Belkin F5D6130 Wireless Network Access Point

Belkin 802.11b USB Adapter The Belkin Wireless Network Access Point (WNAP) connects to your network switch or gateway router and lets you join your wireless-equipped PCs to your wired network. Once you've done the simple setup, you can share data and peripherals, as well as a single Internet account among all your computers. Using multiple WNAPs within your home or office lets you increase the your network's coverage area and take advantage of expanded wireless roaming capabilities. Interoperable with any 802.11b wireless device, it uses the 802.11b wireless Ethernet standard to offer you a working range up to 1500 feet and speeds of up to 11Mbps. The included management software works with Windows 95, 98, 2000, NT, Me and XP. Now you can transfer files around the house or office--without cables--and enjoy the benefits of network capabilities.

1 Previous review is bogus
The guy who said "Not comaptible with dynamic IP address modems" is wrong. I spoke with a tech who told me that it will work fine as long as you disable the DHCP on it's setup page.

2 Nice, easy wireless networking
I bought this and set it up yesterday. It was a total breeze--just plugged it into my router, put the PC card in my laptop, installed the drivers on the laptop, and everything worked. Very nice. Encryption works fine, too. I would recommend this to anyone who has a wired network and wants to add wireless access to it.

3 A loud access point!
I am a bit of a newbie to the world of wireless networking, and this is my first wireless access point.

One thing that I think needs to be mentioned is that this access point makes an audible, very rapid clicking noise. I would guess this would completely insignificant to most users, but my current project involves building a silent, fanless PC, and this access point is curiously... loud. Maybe they're all that way, I don't know.

Another reviewer mentioned that this access point needs to be configured with Windows. This is partly true. If you have a UNIX-based computer (including, I imagine, Mac OS X), there is an open source, free, console-based access point configuration utility availabe - do some searching on google. It's certainly harder to use than Belkin's Windows software, but it does work with this Belkin AP.

4 Easy for administration...
Good AP, very easy for administration and working fine with all 802.11b cards and hubs (encryption with key or password - 64 or 128 bit). But note, that this AP is only for a small office - there is no possibility to connect to external antena, signal is low powered (110mW), so the distance is very limited.

5 Not comaptible with dynamic IP address modems
I picked this up a couple of hours ago thinking that I could just plug it into my hub and be up and running like I am with my Linksys WAP11. Not so. I called Belkin's tech support who quickly informed me that this unit is not compatible with my cable modem because it dishes out a dynamic IP address. So, on the suggestion of the tech guy, I went back to the store to get Belkin's wireless cable/dsl router and am anxiously awaiting 5pm so that I can go home and try it out.

6 Awesome, easy, and XP friendly!
I can't tell you how pleased I was when I fired up the Belkin F5D6130 (coupled with a Belkin PCMCIA card for my Gateway notebook) and it worked!!! Even more impressive, was the fact that it took me less than ten minutes to do it (no lie).

This Belkin wireless access point was added to an already existing network running through a LINKSYS Cable Router/Firewall>>DLink Hub. I was a little nervous about the whole process after reading some of the nightmare stories regarding DLink and Linksys solutions. I have to say that my worries were all for nothing.

The access point is running on a 98SE machine while the PCMCIA card is running on an XP notebook. The first thing I did, even before plugging anything in, was to visit Belkin's site and download the latest drivers. I believe this really helped as I never even had to touch the CD's that came with the box-NOTE:the manuals don't even MENTION XP!!!

I am very impressed with the distance and range I am getting from the AP/Wireless card. On a whim, I threw a pair of shoes on and carried my notebook out to the van in the driveway...sitting in the driver's seat, I was in awe to find that I could surf Amazon's site with little to no loss of speed! Incredible! (Bear in mind that all of the windows in the house were open due to the weather being hot, but STILL!!!!)

All in all - I couldn't be more impressed with the Belkin products...hope you find this info helpful.

7 Works great with my iBook and Airport Card
I was looking for a relatively inexpensive way to go wireless with my iBook. I already had a Linksys Cable/DSL router, so I did not want a combination unit. The Airport base station is way over priced. I was able to get an Airport card for $[money] used. Put that together with the Belkin unit, and you have excellent bang for the buck.

The unit worked right out of the box. My iBook found the Access Point and the signal was strong throughout my house and outside to other parts of my property. I live in a split level ranch and I was able to move everywhere in my house on all 3 levels. Problem was that I was not able to see it with the Belkin management software. I was hoping to turn on WEP.

After a bunch of experimentation, I called Belkin and they shipped me a new one. The new unit worked immediately.

A few things of note:

-the Access Point software is PC-based so don't expect to manage the unit from your Macintosh (or other OS) based machine

-the documentation is not that great. Really nothing specific regarding Macintosh machines. If you want to use WEP, you will need to be careful about the syntax of entering your password on the Mac side. Here's information that's useful on that front: [web address] (this is specific to LinkSys, but is essentially the same for the Belkin unit).

8 Up and running in minutes
This BELKIN WAP was incredibly easy to install. Simply plugged into an ethernet connection (which is connected to my router), and it was off and running.
The management software installed easily on both Win98 and WinNT. I set up security within minutes. My laptop had no problem connecting, even from a non-Belkin adapter.
I can't comment on the distance. I have placed my laptop as far as 100 feet away (indoors) and still get a great connection.
Also, the unit is so small I was able to mount it on the wall behind some furniture, so it is not even visible.