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Technical Details
- Wireless standards: IEEE 802.11n draft 2.0; IEEE 802.11g; IEEE 802.11b; IEEE 802.3u; IEEE 802.3
- Ports: 4x computer/device ports (RJ-45), 1x modem port (RJ-45)
- Operating range: Up to 1200 feet
- Link rate: Up to 300 Mbps in 40 MHz channel mode
- System requirements: Broadband Internet connection with RJ45 (Ethernet connection); at least one computer with an installed network interface card; TCP/IP networking protocol installed on each computer; Internet browser
- Four 10/100 Mbps Ethernet ports built-in
- Strong network security includes WPA, WPA2, WPS, and 64- and 128-bit WEP
- System requirements for software: Windows XP/Vista, Mac OS X v10.4 or v10.5; 64 MB RAM minimum; Internet browser (Internet Explorer 6.0+, Firefox 1.0+, or Safari 2.0+)
Product Details
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Product Description
Amazon.com Product Description
The Belkin N Wireless Router uses the Wireless N protocol to provide an ultra-fast and reliable wireless network for your apartment or office. Offering outstanding performance, this router can handle the most demanding tasks, letting you stream HD video at the same time your kids are playing online games and sharing photos with their friends.
Smart Design with Wired and Wireless Connections
The Wireless N Router has a striking, vertical enclosure that is both handsome and space efficient. The two built-in external antennas provide a wireless range of up to 1,200 feet and easily covers an apartment or small office. Six LEDs for Security, Wireless, Wired, Router, Modem, and Internet let you know the status of your network at a glance, making it easy to troubleshoot any problems.
With wireless speeds of up to 300Mbps, you won't be waiting for videos to buffer or music to download because your children are playing online games. Wireless N provides more than enough bandwidth to make crystal-clear Internet phone calls, transfer a large amount of photos, and stream movies to your computer without any lag or hiccups.
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 Wireless-N offers up to 300 Mbps wireless speeds for bandwidth-intensive users. View larger. |
 The router also includes four wired Ethernet ports. View larger. |
The Wireless N Router has a striking, vertical enclosure that is both handsome and space efficient. The two built-in external antennas provide a wireless range of up to 1,200 feet and easily covers an apartment or small office. Six LEDs for Security, Wireless, Wired, Router, Modem, and Internet let you know the status of your network at a glance, making it easy to troubleshoot any problems.
Wireless N uses the latest 802.11n Draft 2.0 technology, offering better range and throughput than 802.11g and 802.11b networks. By using smart MIMO (multiple-input and multiple-output) antenna technology, the range of a Wireless N network is extended and can blanket a large home.
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You can also share networked peripherals such as a Wi-Fi printer, hard drives, and DVDs. If you have some computers that use the older wireless standards, they'll still work because the Wireless N router is backwards compatible with 802.11g and 802.11b devices (though they won't connect at the same blistering speed). For maximum speed and range, Belkin's N Wireless USB Adapter, Notebook Card, and ExpressCard adapter are recommended.
In addition to Wireless N, the router also has four 10/100 Ethernet ports at the back, giving you the option to plug in for a steady and secure, fast connection running at up to 100Mbps.
Thanks to the strong built-in security, including support for WPA, WPA2, Wi-Fi Protected Setup, and 64-and 128-bit WEP encryption, you will be protected from hackers and intruders trying to gain access to your sensitive files. Setting up security is simple, too: just push the Wi-Fi Protected Setup button located on the front of the router. The router also supports VPN for making secure connections between home and office.
Easy to Set Up
Belkin designed the Wireless N Router to be as simple to use as possible. Simply connect your wireless router to your cable or DSL modem, plug the router in, and connect your computer to the router. That's it. To help monitor your network performance and usage, the router includes Personal Network Assistant software, which runs on Windows XP/Vista and Mac OS X 10.4/10.5.
The Belkin N Wireless router is backed by a 1-year warranty and includes free 24/7 technical support.
What's in the Box
N Wireless Router, quick installation guide, Personal Network Assistant CD, user manual on CD, power supply, RJ45 Ethernet networking cable.
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Product Description
Belkin F5D8236-4 Wireless N 4-Port Router. Operating range: Up to 1200 feet.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
57 of 62 people found the following review helpful
To begin, I purchased this router less than a few weeks before Christmas. This is actually my first wireless router (I had always used wired routers before), but I was able to plug it in, and connect perfectly fine. In less than 30 minutes, I was able to set it up, and my wired connections worked perfectly fine. Only problem was that the wireless didn't work at all.
