/sec in an iperf test (using the Latitude as a client and the Asus wired desktop as a server).
The Precision is 25 feet from the router and gets a maximum speed of 14.1 Mbit/sec in an iperf test (same setup as above).
So, already the bandwidth speeds are *FAR* from the advertised 108Mbit/sec, and actually far from your typical 802.11g speeds. I paid an arm and a leg for a total Belkin proprietary 802.11 pre-n setup and am getting slower speeds than what I see at work in a mixed-vendor 802.11g environment.
But what really kills me is that those speeds I quote (18.6mbit/sec and 14.1mbit/sec), despite being very slow for the price, should STILL be enough to carry streamed video from the wired desktop. Your typical 45-minute TV show is 350 megabytes. Converted, that's a 2700-second video at a size of 2800 megabits, which would require an average of 1.03mbit/sec.
So, clearly, even these slow as muck Belkin bandwidths should be able to carry the video, but it can't. The client laptops drop the wireless connections at least twice during the 45 minute shows, requiring me to stop the video, reset the wireless connection, and start the video again.
This may in fact be interference, but it's the mark of a crappy product that the connection actually dies. Using a Cisco PCMCIA card -- (AIR-CB21AG-A-K9) -- in the Dell Inspiron laptop connected to the Belkin router, the video may halt and the audio may skip for a second, but then it continues playing as normal with no interaction on my part. The Belkin requires me to actually disconnect and reconnect from the wireless and then re-seek to the specific place in the video where it broke.
Unacceptable at this price!
I've tried every channel the product carries and the problem doesn't go away. I highly doubt it's interference -- at least from other routers -- since there are none detected on some of the channels I've tried (channels 4, 8). I've tried upgrading my firmware, but it turns out there are two separate versions of this exact same product - v1 and v2 - and while the v1 has a firmware upgrade dated December 2006, the v2 only has firmware updates from April 2005. Doesn't v2 connote more modern? And why did they make two very different versions labelled exactly the same way???
Changing to a Cisco PCMCIA card dropped my speed by 20% connecting to the Belkin router, but the reliability was incredibly enhanced. I'm imagining right now how great it would be to get rid of everything in my house stamped Belkin -- the cards and the router -- and replacing it with another brand.
Can't imagine it would be this buggy -- or pricey!
Pros are few -- the web interface is good, and I was pleased the product had an access-point only mode. Since the Verizon DSL already does routing functions, I didn't need the Belkin to do it.
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if you like to reset, buy, December 17, 2006
By user
I seldom have negative comments about products, but here we go. I bought this router when my older one died, and I wanted the fastest technology available. I am an experienced computer user (so please don't think I am just inept). I have owned this router for about a year now. I must say that set up was easy, and wireless as well as wired speed is okay. Not much better than other wireless routers I've owned (NetGear, D-Link, LinkSys). The main reason I am unhappy with this router is that it crashes very frequently. Usually at least once per day, and sometimes more. It has this bad habit of handing out mismatched addresses, thus no internet connectivity. The fix is unplugging everything and reseting, but it is annoying and a pain. I only occasionally had this problem with my other routers. For the price, this router is NOT worth it. I would not buy it again. I'd either stick with DLink or the LinkSys that seem more robust.
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Finally a Wireless Router with Reach, December 2, 2006
By user (Dover, NH United States)
Set up couldn't have been faster or easier. I have always been a LinkSys user and we bought Belkin Pre-N router despite the fact that our LinkSys Router was still going stong (LinkSys Routers usualy last about 2 years until the voltage surges kill them at our home so we are used to replacing Routers).
What we needed was better wireless coverage, the LinkSys had always been spotty on the first floor and gave us almost no coverage on the Deck or Upstairs. New Laptops forced the issue.
The Belkin Pre-N gave us both better coverahge and better speed. There is now good coverage upsairs and fair coverage outside on the deck and when you do have coverage the speed bump is very noticable.
