Belkin N1 Vision review

Belkin's N1 Vision is the latest wireless router designed to be a stylish object in your home.

It stands proudly upright with a sleek glossy finish and, uniquely for a router, has an informative screen. Belkin's intention is that, once configured, you shouldn't have to use the router's web interface at all; everything can be controlled using the screen and buttons. The screen can be set to display your current upstream and downstream speeds, connected devices (and their speeds), usage over the past 24 hours, or just the time and date. It's a great idea that beats other routers hands down.

Installation couldn't be simpler; a two-page booklet explains how to make all the connections. A CD is included, but Belkin recommends you use the web interface's installation wizard instead. It's very user-friendly, taking only a moment or two to enter your ISP details.

Once the N1 Vision is switched on, it takes a minute or so before the router is ready to use. While transfer speeds were average in our close-range tests, the throughput of 11.15Mbit/s was impressive at our 25m location, and it managed 16.53Mbit/s with Belkin's Draft-N CardBus card. The Vision supports WEP, WPA and WPA2 encryption, and it also has a demilitarised zone (DMZ) and supports WiFi Protected Setup. It is unique in providing two SSIDs, so you can grant access to guests on a limited basis while still allowing full access for your own devices.

The N1 Vision costs more than a lot of Draft-N routers we've seen, but the extra expense is justified by the useful display and four-port Gigabit switch. This version doesn't include an ADSL modem, but Belkin tells us one should be on sale in early 2008. This will make it the first router to have a Gigabit switch and built-in ADSL 2+ modem, so if you can hang on until then it should be worth waiting for.