Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Belkin N300 Wireless N Router (Latest Generation) (F9K1002)

Top positive review

Excellent router - easy to set up, perfect for people who are good with computer and for those who aren't.

Reviewed in the United States on October 9, 2011

I consider my computer skills to be pretty good. I am not an "expert" by any means, but can certainly manage enough. I can maintain/update my computer as needed and can trouble shoot problems pretty well. However, this router is great for people who have little no computer experience too because it is SO easy to use!

I needed a new router for a couple reason. First, my old router was, well, old, about 4 years old and it was not an "n" router. Second, my router began to have problems about a month or so ago. It would randomly drop the internet on me which was VERY frustrating. In order to get my laptop back online I would have to turn the router off and back on. It was annoying to say the least.

I looked at a lot of routers on here before choosing this one. I wanted an "N" router and also one that would allow for wireless printing as I just ordered a new, wireless printer too. I also wanted router that could handle what we have: 2 laptops, a PS3, a Nintendo Wii and two Nintendo DSi's (Although the Dsi's are not connected all the time. I decided on this based on the number of good reviews and because I liked how it looked.

The shipping was super fast. I had the router 2 days after I ordered it. Set up was a breeze. This router comes with the router name/password on a little card. Once I had everything hooked up I just clicked on the router's name from the list of connections available, entered the given password and was online in seconds. I did go through and re-name the router and pick a different password, which was also very easy to do. The software that came with it was easy as well. Overall I was extremely happy with how quick it was to set everything up. Another nice thing about this router is that you can set up a "guest network". There are a few options, but I chose to set it up "cafe style" - when someone connects they are brought to a webpage where they have to enter the password, and that is it. Your guests can be online in your home, but not on your own network - I love it!!

The router itself is pretty nice. It is not quite as solid as I thought, as the plastic is lightweight. However, I still like how it looks/stands up. It takes up a minimal amount of space on my desk and blends in with my decor with no problem. The "looks" of a router may not be important to everyone, but for some people it is and this router def. works well.

Now for the best part: I am getting a VERY noticeable increase in speed. With the old router, when I went to "Open Network and Sharing Center", and then clicked on my connection, under "Speed" it would say: 54 Mbps. Now, when I look I see the number staying between 130-144 Mbps. I am guessing this difference in due to the fact that my old router was not an "N" router, and my laptop's wifi is 802.11n. I could be wrong though. Networks/wifi is one thing that I do not know a lot about, beyond being able to set up a connection. This increase in speed was noticed right away. I would have a few seconds of lag time before when I opened a web page, but now I see none. Also, downloading music goes about twice as fast and when I watch videos there are no pauses. I think I'm finally getting the speed I am paying for from my cable company. =
The range with this router is impressive as well. I am getting full bars everywhere in my house, where before I would get about 2-3 at the furthest point from the old router. I am not yet taken my laptop(s) outside to see how far I can get, but I bet it will be pretty good. Also, I have not been kicked on the internet at all since setting the router up. By now it would have happened at least 8-10 times in a 24 hours period. That alone has made me very happy.

I have not yet been able to try the wireless printing as my printer will not be delivered for a few more days. With the ease I have had so far though, I do not anticipate any problems in setting up the wireless printing for both laptops. I also have not yet tried the "video share" feature but do plan to try it. I will update this review after trying those features.

17 people found this helpful

Top critical review

Critical reviews›

Aaron L. Myers

What a piece of junk

Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2012

I have had the same router for probably 3 years now, which, in terms of routers, is a pretty good amount of time.

I bought a Linksys WRT54G in 2008 and it has been great for us in terms of speed and coverage, as well as reliability. Now, part of the reason why it has been so fantastic is because I have been using DD-WRT as the firmware on it, which is open source and adds a lot of extra features.

In Mid-December, it finally gave up the ghost and wouldn't even turn on anymore. So off I went in finding a replacement wireless router. I could have gone with something that was pretty much the same, but I figured, if I am going to get something new, I want it to have some extra features and be something I don't have to replace in another year.

