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fonzbear2000
Premium Member
join:2005-08-09
Saint Paul, MN

fonzbear2000

Premium Member

How does everyone figure that Belkin sucks?

»Belkin to Acquire Linksys From Cisco
Look at all the replies saying they're no good.

I used to have a D-link wireless G router and had to reset it at least 3 times a week because it would always lose connection. I upgraded to a Belkin N+ and have to reset it no more than once every 2 months. I always get super good speeds with it and have literally NO problems with it with the exception of having to reset it once every couple of months, if even that. I've gone 3-4 months without having to reset it. They sure don't suck for me! Why does everyone put them down like that?

BlueMist
join:2011-01-24
Cookeville, TN

BlueMist

Member

Like all multiple use devices it is almost impossible to please everyone. Take the basic router, then add USB ports for sharing files or printers and it get complicated fast.

Many times the hardware engineers make a great product but then the software side of the house fails to provide the look and feel that people are looking for. Make it too complex, but still functional, and you scare away the mom and pop installers.

I am posting this from a Belkin Share Max N300 router that has been upgraded with Tomato firmware. The firmware was changed from the default Belkin stuff as I wanted the features that Tomato offered. The stock firmware from Belkin did work but with the various Tomato firmwares available I have the option to pick and choose what features my router has to offer me.

Having Belkin purchase Linksys should be a good thing as the commercial side of Cisco never got around to understanding what the consumer side needs or wanted. That is one big reason for the 3rd party firmware's and their increasing popularity be it Linksys or some other brand.
davidhoffman
Premium Member
join:2009-11-19
Warner Robins, GA

davidhoffman to fonzbear2000

Premium Member

to fonzbear2000
Too much money spent on making the devices look pretty and not enough on making sure they work in the real world. The "ugly" old blue and black Linksys WRT54s or its various derivatives worked great. When they switched to the shiny black saucer models the units did not work well. Belkin did the same thing, going from ugly but functional, to pretty and lousy performance. The ugly boxes with external antennas are some of the best performers. Internal antenna routers look great, but if the antennas are positioned or engineered badly signal transmission can be degraded significantly. Some of the newer designs have housings that get the internal antennas away from the rest of the electronics so that the antenna functions better. They are uglier, but work much better.
RobXMiller
join:2009-02-08
Denver, CO

RobXMiller

Member

After getting my Belkin N900 replaced (and that was not easy under warranty) it doesn't require a reboot near as often. But, many times more often than my $19 and $29 routers. Those no-name cheap routers also had much better antenna range then the Belkin N900.
Not to mention Belkin has not updated the firmware.

Glad your exprience has been acceptable. Sincerely hope you don't experiene the same problems.

mark42
join:2006-02-07
Blairstown, NJ

mark42 to fonzbear2000

Member

to fonzbear2000
Many years in the IT biz, and I saw lots of Belkin products in the office. They performed so well, they generally got replaced because of new technology, not because they failed.

Belkin is OK in my book.

jorhett
@comcastbusiness.net

jorhett to fonzbear2000

Anon

to fonzbear2000
For me, the killer issue was breaking mdns/bonjour. If I can't see file or print shares when the belkin is attached to the network, it sucks.

When Belkin says they know and it will be fixed and 20 months go by without a fix... Belkin sucks.

That said, the Belkin hardware is a great platform for DD-WRT or Tomato!
RobXMiller
join:2009-02-08
Denver, CO

RobXMiller to fonzbear2000

Member

to fonzbear2000
Maybe it is your IP Supplier? Mine is Comcast. I have the Premier Comcast service and the Belkin N900 - copying 250 MB video purchased from a legal site. It is taking just over 2 hours. Had to reset Belkin N900 several times this week. It has no realistic diagnostics.
Glad your experience is different.
For a $200 Router, they spent more time on the carton Box design then they did on a quality router.
floydb1982
join:2004-08-25
Kent, WA

floydb1982 to fonzbear2000

Member

to fonzbear2000
I've only ever been using Belkin Wi-Fi routers as long as I can remember and I have never had a single problem with Belkin at all.