Belkin Surf N150 review

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Verdict:

The Self Healing feature and a clear and simple setup process make this ideal for the novice user, but it's also fast and has a good range of features

Review Date: 13 May 2011

Price when reviewed: £25

Buy it now for: £18
(see more store prices)

Supplier: http://www.amazon.co.uk

Reviewed By: Barry de la Rosa

Our Rating 5 stars out of 5

ExpertReviews Award

Belkin's Surf N150 has a minimalist design with a single indicator light to let you know if you're connected to the internet or if there's a problem. It doesn't have a built-in modem, so ADSL subscribers will need to buy a separate Ethernet-port-equipped ADSL modem. The version with built-in ADSL (part code F7D1401UK) is £53 from www.dabs.com.

Belkin's setup guide is clear and simple, and ideal for novice users. We opened the box to find the power and RJ45 cables already plugged into the back of the Surf N150, with small tags on each telling us what to connect them to. A CD in the box contains a Windows utility which sets up security and internet access.

Once the setup process is complete, the utility still runs in the background but it offers nothing more except links to the router's web interface, so we uninstalled it. Belkin's web interface is clear and easy to navigate, with options logically organised into groups such as LAN Setup, Internet WAN, Wireless, Firewall and Utilities.

The Surf N150 has most of the common options we'd expect to find on a router, but it does lack some features, such as QoS, so you can't prioritise certain types of traffic on your network. It also lacks many of the features found on more expensive Belkin routers such as the Best Buy award-winning Belkin Play Max N600 HD, including Music Mover and Memory Safe, but these aren't particularly useful.

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User comments

Connectivity Issues

I'm left bemused at how this product gained a good review. I have used it for a good four or five months now and it is dreadful. It has frequent connectivity issues that are not ISP related. My ISP has unfortunately been unable to help with the issues I'm having with this router. The internet connect is perfect I know this because my other router works fine. The new Belkin wireless router though even after setting up correctly and using all the settings recommended by the ISP it still has major issues with connectivity and frequently losing the connection and needing to be reset. The Belkin Customer Support is non esistant. Their online support is a phantom and doesn't exist, and trying to get support from them on the phone is all but impossible as you're put through to India where you can't understand a word they are saying. I'm afraid I'm going to have to return mine and get a different brand instead. Do yourself a favour and do not buy this product, but something else instead.

By john10001 on 9 Feb 2012