I looked at all of the big brands and lines from companies like Linksys, Netgear, D-Link, Asus, and a ridiculous amount more. And in each brand, they had quite a few to choose from, which made my decision even harder.

I finally decided on the Netgear N600. It was dual band Wireless N, had built in DLNA streaming by plugging in a USB hard drive, could work as a time machine backup for macs, could work as extra storage for TiVo, and could even share printers directly from the device. All in all, it was exactly what I was looking for. Unfortunately, it wasn't near as reliable as I had hoped for the $130 price point. The wired network seemed to work pretty well and consistent, but the wireless seemed very likely to drop in midstream. I probably wouldn't have noticed, but our Google TV streams DLNA over wireless, and it would drop midstream pretty frequently. With that, I decided to send it back to Amazon and eat the restocking fee in order to get something that actually worked.

As a replacement, I bought the Belkin N600. This router was also dual band Wireless N, worked as a print server, did backup, and worked as a UPnP server for videos as well. Again, it sounded great, but it was even more shaky than the first one. Not only was the interface extremely slow with every change I would make, this piece of junk actually would drop wireless about 5 times in a single hour and a half movie. This drove us absolutely crazy. So I was off again to find a replacement and send this thing back as quickly as possible.

So, what I found was that the best option for me was the Linksys E3000. This guy has the same dual channel wireless, as well as the UPnP server for hosting video and music over USB. Plus, one of the coolest things, and something that I am very happy about, is that I can go right back to my old faithful DD-WRT firmware if I would like since it is supported for this model. This model has been the epitome of stability. It has actually been much easier to use as well. This is really the model I probably should have gone with in the first place, but I saw all of the cool features of models like the Netgear and Belkin routers.

I would highly recommend the Linksys if you are looking for some of the same features I looked for.

One person found this helpful

3,061 total ratings, 2,460 with reviews

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From the United States

Amy W

Excellent router - easy to set up, perfect for people who are good with computer and for those who aren't.

Reviewed in the United States on October 9, 2011

Style: N600Verified Purchase

17 people found this helpful

Helpful

Robert

Flawless Victory with the Belkin N600

Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2012

Style: N600Verified Purchase

LET'S BE HONEST...
This wireless router is the bee's knees. I mean, seriously, it might as well be Liam Neeson's offspring, it is THAT phenomenal. Earth would implode due to an imbalance in the force if this thing was any better but still priced the same. Just look at the pictures of it. Two words: Sex Appeal. Another two words. Chick magnet. If this router was born a car instead of a router, it would be a 2013 Bentley Continental GT V8 coupe. This is possibly the best router you can get for 70 bucks or less. If you play multiplayer video games online, stream multimedia content, or even just cruise the interwebs, this little guy will hold your hand tight and walk you straight into Mordor.

I would share some negative aspects about this router, but oh... wait... there aren't any. Even if there were, why would I be honest about them and tear apart that ingeniously conceived first paragraph of positive aspects just so you can have an unbiased review to read?

In short, this router will easily breeze through pretty much any task you put it up to (as long as your ISP provides respectable speeds and a multitude of other variables, which you have absolutely no control over, work out in your favor). And how long did it take me to get this out of the box, plugged in, and start surfing the web wirelessly? From its humble beginnings within its packaging, less than 5 minutes had passed before I was on a magic carpet ride through limitless cyberspace. Just plug it in, pop in the setup disc, click a couple buttons and it does the rest. Super fast, super easy.

Read on if you want the specific (yet boring) information that will only convince you even more strongly that you want this router.

