Belkin ADSL2+ Modem with Wireless G Plus MIMO Router review

As we explained in the Buffalo review, investing in faster Wi-Fi equipment currently involves a certain amount of gambling.

So-called 'draft-n' devices, such as Buffalo's router, take advantage of the vastly higher transfer speeds offered by the forthcoming standard, but there's no guarantee that such equipment will work flawlessly with the finalised 'n' standard. Belkin's modem/router won't offer future compatibility either - instead, it takes the safer route of tweaking the current 802.11g specification to offer higher throughput. This avoids the problem that some testers have noted when using 802.11n equipment, particularly that it disrupts nearby 802.11b/g networks.

Belkin has improved on standard 802.11g performance by using MIMO (Multiple Input, Multiple Output) technology - a feature that's also employed by draft-n devices. MIMO enables streams of data to be sent in parallel and by using its two antennas, the Belkin doubles the ordinary 54Mbit/s maximum data transfer rate of standard 802.11g, working at a theoretical maximum of 108Mbit/s.

The first time you access the router's web page interface, a setup wizard appears, enabling you to make all important settings, configure your internet connection and secure your connection using 128-bit WEP or WPA encryption. In addition to this, the Belkin includes a sophisticated firewall.

Even though the 108Mbit/s theoretical maximum offered by G Plus MIMO is nowhere near that offered by draft-n devices, it does get closer to actually achieving its maximum. It managed a respectable 27.2Mbit/s in our close-range test - much faster than standard 802.11g - and proved resilient in longer-range transfers, where the data rate dropped only slightly to 24.8Mbit/s. This is fantastic performance, given that the £90 price tag also includes a broadband modem.