Customer Reviews

Belkin F5D7330 802.11g Wireless Ethernet/Gaming Adapter

5 star:		(42)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

I bought this product looking to get either my TV (Panasonic TH-50PZ850U, which has IPTV) or my Direct TV HD DVR connected back to my wireless network. While my original idea was to connect this device to an Ethernet switch unit and connect both units through the F5D7330. That didn't pan out as expected and isn't the reason why I rated this product with 2 stars, it didn't work as planned because an Ethernet switch box is NOT a managed switch or hub, that was just a moronic misstep by me, not the F5D7330.

So let's get back to the F5D7330, shall we?

The Good:
- The device is small, lightweight and its swivel antenna in the back of the unit makes it a nice addition for the space channagled media centers. If you have an unsecured network, with limited interference from other unsecured networks, this device will work right out of the box. Just connect it to the device with the provided Ethernet cable, press the autoconnect button and your wired Ethernet device should be up and running on your network.

- However, when you need to set the device up on a secure network (which you really should) or you have multiple networks available and need to select your and not your neighbors, then this is where the device really falls apart and earns its two stars.

The Bad:
- The setup for secure networks or selecting the correct network, to say the least is very frustrating. The manual is sparse and not well written, the "wizard tool" that Belkin provides is spotty, sometimes it works, sometimes it didn't. On most occasions, the wizard could never find the device, even after restoring the factory defaults and setting up the laptop correctly.

- Then there's the manual setup, which you really need to use in most cases. Unfortunately is one of the most vexing processes I've come across. You have to connect the device to a machine which isn't on the wireless network and you have to modify your TCIP/IP settings to get to setup page (which true of nearly any AP/Bridge device). Once at the setup page, you can select your network, enter an encryption key and make modifications, i.e., passwords, IP address, etc... The problem is that device setup page wouldn't load on several occasions and accessing the setup page after it's on your secure network was a chore too.

The Ugly:
- The biggest issue I had with this device was that the device would wander off my network from time to time. This wasn't due to a power cycle or a system reboot. I would setup the unit on my secure network (select my network, provide the access key, etc...), identify it on the DHCP server. After a while, I would remote back into the device setup page using the IP address I assigned or the DHCP server assigned (trust me I tried it both ways) and I couldn't get the setup page to open. I had to manually remote back into the unit and found the device on an unsecured nearby network.

- I spent so many hours just trying to keep this device stable and on my network. In summary, if you have an unsecured network with limited interference from other unsecured networks and you need "plug and play", then this device should work okay. If you need something more, pass this unit up.

During my search for a better device, I came across the newly introduced D-Link DAP-1522 Ap/Bridge Wireless N device (this replaced last year's DAP-1555). It was hard to find, most retailers we're out of stock, but found one with Beach Audio (through Amazon). It cost ~ $100 and was the right device to purchase. Out of the box, setup and connected to my secure network all under 20 minutes.

Even if you only need one Ethernet port, the DAP-1522 will future proof your setup for a while if you need to add additional wired Ethernet devices. Which we all want to anyway, right?

http://www.dlink.com/products/?sec=1&pid=663

- Supports 4 wired Ethernet devices
- 4 port gigabit switch w/ jumbo frame support
- can be used as a bridge or AP. It can also be set "auto" detect.
- Supports new N wireless devices and legacy a/b/g devices
- can operate in 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz
- supports all current security standards
- Easy to read and follow documentation
- default IP address for the device is 192.168.0.50, so networks already on 192.168.0.xx, the device can be accessed within the existing network without requiring modification (if you use this network scheme).

I'm writing this review because I have had a hard time getting this information so, hopefully, this will help some of you out.

I have a Belkin Pre-N Router and the F5D7330 ethernet adaptor. The adaptor is plugged into my Xbox.

Out of the box, the F5D7330 does not support WPA-PSK encryption, only 128bit or 64bit WEP. To enable WPA-PSK you need to download the firmware upgrade from here:

edit: OK, so Amazon remove links - the file is on the US Belkin site, in the support pages for the F5D7330.

The file you will download is a zip file, extract the firmware file relevent to your country (US or UK). Inside the zip file is a *second* zip file. This contains the new Setup.exe program that will enable you to change the encryption settings to WPA-PSK.

I initially had reservations about adding Belkin to my Linksys-only wireless network because early implementations of wireless bridging were vendor-specific. Unfortunately, my Linksys WET11 performed so poorly that I had to explore other options. This device costs only slightly more than the WET11, and substantially less then the widely criticized WET54G. In fact the Belkin works so well that I wonder whether I should have used their stuff for the rest of my network.

For many users there should be almost no setup required. In fact, the documentation suggests that you just plug it in and it should work. If you're within range of several different access points, or you need to configure any security settings, the installation is only slightly more complicated.

Once it's set up it has much better range and througput than the WET11. I use it to do slideshows of 8-megapixel images over the network and it's noticeably faster and more reliable than my previous solution. Overall, the benefits of this device are:

- Easy to set up
- Has great range
- Gives high throughput
- Interoperates with other brands
- Has a small footprint

If it has any disadvantages I haven't found them yet.

Frankly, I'm delighted with this thing.

I bought this device to connect my Replay TV to my LAN. I opened the box, plugged in the power and the ethernet cables and immediately the device connected. No problem, no setup, no hassle. It has been working without problem for about three days and I am able to connect to the internet to update programming info and stream live video from my PC to my TV without a hitch. This is my first expierence with a Belkin product and I am very pleased.

So, the first thing you should know about this adapter is that Belkin now has a firmware update for this device that allows it to support WPA (Wifi protected access), a better and as yet uncracked form of wireless security than WEP (currently breakable in a short amount of time by a determined attacker).

Other things that sold me on this adapter:

* Interoperates with a lot of different types of wireless equipment (tested it with Netgear, Linksys, and Dlink) without any problems.

* No 'mysterious' problems. I had a Linksys wireless to ethernet adapter that would have to be powered on and off if I accidentally unplugged the ethernet cable, and a Dlink adapter which would overheat and lose contact with the access point every few hours (also requiring a reboot).

* Ease of use: Generally, you can just plug in and it works. Configuring after that seems simple and easy. Note that while it comes with a configuration program that runs only on Windows, it has a web interface for people on other operating systems.

Finally, some things to be aware of if you're totally new to wireless networking solutions:

- A wireless to ethernet adapter has an external power supply, by contrast to USB, PCMCIA, or PCI-based wireless adapters, which means it's slightly less portable.

- Historically, these devices seem a little more expensive than their counterparts. On the other hand, they require absolutely no drivers to use -- they'll work with basically any operating system or appliance (so they're great for things like Tivo or a game system that needs internet access).

- In conjunction with a hub or a switch, you can use a wireless ethernet adapter to allow multiple computers to have access to the wireless network. This is extremely useful if you're the sort of person who has a lot of computers on your desk, or a small office.

Well, after a fair amount of prodding and poking - I've got it working. Here's the deal:

I bought this to provide wireless conncetivity for a Mac Mini that wasn't equipped with an airport card. While I love Mac's - the other options (USB wireless, etc) generally are problematic.

The setup software that comes with the unit is Windows only so I had to fall back to the web-based setup system. This requires various jiggering with your IP addresses and such to allow you to connect to configure the box. Once you're in the configuration system - expect a pretty darn lean experience. In fact - there is actually no way to know if you have connected to your router/access point at all. You're forced to go back to the client machine and see if the connection is working. This is a serious hassle when the Belkin is set up for a different network range than you are trying to configure it for.

So, dragged out the windows box and got it configured. But - no joy. I can ping to my hearts content - but cannot resolve domain names. For some reason the box does not pass the ID of the DNS server back to its client. Once I figured that out and hard coded that in the Mac - all is looking good.

So, I'd say if you're using Windows and this works out of the box - you're golden. If there's a problem - expect to be doing a LOT of black box troubleshooting.

And, it's kinda ugly as well.

Sigh.

I had already owned a Linksys wireless USB adapter that I used while running Windows, but could not get it working under Fedora Core 4 (tried every trick that Google could muster up). I finally gave up on the Linksys and purchased this Belkin gateway adapter, since it requires no drivers or other software.

I had some initial trouble getting it working, because it seems to present three different MAC addresses to my access point (WAN, LAN, and actual NIC), and I am using MAC address filtering as part of my wireless security. Once I configured my access point to allow connections from any of the three MAC addresses, things started working perfectly. The fact that I had to allow all three MAC addresses is the only reason I rated this as "4" instead of "5". The device has worked perfectly in every other regard.