FEATURES...
- Dual-Band technology runs two frequency channels at once and smartly prioritizes demands in order to prevent interruptions in streaming, gaming, and downloading
- Up to 300Mbps + 300Mbps (both channels run at up to 300Mbps simultaneously)
- Fancy media server lets you easily share photos and video between your home/mobile devices (Smart TVs, cell phones, tablets, etc.)
- 4 integrated gigabit ports for connecting multiple devices
- 2 USB ports for wireless printing and sharing photos, etc.
- Extensive Parental Control options
- Reliable and excellent signal from anywhere in your home (unless you live in an enormous mansion).
- Great customer support, firmware updates, and accompanying software
- Blue status light on top front of router is very soft and non-intrusive

WHAT COMES IN THE BOX...
- The sleek, stylish, and very sexy Belkin N600 wireless router
- Power cord
- Very nice quality Ethernet cable
- Software disc with User Manual

MY INFO...
- 22 years old
- College student
- Avid PC gamer (including online multiplayer)
- Frequently watch YouTube videos
- Download lots of files almost every day
- Spend a lot of time on the interwebs

I expect great performance, speed, and reliability from my wireless router. As I write this, I have only owned this particular Belkin router for a couple days, but my signal has not stuttered at all and my download speed is just as good as when wired directly to the modem. Before this router, I owned a mid-range Belkin wireless router that performed flawlessly for a year and a half. For the record, that router did not die, but when I moved out of my old place I opted to buy a new one and let my roommate have the older one. The quality and reliability I experienced with my previous Belkin wireless led me to purchase this one.

UPDATE SEPTEMBER 27th 2012
I'm not sure if it was the fault of the router, modem, or my internet service, but last night I experienced my first hiccup in its performance. I unplugged the router and then modem, waited a full minute, and plugged the modem back in. Waited for it to boot up, then plugged the router back in. Then tested the wireless connection again and it was back to normal. Most upsets with performance can be solved with this method. Will update again if anything else happens in the future.

I will try to update this review as time goes on. I hope this review was helpful to you!

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

Jeff G.

Great device at a great price

Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2011

Style: N150Verified Purchase

Before I purchased the Belkin N150 I was using a D-Link. Despite the fact that it worked the connection was unreliable and often slow. I was unable to change much of the settings due to a clunky system and therefore it always remained an open-network. It simply felt alien to me. Well that is all gone now with the Belkin N150. This thing is just what I needed. Its fast, reliable, convenient and best of all perfectly palpable.

As I scoured through Amazon for the right router at the right price I found the N150. It seemed to have everything I needed and all for just $30 so I ordered it. When I received my N150 (which arrived on the estimated ship date) I quickly unwrapped and began setting it up. Its design is simple and sleek. The simplicity however might be a bit much. Where my D-Link had indicator lights for each port and how well the connection was working the Belkin just has a single light, which shines blue when its working properly. This is an issue, however, that I hardly ever care about. My router is not really in sight and if I am curious about how well it is running I can just use the very well designed software that came with it. Once installed, a router button (also a blue bar) sits in your icon bar. So you always know if it is running at optimum efficiency or not. The button can take you to the routers settings, setup, manual, options, help and checks for updates. Installing the software was as easy as following a few steps and being on your way. Another nice feature is that the device comes with a paper card, which can be slid under the N150, that displays the routers default name and access code.

The Belkin N150 is a shining example of the phrase: "If you do things right, people wont be sure you've done anything at all"

It does its job protecting my internet whilst giving me fast access speeds all without ever causing me problems.

Helpful

J. Lann

Good, affordable router.

Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2019

Style: N450Verified Purchase

Impressed with this router so far. Dual band so it helps power through a lot of the wifi interference we get from the 7 other apartments in close proximity to us in our building. Paired it too a budget single band modem. So far this thing is working great.

I give it 5 stars for it being VERY easy to setup. Heck, the wizard thing literally walks you through it and sets it all up and makes sure its updated and in just a few minutes you're done and nothing more to worry about. I like how it recommends naming it same name as your modem so as to blend in better with the network and with the 5ghz with .media appended to it so you know which devices need it. Setup couldn't have been simpler. 5 star just for that.

Now yeah, the LAN ports are only 10/100, but as we only have a 100 mb internet plan through our cable provider, we're not missing anything by using a 100 speed port. We're not power hungry users needign to share massive files across networks, so the 10/100 ports are plenty good for our setup consisting of 2 gaming computers, 2 tablets, phone and Fire TV. Fire TV uses the 5ghz and it flies, as does the Galaxy Tab Pro my girlfriend has. Only one computer connects by LAN, the other gaming PC connects via 2.4ghz and that works great too as does the GSM phone on that band.