I was a little concerned about buying Pre-N but now I am gald I did. In a enviornment with few users this Router is faster and has better coverage then the models that have followed. If you are in a office with more that 3 Users most of the time this is probabaly not the Router for you, the follow on models handle that application better.
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Overall excelent wireless device, December 2, 2006
By user
I have to admit that this is my first wireless router at home. I'm a systems (computer) engineer and because of that I was asked to help a friend to setup his wireless, but I would not count that as long term experience.
Installation
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My setup is not the `optimal' one as I didn't manage to get ADSL Modem with Ethernet connectivity, but the one with USB. This means that one of my computers is acting as router.
Overall installation of the Belkin Router is simple.
The configuration of the Belkin Router is in this case little bit different as I am using the device as intelligent network switch.
In my case I'm using the router `Wireless > Use as Access Point' and `NAT Enabling' is disabled. The configuration as mine is not clearly described in the manual.
There is interesting behaviour of the Belkin Router - if are using the router as intelligent switch it automatically changes its management IP address to 192.168.2.254. In case you are using it as router it changes the IP address to 192.168.2.2. This interesting behaviour has to do something with network configuration best practices.
I think there is overlapping with other wireless devices at home or from the neighbours so for maximum signal strength I had to select specific Wireless Channel.
My Belkin is upstairs and my computers are downstairs.
Operations
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I'm using the Belkin router with my Fujitsu Siemens PC and laptop. Both computers have got built-in wireless. The signal detected is all the time excellent.
There is time to time problem with my PC not being able to connect the wireless network, but I believe this is MS Windows driver or chip firmware issue rather than the Belkin. Or might be a problem the position of the PC - it is directly under the Belkin.
I never observed any connectivity problems with the Fujitsu laptop.
My Belkin is upstairs and the longest distance tested is probably 20-25m within the house. The signal strength was all the time 54Mb/s and even with heavy traffic didn't drop.
For some reason I never managed to access the PC connected via wireless from the PC acting as router. From the 'internal' PC's I can access the PC acting as router. I don't use the firewall at all. It must be some security feature not described in the manual.
Conclusion
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I have got my Belkin 4.5 months and I am very happy with the device. I can recommend the wireless to the other users.
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Poor customer service, November 25, 2006
By user (North Royalton, OH USA)
I just replaced my wrt54g with this router. On the wrt54g I was getting about 6meg/sec download speed. With this router, on my desktop I'm getting 7.5meg/sec. However, on my laptop I'm getting 300kb/sec. Obviously there's a problem.
I called technical support. It's the kind of tech support where the "tech" asks you a question and then they put you on hold for a minute while they look through their flowchart for the next question to ask you. Every question was the obvious problems that I already checked on my own. After about five questions he says the problem is my internet connection. I explain to him that I'm getting 7.5meg on my desktop, so it can't be the connection. And then I got the usual "may I help you with anything else today?" I might as well have been dealing with an automated system.
I'll be packing up the Pre-N and sending it back in the morning. Too bad.
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Incredibly Easy and It Works!, November 25, 2006
By user (Wilmington, DE USA)
This router set up easy as pie -- follow the CD instructions and, voila! -- I was up and running with a router that sends my broad band signal from the second floor (of a 3 story house) all the way to my back deck and up to my bedroom. The signal is never less that Excellent and the download speeds are consistently outstanding.
I was worried that my old (120 years!) house and the fact that I needed the signal mostly vertically would be a hinderance, but I needn't have worried. Me and my guests are able to share my Verizon DSL connection all throughout This Old House without a single problem.
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First foray into wireless routers, November 20, 2006
By user (Montana)
Couldn't be more pleased with this purchase.
-Excellent documentation with router.
-Easy setup with CD. (I was back on internet with connected computer w/in 5 min.)
