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First let me describe my current setup. In my home I currently use two routers...a D-Link WBR-2310 in the living room and a Kyocera KR2 in the bedroom. The D-Link is attached to the DSL modem while the KR2 is attached to the D-Link via ethernet. I have it setup this way to allow two separate networks and hotspots that uses one DSL connection. Both have the transmit power dialed down because I prefer to keep the radio range short to prevent the signals from extending over to my neighbors. This Belkin will be replacing the old discontinued non-N capable D-Link so I will compare it to that model as well as my Kyocera KR2.
Now to the review. First thing I noticed when unpacking the Belkin was the fact the router does not have a row of information/status/activity LEDs, it only has one LED that changes from orange to blue. Blue means there is internet, orange means there is not. Second I noticed there were no external antennas, they're internal and there are 3 of them. Third this router can only be stood vertical, no horizontal mounting.
Compared to my two routers, both the D-Link and KR2 have a row of LEDs which I find very useful. The absence of activity LEDs on the Belkin is a disadvantage in my opinion because I usually give the LEDs a quick glance to check the status while I'm downloading huge files. This may seem like a small feature for most people but for the way I use routers it's a significant loss in functionality. For example when I'm downloading files up to 1.5GBs I don't leave my computer monitor on so I cannot check the download status from the PC, that means I rely on the router LEDs instead. Not only that but remember that my desktop computer is in the bedroom. What happens if I go out into the living room or kitchen to eat and need to keep an eye on the download status? Sorry can't be done even though the router is in the living room because it doesn't have any activity LEDs. The thing is if the download gets disconnected part way through I would not be able to know. Obviously this is very important when you're downloading huge files that take hours to complete. With LEDs I could tell right away by the blinking activity that the download is still in progress or disconnected/finished. If it turned out that it was disconnected I could go to my computer to restart the same download or start another new download without constantly going into the bedroom to check my PC and/or router. Anyway status LEDs are useful for checking if someone is trying to leech internet access from your router too.
As far as features, the Belkin has a really basic feature set. It does not have some advanced features of my other two routers. One feature missing from the Belkin which I use on my own routers is the radio power setting. On my routers I have it set to the lowest power which means the lowest range so the signals do not go around the whole neighborhood. Having lots of range is good but only if you want it to. It would've been useful if users could manually adjust the range. Another feature I use is the MAC address filtering feature. The Belkin has this feature but it is limited to "allow" (inclusion) only, it doesn't have "deny" (exclusion). Not a big deal but worth mentioning. Also you have to input the MAC addresses manually, there is no "clone" feature.
Now for the unique feature. The Belkin has a "self healing" feature which is nice. You can set the router to re-initialize itself any day of the week at any time. This comes in handy when the network encounters problems while you're away.
In summary, the Belkin N450 is a good entry level High Speed router, however it also lacks some advanced features of other similar routers. With that said, if you're looking for a basic high speed N+ router and don't need all of the bells and whistles of other routers then this one is a good choice. It's easy to setup and won't overwhelm you with a bunch of advanced settings.
Update: I've encountered the same non-working Admin login timeout issue that others have mentioned. I contacted Belkin tech support and they told me to "reflash" the firmware which is very odd. I already installed the latest firmware but they said I needed to reflash it again in order to get the admin login timeout to work. The reflash did fix the problem.
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Product Description
Get strong performance for your networking needs with the Belkin N450 Wireless N+ Router. Featuring exclusive MultiBeam technology and speeds of up to 450Mbps*, the Belkin N450 gives you high-powered signal strength and maximum coverage throughout your home. This router also features Gigabit ports for ultra-fast file sharing and an integrated Self-Healing application to automatically detect and resolve potential network problems and keep your connection hassle-free. *The standard transmission rates—450Mbps, 54Mbps, and 11Mbps—are the physical data rates. Actual data throughput will be lower and may depend on the mix of wireless products used.
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #20436 in Consumer Electronics
- Color: Black
- Brand: Belkin
- Model: F9K1003
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 9.00" h x 3.00" w x 10.38" l, 1.65 pounds
Features
- Strong performance for your networking needs
- MultiBeam technology for a high-powered signal throughout your home
- Easy setup for getting your network up and running in 3 steps
- Self-Healing will detect and resolve network problems
- N technology for great network performance and speeds of up to 450Mbps*
Click here for more information about Belkin N450 Wireless N+ Router (Latest Generation)
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