All in all a good and capable modem if you don't need gigabit LAN ports. Setup is a piece of cake, as I mentioned, and the router also has two additional features that make it worthwhile. It can be used as an access point if that's all you need to extend your wife range through your home. Also, it has priority routing of data so that stuff like gaming and streaming gets top priority while voice and downloads get lesser priority. Course, you can bypass and/or disable that as needed.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Aaron L. Myers

What a piece of junk

Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2012

Style: N600Verified Purchase

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Cacho Bautista

Good ruter, but you can find better devices for less money

Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2024

Style: N450Verified Purchase

I got this model because i bought couple of years ago the same and worked fine. but this one is a different story, i had to set up this device multiple times because it shut off sudendly pretty often with the factury settings. Since it stoped working properly i had to turn it back.

Helpful

Matt P.

First Wireless Router - Couldn't Have Been Easier

Reviewed in the United States on February 20, 2012

Style: N300Verified Purchase

I was in the market for my very first wireless router. I chose the Belkin N300 and I am very pleased with my purchase.

My house was pre-wired with 10BASE-T outlets in nearly every room. The wired connection worked fine for my desktop computer, but it did not allow me to connect my newer WiFi devices (smartphone, iPod Touch, Kindle, etc.).

After reading several product reviews, I settled on the Belkin N300 due to its easy set-up.

I received the router several days earlier than expected which was great. After opening the box, I was pleasantly surprised how straight forward the directions were. In fact, there is no instuction manual included, just a few diagrams showing you exactly what to do. The directions could not have been simpler to follow.

All I had to do was:

1. Unplug the ethernet cable from my existing cable modem.

2. Plug in the included yellow ethernet cable from the router into the cable modem.

3. Plug in my original ethernet cable (that connects to my desktop computer) into any one of the four LAN jacks on the back of the router.

4. Plug in the included power adapter into the router.

5. Insert the included set-up CD into my desktop computer and follow the instructions for set-up.

Within 10 minutes from opening the box, I had successfully set-up my first wireless router and now had WiFi in my home!

The router comes with a little pre-printed card that lists the default router name and password. There is an option to change the name and password if you want, which I may eventually do. However the default set-up works perfectly and keeps the wireless network secure right away.

Overall, I am very pleased with the router. It works perfectly with all of my wirless devices and was extremely easy to set-up.

If you are a first time wireless router user (like me), or even someone looking for a replacement router for general use, I highly suggest the Belkin N300.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Fran

Easy to Install, works great!!

Reviewed in the United States on November 25, 2011

Style: N150Verified Purchase

Bought this for my mother who has a small 2 bedroom apartment. Has been installed for over 3 weeks now. It was so very easy to install, simple instructions, did not have to adjust any settings. We just attached it to the DSL modem, loaded the CD into each computer that was going to use the network, followed the simple instructions, works great. We did have a problem trying to set up an account, which we still have not been able to do. May call later for assistance if we find it would be helpful to have an account, but so far everything works great.

We have had my mother's desktop computer (also running wireless now), her notebook computer, my notebook computer and the printer all running on the network at the same time. There was absolutely no degradation in service, have never had a problem with disconnects even with all computers running at the same time and two of the computers sending documents to the printer. This includes using one of the notebook computers at the furthest location in the apartment away from the router as possible. The only problem we have is the slower Verizon DSL service compared to the faster Verizon FIOS service I have at my house, so not a Belkin problem. Too bad my mother can't get FIOS. But her internet access is as fast as it was when it was attached directly to the modem.

Would highly recommend this product.

5/28/2015 - Just found this review I wrote in 2011. My mother is still using the same Belkin N150, still works great even if we have 3 computers running at the same time. The retirement community she lives in switched voice/Internet carriers about 6 months ago. Saw no difference in performance. Highly recommend.

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

Chelsea D.