This device is doing EXACTLY what it is supposed to be doing, and I am loving it as long as it stays this way!

I've had DLink and Linksys in the past that claim to do the job of an ethernet adapter and more, but fall short of consistently performing the job that this guy does flawlessly!

The Belkin underdog is the champ of wireless products on the market today...

My Setup:

Starts with the Belkin Pre-N router (8230-4) for tremendous range and speed with our existing wireless PCs.

Next, on the other end of the house, this device (7330) receives the signal from the Pre-N router and delivers it to the internet port of my Belkin WirelessG router (7230-4) which cost me a whole $9.99 at Circuit City (after mail-in rebates). And I am happy :-)

A few sidenotes here, I forced the Pre-N router to operate on channel 11 and the WirelessG router to operate on channel 1 to avoid each other as much as possible. Also I could've went with an access point vs. a second router, but it provides a nice double firewall and keeps prying family eyes out of my business. Plus my only other Belkin choice would be their 7130 access point, but it is an older device, and has received some questionable reviews. The 7130 also supposedly doubles as an ethernet adapter (or bridge) in conjunction with other Belkin products only, but there does not appear to be a Site Survey incorporated to survey the wifi signals in the surrounding area. The 7330 does incorporate this feature!

When speed testing a PC wired to my WirelessG router, I get speeds of 3.0Mbps which is the best Time Warner Cable of Hawaii is doing right now, (even though they are claiming 5.0). So this speedy signal is twisting it's way through each of my 3 Belkin devices with ease! And never SLOWS DOWN! It's a home network enthusiasts dream, man!

Happy Wireless Networking! (with Belkin, the best)

I want to specify that this review is mostly about the unit itself (which should be given a 4.5) and secondarily about Belkin, its tech support, and other Belkin hardware.

I now have 3 Belkin products: one is a wireless PCI card that seems to work fine; one is the f5d6020 notebook card that I couldn't get working at home but could at other sites with different router(s); and finally the 7330 bridge. I also use a D-Link DI-614+ router.

The whole "plug-it-in-and-it-just-works" thing is probably not very useful, because you will almost certainly want to set up encryption; I suppose that's not necessary on an XBOX though...? I was able to get the unit to "see" the router on site survey but no dice on *connection*.

See Greg take unit out of box and cross fingers. "Pray Spot, pray!" See Greg fiddle with toy for hours fruitlessly. See Greg break down and call Belkin Tech. Support.

Ouch. Nice guy on the phone, apparently was a native English speaker, but I don't think it helped. I had to repeat *everything* at least 4 times! He decided to help me with the notebook card first and fortunately he figured out just to send me updated driver/software--hooray! See Greg put away freshly sharpened katana.

But the bridge remained a mystery; one more call to tech support helped me get it talking to the router. I think it had to do with the way WEP "hexes" passcodes on various wireless devices...they have to match, obviously!

This was not the end of the journey. It took significantly more time in order to get what I really wanted: multiple machines plugged into a hub-->connected to the bridge-->talking thru the D-Link router to the rest of the world. Sometimes just brute force, determination and trial-and-error prevail. Also, I'm a software developer, not a network guru...whatdoiknow?

Thumbs up, it works. Who cares about my personal suffering?! As Jimmy 'Margaritaville' Buffet says: "...#e||, it could be my fault!"

***Update: several months of using this (in pain) I downloaded the 1.00.09 firmware update. The dropouts I was experiencing continuously seem to be gone magically! If you get this thing and are frustrated by dropped packets, GET THE FIRMWARE UPDATE!***

I purchased this item to hook my Xbox and PS2 up to play games online and it works flawlessly. It is described on the package as being ready to work out of the box. I imagine it to be true if your wireless network doesn't have any password protected encryption. Mine does so I had to perform a little bit of painless setup to get it ready for my system. Once is was setup, I plugged in the Xbox, connected to Xbox Live and was up and running in no more than 15 minutes.

Performance wise - I cannot tell of any lag on my 802.11g network; again, flawless. Perhaps it is a little pricey, but if you find it on sale and are looking into one of these, I'd definately recommend it!