Belkin F5D8000 Wireless Pre-N Desktop Network Card

by Belkin

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.2 x 2 inches ; 13.6 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B0006J5AAU
• Item model number: F5D8000
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: May 24, 2006

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

The Belkin F5D8000 wireless Pre-N desktop network card connects your desktop computer to your wireless network with new Belkin Pre-N technology. It lets you share your broadband Internet connection farther and faster than ever. Featuring smart antenna technology, the Pre-N design helps combat distortion and interference so the Network Card can send its data streams greater distances, more reliably.

With a Belkin wireless Pre-N router as the central connection point of your network, your computers can share your high-speed Internet account as well as files, printers, and hard drives.

Belkin's Pre-N technology offers backward compatibility with existing 802.11g and 802.11b products to provide seamless integration with existing wireless networks. In fact, its advanced technology enables Belkin Pre-N products to significantly improve the performance of standard 802.11g and 802.11b devices in a mixed-network environment.

Advantages:

• 800 percent greater coverage than standard 802.11g: Belkin Pre-N provides the industry's best wireless coverage, extending your range with improved reliability and fewer drops
• 600 percent greater speeds than standard 802.11g: Belkin Pre-N provides the industry's fastest wireless connection for gaming, streaming video, Voice over IP, and moving large files efficiently and quickly between all the devices in your networked home
• Improved performance of standard 802.11g and 802.11b networking devices: Using a Belkin Pre-N Router or Card with an older 802.11g or 802.11b networking product increases wireless coverage up to 20 percent
• Improved resistance to wireless interference: Belkin Pre-N products sense potential interference and dynamically shift to the clearest wireless channel available
• Belkin Pre-N products do not drop to the lowest networking speed in a mixed-mode environment if a standard 802.11g or 802.11b device is introduced into a Belkin Pre-N network: Belkin Pre-N products will continue to transmit at a link rate of 108 Mbps, a result competing products cannot achieve
• Advanced Security: WiFi Protected Access (WPA) support provides enhanced encryption protecting your wireless network
• Pop-up Blocker: 6 months of free pop-up, adware, and spyware stopper
• UPC: 722868540879

Product Description

The Belkin Wireless Pre-N Desktop Network Card connects your desktop computer to your wireless network with new Belkin Pre-N technology. It lets you share your broadband Internet connection farther and faster than ever.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Belkin PreN is Outrageous!!!, October 30, 2005

By 

Igor Smetaniuk - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Belkin F5D8000 Wireless Pre-N Desktop Network Card (Personal Computers)

I went completely Belkin PreN - Router, Desktop card, Notebook card, and Print server.

It was hell when I tried installing the PreN Desktop Card (this is in place of having an antenna) into the PreN PCI CardBus adapter on my new Dell Win XP SP2. The instructions tell you to install your Card "label side UP, into the PreN PCI Adapters' CardBus". Well, both sides have labels, so I took it to mean the words 'Belkin' and two small LED's as the 'UP' side. The Computer would not recognize the card. After multiple attempts, I thought I would have to return the PreN Desktop card due to incompatibility. I tried surfing the net one more time and came across a forum message with someone having this same problem. They spoke with Belkin tech support and were told that the Belkin installation guide is wrong. The card needs to be inserted facing 'DOWN'. I tried it and it immediately was recognized. As frustrating as it gets, I guess it just takes a little perseverance versus giving up.

So, aside Belkin's Topsy Turvy joke, I'm glad I got it to work because it's a screamer.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very easy to install, excellent signal, June 21, 2005

By 

H. Huang "Kyle53719" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Belkin F5D8000 Wireless Pre-N Desktop Network Card (Personal Computers)

I purchased this PCI card with the Belkin Pre-N router and both have worked flawlessly together. The installation was a breeze, as I followed the included instructions. The signal strength is definitely much better than regular A/B/G access points, and the speed seems to be considerably faster. I'm running Windows XP Professional on my Compaq Desktop and was able to easily configure the access point with WPA. I also set the closed network option and entered all my MAC addresses of computers I would use to protect it from any outside intrusion.

Overall, I highly recommend the Belkin Pre-N products over Linksys and Netgear. I have heard from other colleagues that the Linksys is more expensive, yet does not perform as well as the Belkin and the Netgear product has some flaws that prohibit it from working efficiently.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Fed up with Bait and Switch, March 15, 2007

By 

W. Sewall "bsewall16304" (Tampa, FL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Belkin F5D8000 Wireless Pre-N Desktop Network Card (Personal Computers)

Even though this network card works amazingly well when everything is configured properly and it's a great bargain, Belkin is doing everything within its power to make you buy the N card and router instead. The day the Belkin N router was introduced at my local Staples and Bestbuy stores last year, the Pre-N cards and router mysteriously disappeared from the shelves and no one could explain why. Now Vista has been out for months, yet Belkin is still unable/unwilling to deliver Vista compatible drivers for most of the older Pre-N cards. All you get is a "coming soon" note on their web site with the implied message that they hope you run out of patience with your old, useless Pre-N network card and upgrade to N.