Good product, horrendous customer service

Reviewed in the United States on October 3, 2011

Style: N150Verified Purchase

I got this about a week ago. I have set up a router before, but I consider myself a novice at this type of stuff. My OS is Windows XP.

There is no instruction manual for installation; just the disc. The disc didn't work because I have a secondary program for wireless. I called the customer service number, ,and spoke to a rep who was very nice. However, I immediately stopped listening to her instructions for installation when I realized she was taking me through steps to disable my wireless connection program and activate the default Windows wireless function. I appreciated her help in trying to set up the router but I have a different wireless networking program for a reason. I figured out how to set up the router myself while she was going through these step-by-step instructions.

The router's .com site is very nice, and I used to to change to security to WEP so my DS Lite could use the wireless. Resetting the security generated a hex access code...which I then had TEN SECONDS to write down before the new settings were applied to the router...and I got locked out of the wireless! No problem, I say to myself and hook up an ethernet. But to my surprise, even directly connecting to the router did not give me internet access. What the hell type of router requires a security passcode for a WIRED connection?

What was even weirder was I attempted to reset my modem and disconnect the router, wiring my computer directly to the modem. No dice. Still no internet access, which is simply baffling to me.

So I called customer service and told them, "I changed the security on the wireless network from WPA to WEP and didn't write down the hex code. I can't access the internet or router settings. Is there any way to retrieve the hex code or reset the router?"

Aaaand the tech support guy proceeded to ignore my question and proceeded to ask the same scripted questions as the first rep I spoke with; including frankly insulting questions such as "Is your router on?" "Is your router connected to your modem?" and the most ridiculous "Are you able to access the internet?" He was nice enough, but he clearly had NO KNOWLEDGE of routers or networking.

After we got through this barrage of useless questions I was put on hold. For a half hour (this is in addition to the 15 minutes of general questions). In the meantime, I texted a friend for advice; he replied in 10 minutes saying holding the reset button on the router for 10 seconds will reset it to the factory default settings...which was all I needed to know. I hung up and no one from customer service bothered to call back to see if the issue had been resolved.

Bottom line is that the product works fine, but if the company had bothered to spend the extra time and money to put in an instruction manual, it would save everyone a lot of grief.

29 people found this helpful

Helpful

Dan Barnett

Good router, poor documentation & software

Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2011

Style: N600Verified Purchase

I bought this router to upgrade from 802.11g to 802.11n as I'm moving some video around my house. After getting the router working, it has not been a problem.

I received the router on a Thursday and jumped into the installation at 6:00 AM on Friday so that no one else would be using the network. The first problem that I encountered was that the software would not install on my desktop (Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit). It seemed to be installing and just stopped - there was an icon in my system tray, but none of the options worked. I tried the installation over again and even moved to my wife's desktop system (Windows 7 Home premium 32-bit) with identical results. Since the documentation for the router was supposed to be installed with the software, this was irritating.

I located the documentation on the CD and read it (all) and tried more re-installations with the same results. Much of the documentation is poorly written (grammar, etc.) and the "MORE INFO" links only go to a glossary. The instructions are written as though everything will work the first time.

I had problems getting the router to connect to my cable modem, but that was resolved by removing the battery from the modem for 10 minutes and restarting it. This was done in response to a suggestion from technical support.

I had technical support on the telephone for about 6 hours before the router was up. Multiple times, they requested that I do the same steps over to verify that I had done them. I felt like they were calling me an idiot. If the instructions were clearer, this could have been easier (not the idiot part). As it turned out, my network was down almost all Friday and my wife was unhappy (understatement).

After a total of 12 hours, the router was working fine, but the software still did not install. I got a reference number and a elevated technical service person called me on Monday and we did the whole install/reinstall over again including downloading the software from their site. After quite awhile, the tech said that I really didn't need the software anyway.

I have been using the router for just over a month now without problems. I have a USB disk drive attached that is working fine. I have both 2.4GHz and 5GHz devices connected wirelessly and my desk top system connected via cable. I use MAC address authentication for all the devices.

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