The Belkin 4-Port Cable/DSL Gateway Router (the Router) lets you easily share your cable or DSL modem's connection to the Internet with all your connected computers. Along with the convenience of networking, you'll enjoy the advantages of broadband Internet access without the expense of additional service connections and extra modems. The Router provides top-level security to your network with a NAT firewall that locks out would-be hackers, and you'll also be able to restrict access on any or all of the computers on the network. Using VPN (Virtual Private Networking), the Router can be configured to allow remote access to the network by authorized users.
Features- Shares your single, broadband Internet account with up to 4 computers
- Offers accelerated multiplayer gaming
- Supports PPTP, PPPoE, IPSec pass through protocols and DHCP (client and server)
- Uses the built-in switch to share files and peripherals
- Provides dedicated bandwidth to each computer in your network, enabling error-free data transmission
- Protects your computer and network against unauthorized access with NAT firewall
- Logs attempted intrusions into your network
- Lets you access your network from remote locations with VPN
- Adds more computers to your network through the uplink port
- Works with Macintosh® computers and PCs
- Configures easily via your web browser or Easy Install Wizard
Compatible with both Macintosh and PC computers, (and computers using Linux or Unix OS) this Belkin router lets you share your cable or DSL connection with up to four computers via a wired connection. It also provides top-level security and an NAT firewall, so you can restrict access to any or all of the computers on the network by others and/or configure its VPN (Virtual Private Networking) to allow remote access to the network by authorized users.
The router includes an "Easy Install Wizard" so getting your other computers online is easy, and it uses its built-in switch to share files and peripherals and let you play accelerated multiplayer gaming. The router features a life time warranty and free 24 hour technical support.
1 Awful, horrible, useless, annoying
Cuts out at least once or twice a week, doesnt do port forwarding at all. It does the basic routing (barely) so if thats all you need it for, I might suggest it, but probably not. Go with a Linksys. ( one star is pushing it )
2 Stay Away
I had been using a direct cable connection with no problem whatsoever for about 1 month before I got a roomate and had to share the cable connection with him. We decided to use this Belkin Router and since installing it, my internet has cut out every day, sometimes twice per day. It requires a power cycle of the router, then works fine, but this is a royal pain!
This router does not do the primary thing it is meant to do, and hence any positive qualities do not redeem it. Stick to another product for routing your cable/dsl connection.
3 Good Value, Overall a Good Router as well
Although some people may say that setting up this router on Windows XP is difficult, it is actually easier to set up than one thinks. People say that setting up the internet is easy, but then setting up communication between users is difficult. however, all you have to do is edit a few settings in the Local Area Network. First, turn off the Windows firewall. Then, go to Network Connections> Local Area Connection> Properties> Advanced> WINS, and under NetBIOS setting, select" Enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP. This should clear a path for the network to share between computers. Overall, this router is a good deal, and I have had no problems with the internet connection.
4 Unreliable
I've had this router in its previous incarnation for about 18 months. I've finally gotten fed up and I'm replacing it. It constantly needs to be rebooted and it's a total pain. I echo all of the other negative reviews here. Next time I'm buying Linksys.
5 good tool
After so many months of use, I could say this router is right on the money. I had to restart it maybe once a month or less, though the root cause might have been the DSL modem. It's been working well in a mixed environment--different OSes, card adapters, etc.. For those of you who have PPPoE networks, this router works indeed very well (INSTALL INCLUDED). Get as fast as you can to the web interface and drive things from there--security, firmware updates, monitoring, etc. And now, a word of caution: do not trust 100% the built-in firewall. There have indeed been 5 or 6 attacks, over 9 months of use, detected by the software firewall I kept. So, to address this issue, keep all firewalls running and up to date. As for the price, people around speak of all kinds of coupons/rebates. Unless you have the option to wait, get it right away and see the difference!
6 Unusable Piece of Frozen Turd
The price tag (ten dollars after mail in rebate) was what attracted me to replace my aging, failing 1-port router, but in the end it hardly made a difference.
Good news first, the router is nice and sleek looking, albeit slightly large for what it is. It comes packaged neatly and comes with an optional stand so you can place the router on its side. Set-up was a breeze, in my case literally plug-and-play. My cable internet uses DHCP to assign settings, which is default on the router, so I was sharing my internet connection over my home network in less than a few minutes.
