Do I Dare Buy the Belkin N1 Router?

Hi there...I'm your typical newbie and this is my first post. I consider myself totally mentally challenged when it comes to computers, and I'm at a particular loss right now as I am going wireless for the first time.

I just purchased (yesterday) a Dell Inspiron 1520 notebook. The customer service rep really pimped the idea of purchasing the Dell Wireless N network card, along with the Belkin N1 Router.

I've been researching this today, and what I've read on this router is quite dismal, to say the least. Horror stories of bad customer service, lost connectivity, and poor long-range performance.

I'm not sure what my other options are, or what other router would be best to purchase. Should I stick with the 802.11 a/g/n routers?

I have just a little time to change my order, so any opinions from more experienced users would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

 

The 802.11N is still in draft, they could change it prior to standardization and if they do all those N draft routers will be obsolete. I would personally get myself the Linksys WRT54G or something similar. The WRT54G is an awesome router, and you can install linux and take it further if you wanted to. I personally have one, and I have not changed the firmware on it. It's going to be as cheap, and super easy to setup, basically goto 192.168.0.1 and default pw of linksys, no user id, and there's your graphical configuration tool. I would not advice a Belkin N1 router either way, as I too have heard some horror stories.

Phoenix

 

I'm still reviewing all the options and reading more reviews. I think that I may change the order to the Netgear Rangemax MIMO Router & USB adaptor bundle and get a wireless card to match. Ideally, a Netgear Rangemax wireless card would be great (I'm reading that if it all matches it means better connectivity and speed) but I dont' think Dell sells it. At least not an internal one that I can find on-line. Which just brings up another question...perhaps I assumed my wireless network card was internal...perhaps it is external. Hmmmm...

 

No you can't. You could back when it was Linux router- now it's VxWorks and it's not worth a single penny with its stripped down memory.


As for Belkin N1- based on what I heard I suppose it was designed to look cool rather than to actually work

 

Take a look at this post http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=161597

 

Thank you for all the comments.

In the end, I changed my order to the D-Link DIR-655 Xtreme N Gigabit Router, which has great reviews on the 'net. It is also certified on the list that was published.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed.