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Belkin N+ Modem Router review

Our Rating :
Price when reviewed : £75
inc VAT

Plenty of useful features make this a great buy, but you'll need Belkin's own adaptor to get the best speeds.

Specifications

draft 802.11n, 4x 10/100Mbit/s Ethernet ports

http://www.kikatek.com

This version of Belkin’s N+ router has a built-in ADSL modem; a cable version is also available, so make sure you buy the right one. It has some useful features, including USB storage sharing and a restricted guest login.

We had some trouble getting the quick setup utility to work. Fortunately, the web interface is clear and includes documentation for every feature. To set up an ADSL connection using the web interface, you have to go to the Internet WAN Connection Type screen, select PPPoA and enter your ADSL account details.

A guest access feature gives you a second Service Set Identifier (SSID). This effectively creates an additional wireless network, which has basic internet access but is restricted from seeing the rest of your network. This can either be protected with WPA2 encryption or put into Hotel Style mode, where users have to type a password into a web page. It’s a clever feature, but only likely to be useful in a small business.

The N+’s USB port lets you connect storage devices, turning the router into a NAS that can share files with any PC on your network. There are no simple options to share files over the internet, such as via FTP, though.

The ECO mode lets you turn off the wireless radio at specific times. It cut power consumption by just 0.3W in our tests, though, so it won’t save you a lot of money. It could be useful for adding a bit of extra security by only allowing wireless access when you’re at home.

The N+ Modem Router performed well in our wireless tests, particularly with Belkin’s N+ wireless adaptor (£38 including VAT), which produced a phenomenal speed of 68.7Mbit/s over a distance of 10m and 21.2Mbit/s over 20m. Results using our Centrino 2 laptop’s integrated wireless adaptor were slightly disappointing, though, with transfer speeds of 29.4Mbit/s at 10m – the slowest in the group.

At £75, the N+ Modem Router isn’t cheap, but has good wireless performance with its own-brand adaptor, a lifetime warranty, a guest mode and is a USB storage server. If you don’t need all these features, however, Linksys’s WAG160N-UK is a much better choice.

Basic Specifications

Rating***
Modem typeADSL2+
802.11b supportyes
802.11g supportyes
Draft 802.11n supportyes
Draft 802.11n 5GHz supportno
MIMOyes
Turbo modechannel-bonding
Stated speed300Mbit/s

Security

128-bit WEPyes
WPAyes
WPA2yes
Firewallyes
MAC address filteringyes
DMZyes

Physical

Size09x121x198
Antennas2
Internal/external antennasexternal
Upgradeable antennano
Number of WAN ports1
Ethernet ports4
Ethernet connection speed10/100Mbit/s
Other portsUSB
Wall mountableyes
Power consumption on6W

Other Features

Dynamic DNSyes
Universal Plug and Play supportyes
DHCP serveryes
MAC spoofingyes
Port forwardingyes
WDS Supportyes
USB device supportyes
QoSyes

Buying Information

Price£75
Warrantylifetime
Supplierhttp://www.kikatek.com
Detailswww.belkin.com