The router seems to have plenty of options and settings for a basic system: web-based admin access, a simple firewall, port router/filter, amongst other things. For accessing the internet and sharing files and printers it was more than sufficient.
However, I seem to have the same problem a few other reviewers have: the router inexplicably locks up, in my case 3-10 times a week, and requires a power cycle (unplug it, wait 10 seconds, plug it back in, wait a minute for it to boot) to get anything on the network working again. Belkin offers no support, and hasn't released a new firmware at all (still on version 1.00, I don't know why there's even an "update firmware" button on the admin control panel).
There are times I'll turn on my computer and try to access the internet and realize the router locked up. There are also times I'm right in the middle of browsing and then the router will lock up. After eight months of putting up with this, the hunk of junk is going out the window.
7 Easy to set up works grear
I've had this router connected to my cable modem for several months now. It was very easy to set up. I havn't had problems with it locking up. I've got two computers and the box for my Vonage voice over IP connected to it and they work without a hitch.
The manual supplied with the router is much better written than other router manuals I've seen. It does a pretty good job of explaining the various options on the router administrative screens.
This is a good choice for a basic wired network router.
8 Easiest Setup Ever
I bought this inexpensive router for a quick fix for sharing a home network. It was setup in a few minutes. It does a great job and I have now have no need for a more expensive one. This Belkin 4-Port Cable/DSL Router does everything that is advertised. I am using it for sharing a DSL connection and it automatically adjusts to the speed of the devices and the speed is great. With the VPN support it allows connection easily to a VPN. It has built in DCHP or you can manually address it. I used the uplink port and connected my Linksys switch and expanded my network to 6 just to test the ability to expand the number of network ports. This worked just fine. I highly recommend this router for a beginner or an advanced network user.
9 Pretty good router until it locks up.
The router works very well most of the time on my 3xPC/1xMac/1xPS2/1xPrinter LAN with shared DSL. It was extremely easy to set up and provides adequate security according to the tests I've run. But it has locked up (requiring a hard reset) about a dozen times in the last three months. I'd complain about that problem a little more if I hadn't bought it dirt cheap (with rebate).
There doesn't seem to be any commonality to the lock-ups -- they just happen from time to time. The built-in router utility reports that there is not a newer firmware update available.
The hard reset requires unplugging the power cord or depressing a tiny recessed button at the back of the unit, so you'll need to keep the router in an easy access location (assuming you have the same problem).
10 Works Great
The Belkin router works great. I wanted a network that was easy to set up and Belkin did just that. I swear I had it set up in 3 minutes. I also bought a wireless notebook card and 2 PCI cards. All of them were easy to install, although if you have a computer far away from the router, you will have trouble. One computer with the PCI card can't hook up to the internet because it it too far away. I think there are ways to fix that. As for internet speed, it's really fast.
The one problem is that it is very hard to netwok 2 computers together so I can access the hardrive of one computer from the other. I don't know if it's like that for all wireless networks or just belkin. Also I don't know what everyone is talking about Belkin pop-ups happening all the time. I have never encountered a Belkin related pop-up.
Otherwise Belkin provides fast internet speeds and easy set up thats well worth your money. I highly recommend it.
11 frequent lock ups
I use this switch with a voip application and HSD. Every few days this thing locks up and has to be restarted. Never had this problem with my DLink router. Updated firmware and it still locks up. peace of junk.
12 Simple, elegant & efficient
I bought this about 4 months ago to replace my Linksys HPRO200 router whose PPPoE wouldn't work with my new SBC Yahoo DSL and whose firmware hasn't been updated for the last two+ years. I must say this is a great product. Very easy to set up. If you know the basics about setting up a router, you can set it up in 5 minutes. You don't even need the CD that comes with it. Just connect the DSL modem to the router and the router to your computer and browse to 192.168.2.1 (the router's deafult IP address - this can be changed). The set up screens are very friendly. In my case (SBC Yahoo DSL), I just had to go into "Connection Type", select PPPoE and enter the log in id and password and it connected in a flash.