I've struggled with the wireless for a week after I got this router. The problem was that upon first setting up the router, it would work fine, but as soon as you implement new settings (port forwarding or wireless security, for example), it would suddenly stop working. I found that hard resetting was the only way to get the wireless to work, but of course, leaving it as thus was unacceptable because I wanted to at least set up wireless security to prevent outside access. Unfortunately, after a few hours of struggling with this, it resulted in the wireless not working at all. Hard resetting, powercycling, reinstalling the firmware; nothing worked.
As a computer hobbyist, I usually pride myself on being able to fix things like this myself, but even I wasn't able to do anything. Needless to say, I had to call tech support. I may as well say here that tech support is absolutely worthless. I was routed to, where else, India, and got on with a tech support representative. I was led through the basic steps (and had to ask the rep. to repeat multiple times because I couldn't understand) and, at the end, the wireless still wouldn't work. The rep kept insisting that wireless isn't working for me simply because I either didn't have 'the drivers' or the 'proper wireless adapter'. Finally, I just had enough, and I was on my own getting the wireless to work again.
Just as I was having serious thoughts about making a return, however, I somehow managed to get the wireless to work. I must have had help from God because, at that point, it had seemed hopeless. Nonetheless, I did manage to get it working fine. I could port forward, set up wireless security, and basically do anything just fine. Unfortunately, it's not completely problems free. Like others, I have and am experiencing random connection drops (it seems as if the router randomly resets), but fortunately, it did not stop the wireless from working anymore. Furthermore, the Belkin Wireless N resets extremely quickly, so it's not as big of a deal as the previous problem to me.
Now that I am able to get the router working fine, let me review the actual router itself. Here is how the Belkin Wireless N ranks in the important areas of range, speed, security, stability, and features.
1) Range - I, like many others, purchased the Belkin Wireless N for the purpose of using the wireless feature. As such, one of the most important features to me is the range. After all, I didn't purchase a wireless router just to be confined to a single room because the range wouldn't extent past the walls. So then, how does the router rank in range? I would say it is fairly good.
I live in a three story house and the router is set up on the third floor. On the third floor and the second floor, the connection power is fully strong. However, on the first floor, the range just drops tremendously. On the first floor at the best location, the number of connection bars is usually one or two, which is a big drop. I suspect that there may be electronic interference.
For what it's worth, the range does seem to be pretty excellent, which is a commendable point on the Belkin Wireless N's part.
2) Speed - Of course, what worth is the range if there is no speed? I have tested the speed using the wired connections and the wireless connections and this is another commendable part of the router. The speed is just as fast wireless as it is with wired connections and both compares favorably with my previous router (all three matches the speed advertised by my ISP).
Truthfully, I had expected some loss of speed when using wireless, so this was impressive. It should be noted, however, that I was in the optimal position for speed testing (i.e. I was sitting right next to the router), so more likely than not, there would not some loss of speed if I had performed the test, say, on another floor in my house.
Regardless, the speed factor is definitely a category the router does well in.
3) Security - The Belkin Wireless N offers ample security to protect against outside invaders jumping on your network. From the simple WEP to the much more powerful WPA2 (I chose that one, of course), it really is nice security. Furthermore, if you chose one of the more simple security, the router actually offers an extra step of further encrypting the password for you.
Personally, I did not like the second encryption, but it is a nice thought nonetheless. I rank the router well in the category of security.
4) Stability - Well, as noted by the first four paragraphs of this review, stability is the one category the Belkin Wireless N fails miserably in (that and tech support anyway). Aside from the trouble of setting up the wireless to work correctly, however, there is also the problem of random dropped connections, which is fortunately mitigated by the router's ability to reset quickly, but it is still a problem nonetheless.
Aside from these problems, however, which can be solved through a router update (if Belkin ever decides to make another update, that is), the router really does not lose much else in the area of stability.
5) Features - Another category in which the Belkin router does well. The router comes with ample features which can all be found on the router's homepage. All the basic features and many more advanced features are here for the users' desire.
Personally, I have no use for many of the extra features (aside from port forwarding), so it's not a big deal for me, but the gesture is still appreciated nonetheless.
