Belkin N-1 Draft N Router

[ttam]

*There are photos in the attached PDF

First of all, let me say thank you to Belkin for providing me with free stuff. I always love getting free stuff. Now I will say that it being free in no way affected the following review. In all honesty, I?ve never really liked Belkin networking equipment. I hate their marketing on the boxes (1000+ feet, yeah right), their firmware, their design, and their stability.

Next, let me say I didn?t get to test the wireless functionality for this product. Obviously that?s a big part of the quality of the product, so this is really a usability review and not a full hardware review.

The product being reviewed is the Belkin N-1 Draft-N Router. I have it hooked up to my PC with Ethernet. I?ve set up literally hundreds of wireless networks, so I can compare to pretty much any brand wireless networking products. Anyway, here goes:

HARDWARE

Design

If you?ve seen a picture of the Belkin N-1, you know it?s pretty sweet looking. Shiny black, which status LEDs on the front that actually mean something to the user make it appealing and functional. The lights on the front will tell you what it?s having a problem with so you know, really, if you need a full power cycle or just a partial (cable modem) power cycle.

Ports

4 wired ports on the back are auto-sensing. Each has its own status LEDs, much like most Ethernet cards in computers. The ports are color coded just in case you?re mentally challenged.

Pros

Small footprint, easy to diagnose network issues. Color-coded ports and status LEDs make it easy to see where your devices should:pe connected ( :p ) and if they?re connected. It looks like a high-end router, with a piano black finish and small, neat antennae.

Cons

The power adapter. How many devices can you fit on a power strip that have transformers the size of your mouse and the weight of current edition of Webster?s Dictionary? To Belkin: First, put your name on the transformer. I have like eight of these things behind my desk. I?d like to know which one is yours so I don?t have to follow the cable back every damn time I need to access it. A simple ?Belkin N-1 Router? sticker will do JUST FINE. Next, and this is the important part: PUT AN 8? AC CORD ON THE END OF THE TRANSFORMER. I?m out of transformer spaced outlets, and I?d rather not waste 4 friggin? ports on my surge protector. I can?t hook it up to my AVR because all of those are close together. All I?m asking for is a small, cheap 8? cord instead of the plugs coming straight out of the 4 pound block. Ugggh.

The shape is a little weird. If you look at it from the front, it bows outward as it goes up. It appears to just be a design thing that I think would be better left out. Make the edges straight, is my opinion.

It?s not gigabit. This is the future of networking, right? Most new computers come with built-in gigabit networking, right? Draft-N wireless goes 270Mbps, right? Why are we now limited to the 100Mbit Ethernet? Why not make the wired ports gigabit? C?mon, Belkin, make a true HIGH Performance product and GIVE US GIGABIT! Netgear has a gigabit Draft-N router?

FIRMWARE

Pros

The router doesn?t completely restart like some OTHER brands I know of (*cough* NETGEAR *sneeze* D-Link *clears throat*) when you make a change, unless it?s a major change, like router IP or firmware update. The firmware does have direct links to most necessary modifications.

It has a switch to use the router as an access point, which is kind of nice. It defaults to the IP address of 192.168.2.254, DHCP disabled, etc. You can change the IP address on that screen to fit your network.

Cons

I really expected a nice shiny black router configuration page. I was disappointed. It looked like all the other Belkin configuration pages (plain layout, a million links on the left), but it was gray instead of black. It really looks like they put all their thought into the product design itself and not the usability of firmware and such. I figured that this would look more like D-Link?s new firmware, which is both visually appealing and very functional (i.e. you can enter all wireless settings on one page, like SSID, WPA key, Channel, etc.). I pictured something sweet I?d never seen, but instead got the same old crap. This was the major point that I had high expectations and was let down. Boo, Belkin. Boo.

The wireless security page was weak. It gave you options, then sub-options. It was fast to take you there, but it?s really an ugly way to work with it. First, you select from the following options: WPA-PSK(no server), 128-Bit WEP, 64-Bit WEP, WPA(with server). Once you select WPA-PSK(no server), it takes you to a page where you can configure Authentication and choose (WPA-PSK, WPA2-PSK, and WPA-PSK + WPA2-PSK). Why couldn?t they have all those options in the first drop down box? And put a damn space between PSK and (no server). I know it?s minor, picky stuff, but this is ?HIGH Performance,? quality stuff.

It doesn?t really look like something the average user would easily figure out. Simpler language like WEP 64-Bit (low security), WEP 128-Bit (medium security), WPA-PSK (good security), WPA2-PSK (best security) with recommendations on how to make a secure key (uppercase, lowercase, numbers, symbols, 12+ digits, etc.)

In conclusion

So far, I?ve been pretty disappointed by the firmware. Belkin, make the firmware as cool as the product and give it gigabit and you?ll have a hit. The design is cool, the setup almost seems like it?s made for beginners, though you couldn?t tell based on the configuration page. Let?s see how version 1001 goes.

Belkin_N1.pdf

[Chanser]

Basically wait for 802.11n goes official and b/g introperatability.

[chconline Veteran]

Theres not too much details :p I am probably going to grab one from my Belkin PR and other brands for a full blown comparison.

Btw how j00 get it for free :blink:

[Echilon]

How can they leave out gigabit ethernet?! You won't be able to get anywhere near the full 802.11n speeds on 100Mbps.

[TokyoKiller]

Interesting, I just recently bought my self a WRT54GL and flashed it with DD-WRT, nothing is better than open-source :D.

I won't need 300Mbps wireless so, meh.

[QuantumTrickery]

Avoid the Draft N routers at this point. There's already some major issues that Linksys and Netgear have admitted to with them. They also have worse range and speed than their SRX400/Rangemax 240 counterparts.

[S.MULLA]

^ care to elaborate on those problems?

[Vista Waiter]

dude. this is the way to go if u are planning to buy a router. I had a zyXel g+(125mbps) and i got this, it is awsome i could actually reach a 6mpbs on wireless on a wireless g laptop. Even when i am downstairs. The router is upstairs in my bedroom btw, about 15ft hight. whith couple of walls in the way.

[Smigit]

Avoid the Draft N routers at this point. There's already some major issues that Linksys and Netgear have admitted to with them. They also have worse range and speed than their SRX400/Rangemax 240 counterparts.

Good and well if you can wait, but if you need a network today and all the hardware in your network is compatible then I see no reason not to go draft N. Sure you could go G but then you loose the speed and will probably want to upgrade yet again when N becomes final. At least with a draft N you have the speed and may not need to upgrade at all as a result.

[Premgenius]

Photos would be nice

[S.MULLA]

^its in the PDF file..