The unit itself is a lot more professional and elegant looking than the blue Linksys routers. It can be laid on the flat bottom or can be placed vertically using the small stand that comes with it. It also has a 4-port switch which replaced a Linksys switch that I had. The price is unbeatable [...]. I would probably have gone for a different model if I didn't already have a wireless access point, but what I was looking for was a basic router and this perfectly fits the bill for my needs.
Now the reason for giving this only 4 stars - One problem that I have with this router is that it hangs once in a while - once in a week or so. Since I keep this in my basement, that means a walk down there to reset it. I am not sure if this is a problem with this product or something in my house or on the network making it hang, but it never happened with the Linksys router (on the same network in the same house). It is a little annoying.
13 A $9.99 4 port-router what else you ask for?
I spent $9.99 at MicroCenter in Chicago. Good product, great price and easy to install.
I've checked the previous previews about this products and it seems like a lot people are not satisfied with it's functions. I just use it as a very basic router. No other fancy functions I need. Only turn on the web-base alternative to do some firewall settings. So far it works fine and it's a no-brainer installation process.
For a $9.99 product, I highly recommend and give it 5 stars. Unless you want to more with it like those who left negative reviews, you probably have to have bigger wallet.
14 Great router for the price
This is a good router for the price. I bought this to replace my old Linksys router which was no longer compatiable with my new DSL (neither Linksys or Bellsouth could figure out the problem). I hooked up the Belkin router and it works great. I have used Belkin in the past and as a PC consultant would recommend their products to my clients looking for less expensive equipment (especially with the recent $40 rebare on this one). The setup guide was also very basic which is great for beginners. I cannot comment on their tech support since I have not had a reason to call them :)
15 Great Buy
Its a great buy. To start with, I bought it for the price, cant beat that deal, but later I found out that its a great product too. I have it running, connected to two computers, one running Win2k and the other Redhat Linux. I did have trouble initially during installation, I called support and they had me running in less than 10 minutes. I used to have lot of people trying to hack into my computer, now i can relax, the firewall in it stops almost everything. Its cool, never had so much security in a long time. I am not saying its better than others, but i am totally satisfied with the product. Guys who are bitching about it, I would say, either don't know their stuff or haven't googled for help.
16 Belkin backs down, kills "spamming router" idea
(This is from another web site and it updates the Belkin fiasco.)
Belkin takes steps to eliminate a feature that would redirect users of their wireless routers to a Belkin advertisement every eight hours. Belkin took a lot of heat for including the "feature" in their products, then tried to explain the feature by claiming they were just looking for a way to make sign up for their subscription parental control service "very easy". Now, according to their website, the company will be releasing a firmware update that will eliminate the feature altogether.
"In response to a recent Usenet group posting stating that Belkin spams its customers through its routers, Belkin Corporation apologizes for the concern this has caused and is taking action to address the issue. To allay customers' worries, Belkin will offer a firmware upgrade that will be available via download from its website (www.belkin.com) on November 17, 2003. This upgrade will rid the redirect completely so that no additional browser windows will appear during the router's installation process. Questions can be directed to our dedicated networking customer support line at 877-736-5771 or e-mailed to kannynmc@belkin.com."
17 USE THIS TO BE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF BY BELKIN!
Belkin has released software for all of their routers that not only redirects random HTTP traffic to advertisements of their choosing, but they also leave your router open to configuration from external web pages.
You have been warned.
18 DO NOT BUY!!!!! spamware!!!!!!
This router will take a legitimate connection to a web site and turn it into an ad for belkin products! The older models don't but if you update the firmware (like maybe to close a security hole in the future, or for compatibility of a network game) you will start getting ads! There are a couple of articles that are at popular news organizations that confirm this. BOYCOTT, DO NOT UPGRADE THE FIRMWARE!
19 Bad Router - Worse Support
Router:
- There is no option to change default administration port (80).
- You can enable remote administration on port 80 and also configure a virtual web server to run on port 80.
- Unchecking Virtual Server checkbox won't disable.
- Password change doesn't take effect until you restore factory defaults and then set your password.
- Gives "Invalid File Format" error when you upload firmware - even if you download it 100 times.
Customer Support:
- Called Customer Support few times - call was connected somewhere in India - they were having hard time trying to understand what is port 80
- They asked me to change my web-server port because it cost them too much to make port changing configurable
20 Bad Router and Worse Customer support
Router:
- There is no option to change default administration port (80).