Alright then, so out of five categories, the Belkin Wireless N does smashingly in four of them. One would think this speaks favorably of them, but lets look at the realistic side: For the vast majority of consumers, only three of those categories truly matters. Those three categories are the range, speed, and stability. The Belkin router does well in two of them, but it fails in the last one spectacularly.
Furthermore, unfortunately for Belkin, many other routers offers excellent speed and range too, so doing well in just those two categories is not necessarily enough to make it pass with flying colors. It really was crucial that Belkin made its router stable and it is unfortunate that it was unable to do this well enough.
Overall, what would be my recommendation for the Belkin Wireless N? My recommendation is this: If you're knowledgeable about computers and is willing to work at getting a slick and powerful router to work, then the Belkin Wireless N is not completely bad. However, if you're just looking for a simple wireless solution, I would recommend a better router.
I've struggled with the wireless for a week after I got this router. The problem was that upon first setting up the router, it would work fine, but as soon as you implement new settings (port forwarding or wireless security, for example), it would suddenly stop working. I found that hard resetting was the only way to get the wireless to work, but of course, leaving it as thus was unacceptable because I wanted to at least set up wireless security to prevent outside access. Unfortunately, after a few hours of struggling with this, it resulted in the wireless not working at all. Hard resetting, powercycling, reinstalling the firmware; nothing worked.
As a computer hobbyist, I usually pride myself on being able to fix things like this myself, but even I wasn't able to do anything. Needless to say, I had to call tech support. I may as well say here that tech support is absolutely worthless. I was routed to, where else, India, and got on with a tech support representative. I was led through the basic steps (and had to ask the rep. to repeat multiple times because I couldn't understand) and, at the end, the wireless still wouldn't work. The rep kept insisting that wireless isn't working for me simply because I either didn't have 'the drivers' or the 'proper wireless adapter'. Finally, I just had enough, and I was on my own getting the wireless to work again.
Just as I was having serious thoughts about making a return, however, I somehow managed to get the wireless to work. I must have had help from God because, at that point, it had seemed hopeless. Nonetheless, I did manage to get it working fine. I could port forward, set up wireless security, and basically do anything just fine. Unfortunately, it's not completely problems free. Like others, I have and am experiencing random connection drops (it seems as if the router randomly resets), but fortunately, it did not stop the wireless from working anymore. Furthermore, the Belkin Wireless N resets extremely quickly, so it's not as big of a deal as the previous problem to me.
Now that I am able to get the router working fine, let me review the actual router itself. Here is how the Belkin Wireless N ranks in the important areas of range, speed, security, stability, and features.
1) Range - I, like many others, purchased the Belkin Wireless N for the purpose of using the wireless feature. As such, one of the most important features to me is the range. After all, I didn't purchase a wireless router just to be confined to a single room because the range wouldn't extent past the walls. So then, how does the router rank in range? I would say it is fairly good.
I live in a three story house and the router is set up on the third floor. On the third floor and the second floor, the connection power is fully strong. However, on the first floor, the range just drops tremendously. On the first floor at the best location, the number of connection bars is usually one or two, which is a big drop. I suspect that there may be electronic interference.
For what it's worth, the range does seem to be pretty excellent, which is a commendable point on the Belkin Wireless N's part.
2) Speed - Of course, what worth is the range if there is no speed? I have tested the speed using the wired connections and the wireless connections and this is another commendable part of the router. The speed is just as fast wireless as it is with wired connections and both compares favorably with my previous router (all three matches the speed advertised by my ISP).
Truthfully, I had expected some loss of speed when using wireless, so this was impressive. It should be noted, however, that I was in the optimal position for speed testing (i.e. I was sitting right next to the router), so more likely than not, there would not some loss of speed if I had performed the test, say, on another floor in my house.
Regardless, the speed factor is definitely a category the router does well in.
3) Security - The Belkin Wireless N offers ample security to protect against outside invaders jumping on your network. From the simple WEP to the much more powerful WPA2 (I chose that one, of course), it really is nice security. Furthermore, if you chose one of the more simple security, the router actually offers an extra step of further encrypting the password for you.
Personally, I did not like the second encryption, but it is a nice thought nonetheless. I rank the router well in the category of security.
4) Stability - Well, as noted by the first four paragraphs of this review, stability is the one category the Belkin Wireless N fails miserably in (that and tech support anyway). Aside from the trouble of setting up the wireless to work correctly, however, there is also the problem of random dropped connections, which is fortunately mitigated by the router's ability to reset quickly, but it is still a problem nonetheless.
