Customer Reviews

Belkin F5D5050 USB to 10/100 Ethernet Adaptor - Networking

5 star:		(68)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

I required a second network card to setup a multihomed server using Windows 2003. Since I was out of PCI slots on my server this adapter was a definitive blessing; it is also an excellent alternative for laptop users and for people who don't feel comfortable opening their computer cases. The adapter's cable length is about a foot 1/2 long, which I think is adequate for most people; it also has a power LED which also serves as a network status indicator.

I also tested the adapter with Windows XP and did not require the CD to set it up (Windows 2003 did require the CD).

Note:
If you install this adapter with your system powered on, you will get an error message indicating a problem starting the device, this is normal and will go out after restarting.

So far, performance has been consistent and it has been 100% stable.

I hope that my review helps in evaluating this device.

I previously owned the Linksys 200M and it broke with the touch of a feather because of a little plastic door which holds the ethernet cable. I know plenty of Tivo owners will make the same mistake because it is the only one "certified" on their website. Do not buy the Linksys 200M. This adapter installed so easily and connected to Tivo perfectly. The design is light years away from the Linksys 200M. Tivo owners - buy this one, you won't be sorry!

And network my Tivo I did. It worked right out the box without any problems at all - Tivo recognized it immediately.

Would have got 5 stars, but I do feel that the price point for this "brand" device is excessive now that USB is a very mature technology.

Incidentally, I bought a $6 + $2 shipping non-branded device from ebay which works perfectly with a colleague's Tivo.

I struggled with whether or not to review but felt a need to inform potential buyers that this is a USB 1.1 device. Meaning - at best it will transfer 12Mbps not 100Mbps. If you will be using this primarily for internet access you will likely not see any speed difference as most broadband speeds are far less than 12Mbps. However, if you have a home network and use this device to send/receive information across the network you will notice a significabnt lag compared to a standard network card or a USB 2.0 adapter which can take advantage of the full 200Mbps Full Duplex mode.

I am not suggesting in any way that this is a bad product - just make sure you get the product that best meets your needs. I do think the $25 is excessive for a USB 1.1 device, should be more in the $15 range - my opinion anyway.

1) You run the setup program in the CD
2) Plug in your USB ethernet adapter into the computer
3) Plug your ethernet cable to the other end

It was so easy to get up and running. Took less than five minutes!

I got this converter because I recently purchased a TIVO, which tells you that you need a stable landline phone connection in order to complete initial setup. This was not possible for me, as I have VOIP phone service.....I did some digging on the internet and found that all you need is 1 of these and an ethernet cord that will stretch to your router and it works even better then a phone connection for initial setup since the download speed is MUCH faster. I bought this and hooked it up as descibed above and it worked like magic.

So in summary, this product did the trick. A bit on the pricey side, but if ya just want the TIVO to work and have no choice, I highly recommend it. Can save you a lot of time and frustration.

I have several Macintosh computers, all of which had their Ethernet connection damaged by an electrical surge from a lightning bolt which hit next door. On iMacs and iBooks, for all their many virtues, replacing the Ethernet jack and board is an expensive proposition. The Belkin F5D5050 adapter allowed me to bypass all that by using USB (which fortunately still worked fine). The Belkin CD did not contain a driver for Mac OSX, so I obtained a free Pegusus driver from Sustainable Softworks online. Bought one F5D5050 from Amazon to be sure it was a good solution to this issue and now I have ordered two more. I like the product and Amazon delivers fast, so I guess that says it all!

It's plug and play with my Series 2 TiVo. After plugging it into the TiVo, go the the TiVo settings menu and tell it to use the network instead of a phone line. Connect the Ethernet cable. After that, it works. I happen to be using it to connect to an Apple Airport Express as its wired connection point.

After purchasing several other adapters in an attempt to set up a network between a PC and TIVO, I finally found one that worked. This adapter allows TIVO, via a USB port, to connect to a PC via a LAN port, and hence to download program viewing information via ethernet as opposed to via a telephone jack. Further, it allowed me to play music from my computer in my living room over the speakers connected to my TIVO.

Works great. Absolutly no problems hooking up my TiVo to my network.