-Installed the Belkin F5D8000 Wireless Pre-N Desktop Network Card in my downstairs desktop. Got Excellent reception connection at 108mps. Tested my internet bandwith speed and got the exact same result as my "wired" internet. 3.1mb (3106kbs) download and 254kbs upload.
I also installed a Netgear/WG111/54mbs/802.11g/USB 2.0/recertifed wireless adapter that I got for $15 to my 4yo computer that only has usb 1.1. I got almost as impressive results, connected at 54mbs and got 1.8mb download and 254kbs upload. (I'm going to invest $20 in a usb 2.0 pci card so it should speed up considerably)
It took me a little while (an hour or so with no calls to tech support) to figure out how to configure WPA-PSK security. Got it working on both wireless machines. The trick is to be sure you're updated to XP sp2, then use XP's wireless network connection to configure the connection. You need to type in the SSID of your router in the add a network area and then configure it to use WPA-PSK security. The first time you connect, type in your passcode and your set.
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Excellent Range and Function, November 14, 2006
By user
The range of this router beats any G router I have used. It is easy to set up and maintain. I also like some of the advanced security features.
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Wireless Router, November 11, 2006
By user (Holyoke, MA United States)
Very good price for this router. It was easy to install and it works perfectly.
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Belkin Pre-N Router, November 11, 2006
By user (Lawrenceville, GA)
Quick service to receive the router. Didn't realize I also needed network adapters for other computers to get the benefits of the router. Besides the added expense, I had problems with the Marketplace merchant for the adapter.
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out of the box and didnt connect to the internet, November 11, 2006
By user (Germany)
I've spent over two hours tweaking this, and over an hour on the phone with customer support. The thing still wont connect to the internet. Don't get me wrong, the lights light up and my laptop can connect to the ROUTER, but the router wont connect to the internet.
Belkin tech support told me to send it back. I will and I think I will try the Dlink Pre N.
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Wireless Router, November 10, 2006
By user (Copperas Cove, Texas United States)
Very pleased with product. I have 5 computers in my house networked through this router and the computers can be anywhere inside the house or in any part of our 2 acre lot and still receive an excellent signal. Highly recommend for a large home or office.
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Great Router, November 10, 2006
By user (Austin)
So far it hasn't gone out on us and needed to be restarted like our previous router did every 2 or 3 days. I really love the browser page configuration tool, which allows me to log onto the router using my browser and change everything and anything I need to, like the SSID name, password, WAN settings, LAN settings... it even lets you specify what IP address are allowed to access the router if you want.
Only down side is that my roommate's computer had a really tough time connecting to it (although it might just be his crappy Netgear wireless card). He couldn't connect when the security was set to WPA, but he could when it was set to a WEP hexidecimal password, so we had to set it to that mode. The difference between these two is being able to enter a familiar password like "catch22" vs having to enter a hexidecimal key like "5dc78edfc224c65afed85d8ee5d". Once again, I can't decide whether it's a compatibility issue with the router, or if Joseph's wireless card just really sucks.
Overall, I'd recommend this long-range, feature-rich router to anyone. It's the best I've seen.
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Don't buy it if you have a broadband phone!, November 9, 2006
By user (Somewhere, MA USA)
The router is good. The range is excellent. I had big issues with Broadvoice phone service. Chopped calls even when I put the sipura ATA on DMZ. Finally is working with the ATA on DMZ and some other tweeks I found on google. Stay away if you intend to use with VOIP.
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Top Quality, November 7, 2006
By user (Phoenix)
I installed this router after remodeling a bedroom into an office.
Without access to the wall to run cable, I needed to use a wireles set up
to get on line. Set up was very easy. The instructions were simple and
complete. I was up and running in less than a half hour. The speed is
outstanding and pages download as fast as my hardwire cable used to load.
I liked the fact that Belkin offers a lifetime warranty. There competition
does not. That tells me that they are sure of their product and will stand
behind it.
I'd buy Belkin again.
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