Aside from these problems, however, which can be solved through a router update (if Belkin ever decides to make another update, that is), the router really does not lose much else in the area of stability.
5) Features - Another category in which the Belkin router does well. The router comes with ample features which can all be found on the router's homepage. All the basic features and many more advanced features are here for the users' desire.
Personally, I have no use for many of the extra features (aside from port forwarding), so it's not a big deal for me, but the gesture is still appreciated nonetheless.
Alright then, so out of five categories, the Belkin Wireless N does smashingly in four of them. One would think this speaks favorably of them, but lets look at the realistic side: For the vast majority of consumers, only three of those categories truly matters. Those three categories are the range, speed, and stability. The Belkin router does well in two of them, but it fails in the last one spectacularly.
Furthermore, unfortunately for Belkin, many other routers offers excellent speed and range too, so doing well in just those two categories is not necessarily enough to make it pass with flying colors. It really was crucial that Belkin made its router stable and it is unfortunate that it was unable to do this well enough.
Overall, what would be my recommendation for the Belkin Wireless N? My recommendation is this: If you're knowledgeable about computers and is willing to work at getting a slick and powerful router to work, then the Belkin Wireless N is not completely bad. However, if you're just looking for a simple wireless solution, I would recommend a better router.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
I read reviews on amazon and other store websites (best buy, etc.) for this and a ton of other routers because this was my first router purchase (my parents have a D-link but I needed one for my new apartment). I spent a lot of time going back and forth on different routers because I wanted something that could last for awhile but be affordable. Most of the reviews for this Belkin router were either "I've had this router for a week and its amazing!" or "this is a waste of money do not buy!!". But after going through all of these reviews, most of which were unhelpful but some not so bad, I realized the biggest issue people had was that they had to reset the router frequently (I think people were exaggerating about how annoying that is because that usually happens with most modems and routers).
I decided to order this one because it was a really good price for an N router, I figured I know computers pretty well and won't have problems like some of the other people posting bad reviews, and if I did have a serious problem with it not working, I could always just return it.
I've had this router for over a month (which I'm pretty sure is a good amount of time to see any ups and downs) and I love it. It has really great coverage, but I live in an apartment so if you have a house you might want to find a review by someone who lives in a bigger place. Setup was incredibly easy. I don't understand why some people say you should not follow the setup instructions that they give you. Trust me, follow the directions exactly, and you're good to go. The first week I had the router I had to reset it once and that was it for a whole month. Just a couple days ago my internet wouldn't work and I thought it was the router but it turned out I had to reset my cable modem so it wasn't the router at all. I also really like the way the router looks, but that's a personal preference.
BTW I have not had to call Belkin customer service for anything so I don't know firsthand if they are as difficult as people say in their reviews but I have not had any reason to call them. (If you need help with anything, try looking it up in google first before calling the company because you're probably not the first person to have a certain problem with whatever product and people tend to post helpful solutions on the internet!)
This router works great and I don't foresee any problems with it. My advice is to decide what your budget is, do research on technology websites like CNET, etc. and also consumer sites like amazon, best buy, etc., and don't really worry about customer reviews until you narrow your list down to either a brand or a few different routers that fit your needs. Then check the reviews but don't listen to EVERYTHING that people say!
I decided to order this one because it was a really good price for an N router, I figured I know computers pretty well and won't have problems like some of the other people posting bad reviews, and if I did have a serious problem with it not working, I could always just return it.
I've had this router for over a month (which I'm pretty sure is a good amount of time to see any ups and downs) and I love it. It has really great coverage, but I live in an apartment so if you have a house you might want to find a review by someone who lives in a bigger place. Setup was incredibly easy. I don't understand why some people say you should not follow the setup instructions that they give you. Trust me, follow the directions exactly, and you're good to go. The first week I had the router I had to reset it once and that was it for a whole month. Just a couple days ago my internet wouldn't work and I thought it was the router but it turned out I had to reset my cable modem so it wasn't the router at all. I also really like the way the router looks, but that's a personal preference.
BTW I have not had to call Belkin customer service for anything so I don't know firsthand if they are as difficult as people say in their reviews but I have not had any reason to call them. (If you need help with anything, try looking it up in google first before calling the company because you're probably not the first person to have a certain problem with whatever product and people tend to post helpful solutions on the internet!)