- You can enable remote administration on port 80 and also configure a virtual web server to run on port 80.
- Unchecking Virtual Server checkbox won't disable.
- Password change doesn't take effect until you restore factory defaults and then set your password.
- Gives "Invalid File Format" error when you upload firmware - even if you download it 100 times.
Customer Support:
- Called Customer Support few times - call was connected somewhere in India - they were having hard time trying to understand what is port 80
- They asked me to change my web-server port because it cost them too much to make port changing configurable
21 Excellent product!
I was very satisfied with the quality and performance of the Belkin F5D5231-4 Router. It is the first router that I have owned.
It comes with a "Quick Installation Guide" as well as a more thorough User Manual. I was careful to follow the installation instructions on the setup CD step by step and had no problems at all. The setup CD instructions are very straight forward and detailed. If someone has problems it is probably because they didn't follow the instructions.
Before I installed the router I was receiving hundreds of ICMP pings every day (as indicated in the Event log of my McAfee Personal Firewall software). After installing the router and selecting the ICMP ping blocking feature there are no more pings.
The router comes with a limited Lifetime Product Warranty. What more could you ask for?
22 Fast, Easy Setup
This Belkin router was easy to install and setup. It only took 15 minutes from opening the box to have two computers networked and sharing the internet. The MAC address cloning feature came in extremely handy. No problems at all during setup. Excellent product for the price.
23 Easy setup!
I had absolutely no problems what-so-ever setting up this router on my network. The step-by-step wizard guides you through each step of the way and it worked on the first try without any additional work! I highly recommend this router for any amatuer who may be interested in setting up a small network or for sharing your web connection with multiple computers.
24 Poor directions
I had a very difficult time installing this router. The directions were simple, yet they resulted in an error in communicating with the router. All the troubleshooting section did was to go over the directions again, but with more pictures. Entirely useless. It wasn't until I tried it my own way (turn everything off, make the proper connections, turn everything on) that I was able to configure my windows machine to use the router. My next step was to configure my Macintosh tower. The directions were once again incomplete. There were only 2 pages devoted to MacOS X. Due to a leftover configuration from my original DSL installation procedure, I was unable to access the internet through the router. It took me hours of messing around to get it to work.
25 A fantastic router!
From the get-go, this router has been a God-send . . . Installation was more than easy, and the performance this thing has is grrrrrrrrrrreat (( specially for the price ))!!! The reason for the 4 stars is that it has a few limited features . . . (( ie - lack of url blocking and not enough control over the 'nat' )) other than that . . . this router has worked wonderfully! Becareful though, and do read the manual if you have hangups . . . :)
26 Works just fine so far...
I just got the Belkin router installed and it's working fine so far. Tests with my work computer (a Wyse box running XP) accessing my desktop at the office via VPN were just fine. I was able to use my Mac iBook at the same time with no discernable speed decrease while using Remote Desktop of the Wyse.
I only had one "problem" during setup. The first time the setup software running on the iBook tried to detect the Internet connection, it failed. I tried again, following troubleshooting, and it failed again. I then pulled out the power cable for the cable modem, waited 30 seconds (recommeded by Earthlink), and plugged it in again. I then re-did the Internet connection part and it worked just fine. So the problem seemed to be the MAC reset on the cable modem side.
Now if it works past the warranty period, I'll be very pleased.
Update:
I have now had the router working for about 8 months with little or no problems. Occasionally I have to reboot to fix a problem, but that's it.
27 Belkin Cable/DSL Router saved the day with BellSouth DSL!
I originally purchased a Linksys DSL/Cable router because of a clerk's recommendation. It never worked even after I took it back and got a replacement. I then purchased a Netgear ProSafe router which sort of worked with the BellSouth DSL modem but still had all sorts of packet losses. I went back to the store and purchased the Belkin Cable/DSL router and it worked flawlessly right out of the box! I ran the set-up cd-rom, attached the cables, and I was on-line in 3 minutes. I then hooked in my wife's computer and laptop and they too worked after booting. If you have BellSouth DSL or any other "finicky" ISP, this router is the one to get, it saved the day!!