This router works great and I don't foresee any problems with it. My advice is to decide what your budget is, do research on technology websites like CNET, etc. and also consumer sites like amazon, best buy, etc., and don't really worry about customer reviews until you narrow your list down to either a brand or a few different routers that fit your needs. Then check the reviews but don't listen to EVERYTHING that people say!
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
This router is extremely easy to set up through its web interface, 192.168.2.1. I had a wireless network set up with security very quickly.
However, the router dropped its internet connection (both wired and wireless) every twenty to thirty minutes. After looking through the internet, it seemed that the router was releasing and renewing its IP lease with my ISP and disrupting the internet connection. A quick check of my security log verified that indeed, the router was attempting to renew well before the lease time was up.
I contacted Belkin through email via its website. They were quick to answer (even though my initial email was on Sunday and my follow up was on Monday, MLK day) but gave the standard response of trying to directly connect my computer to the modem to make sure my connection was stable and to reflash the firmware and reapply default settings.
If a firmware reflash and the stability of the connection were not the problem, they would have to have me return the router to them as they would consider it a hardware failure.
I'll return the router, but I won't take the chance of replacing it with another Belkin router. My wired router was an SMC and perhaps I'll give them a shot.
Important note: Someone posted on forums that the latest versions of this router ships with a new firmware revision, but SMC will not release it to the public. I don't know if this is true, but the 'new' version is not on the website and customer support pointed me to the old revision.
However, the router dropped its internet connection (both wired and wireless) every twenty to thirty minutes. After looking through the internet, it seemed that the router was releasing and renewing its IP lease with my ISP and disrupting the internet connection. A quick check of my security log verified that indeed, the router was attempting to renew well before the lease time was up.
I contacted Belkin through email via its website. They were quick to answer (even though my initial email was on Sunday and my follow up was on Monday, MLK day) but gave the standard response of trying to directly connect my computer to the modem to make sure my connection was stable and to reflash the firmware and reapply default settings.
If a firmware reflash and the stability of the connection were not the problem, they would have to have me return the router to them as they would consider it a hardware failure.
I'll return the router, but I won't take the chance of replacing it with another Belkin router. My wired router was an SMC and perhaps I'll give them a shot.
Important note: Someone posted on forums that the latest versions of this router ships with a new firmware revision, but SMC will not release it to the public. I don't know if this is true, but the 'new' version is not on the website and customer support pointed me to the old revision.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
GREAT BUY
I was so happy to receive my Belkin N router. Its working great and shipment was faster than i expected.
Published 2 months ago by Alison Sargeant
Works great with Linux
I've had this router for almost two years now and have had no connectivity issues at all. I use Ubuntu and that doesn't seem to be a problem. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Luke
It doesn't work
From the box, doesn't work, I connect it to the power outlet and wait for the lights to flash but nothing. This router doesn't work.
Don't buy this damaged item.
Don't buy this damaged item.
Published 4 months ago by Glenn Fallas Fallas
Great entry level N router
I have had this router since July 2009 and never experienced any problems with it. The range was great I had the router in my bedroom and could access it all the way across the... Read more
Published 6 months ago by jgun010309
Needed to return to Belkin - Good Customer Service
I bought this router about a year ago. It was easy to set-up and was fast & reliable for several months. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Mike
Belkin F5D8236-4wireless N 4 port Router
The installation was very simple. The router's instructions was easy to follow.I would recommend the router. My ordering experience with Amazon.com has always been excellent.
Published 7 months ago by Valerie J. Viera
Did not last two years
This Belkin router was OK except for two things:
1 - It was not completely compatible with my Linksys 802.11n wireless adapter. Read more
1 - It was not completely compatible with my Linksys 802.11n wireless adapter. Read more
Published 7 months ago by David A Walker
Design flaw - Overheating problem, Piece of Garbage
This router has an inherent design flaw that prevents heat from escaping properly (many other users experience this as well). Read more
Published 9 months ago by fredleysir
Downloaded firmware update - now it works great!
I was having terrible connection problems with this router when I first set it up -- when watching streaming video on my flatscreen TV the signal kept dropping out and rebuffering... Read more
Published 9 months ago by JimmyKinLA
Excellent wireless router!
I have one of these in my home, and after a year I liked it so much I then bought one for my Mom's house. Read more
Published 9 months ago by jeffr
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