Belkin N1 Vision
Manufacturer: Belkin Part number: F5D8232-4
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The Belkin N1 Vision router makes great strides in user-friendliness, but drops the ball when it comes to performance.
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CNET editors' review
Belkin N1 Vision price range: $119.99 - $199.99
- Reviewed by: Felisa Yang
- Edited by: Matthew Elliott
- Reviewed on: 08/28/2007
The good: Embedded LCD offers loads of information at a glance; guest SSID and password let you share your Internet connection without compromising data or privacy; easy setup; configuration utility is newbie-friendly; Gigabit Ethernet ports; slick, attractive design.
The bad: Slow throughput; very expensive.
The bottom line: The Belkin N1 Vision router makes great strides in user-friendliness, but drops the ball when it comes to performance.
With its N1 Vision router, Belkin takes the great usability features from its N1 router a huge step further. The router's LCD display provides loads of information without the need to dig into the configuration page. Also, the router is unique in that it provides two SSIDs: one for you, and a second one for your guests. While the N1 Vision can't be beat for user-friendliness, it was soundly trounced in our speed tests by 11n routers from other manufacturers. If your top priority is having the fastest router available, take a look at the D-Link DIR-655. Also, at $200, this is one of the most expensive consumer routers available; but if you value easy usability, this could be the router for you.
Design
The Belkin N1 Vision uses a novel design we haven't seen before. Instead of lying flat, it sits upright on a small stand. Three antennae that you can bend and rotate protrude from the N1 Vision's back edge. The back of the router offers up one Gigabit WAN port, four Gigabit LAN ports, a power jack, and a reset button. All the ports and jacks are clearly labeled.
The really compelling part of this router's design, though, is the graphical display embedded in the front of the device. Using the four-way rocker and buttons that sit alongside the display, you can flip between various screens which display all sorts of information. The main screen shows a graphical representation of your home network, that includes an earth symbol to represent the Internet, along with icons for a modem, a wired PC, a wireless laptop, and a padlock to represent wireless security. The single wired PC icon represents your wired connections; and a wireless laptop icon represents all your wireless connections. Several screens show you what's happening on your network: what's connected and at what speeds; general upload and download speeds; and usage over the last 24 hours.
There's also a guest access screen that displays a guest SSID and password (more on this later). Finally, you can set the LCD to display the current date and time. The menu gives information on configuring wireless security, helpful troubleshooting tips, and a power-save option that turns the LCD off after two minutes of no activity (via the buttons). This design is impressive and far more useful than the usual array of flashing lights that graces the front of most routers.
Features
The Belkin N1 Vision is easy to set up, requiring no CD--though one is included for those who prefer a CD-based setup. Simply connect the router to your modem and then connect your PC to the router via Ethernet cable. When you open a Web browser, the configuration screen is supposed to pop up. If it doesn't (as in our case), you can simply type "routersetup" into the browser's address line and the configuration will start. The router does most of the work itself; the only information we had to provide was the username and password associated with our DSL account.
Once the router connects, you can enter the manual setup utility. Each component of the utility is followed by a More Info link, which pops up a detailed explanation about each feature in layman's terms: why you would want to use the feature, and how to configure it if you decide to use it. We really like the user-friendliness of the More Info feature, as it's useful for people who are new to networking.
The configuration options are mostly typical for a wireless router. Wireless security options include WEP and WPA/WPA2 (with PSK). You can filter clients by IP address, restricting access to the Internet, e-mail, or network services by day and time. If you're concerned about unauthorized access to your network, you can turn on MAC address filtering. The router also supports DMZ for gaming and other applications whose performance is degraded by a firewall. The router also supports Wi-Fi Protected Setup, a Wi-Fi Alliance standard for the simple setup of home networks. Not all products support WPS yet, however, so this won't be useful to everyone.
The final feature we really liked was the ability to set up protected guest access. The router creates a separate SSID so guests can establish an Internet connection but can't access other locations on your network, such as PCs or network-attached storage drives. This feature also generates a guest password (you can create one yourself or ask the configuration page to generate one for you) that is displayed on the router's LCD for easy reference.
Performance
CNET Labs tested the Belkin N1 Vision Router with the N1 Wireless Adapter. The N1 Vision doesn't offer an N-only mode, so we tested it in its default mixed mode. At 10 feet, with only the 11n client connected (no B or G clients, for example), the Belkin clocked 64.10Mbps throughput, among the slowest of the Draft N routers we've tested. At 200 feet, again with only the N client connected, it posted a speed of 23.29Mbps, again on the slow side. Finally, when we introduced an 11g client to the network, the N1 Vision's score dropped significantly to 12.26Mbps (at 10 feet). If speed is your top priority, this is not the router for you.
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
Service and support
Belkin backs the N1 Vision router with a generous three-year warranty. Toll-free phone support is available 24-7, or you can fill out a form at Belkin's Web site for e-mail support. The site also offers documentation, downloadable drivers, and FAQs.
User reviews
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hope you didn't throw away your old router because you'll want it back
by irfan_bugmenot on August 23, 2007
Pros: got online quickly, easy setup, looks cool.
Cons: VERY buggy firmware, buttons on face suck, VPN broken, firewall/security functionality sucks.
Summary: yeah, it looked nice, but i think its a POS. i spent an evening trying to get the darn thing to work. i had no problems getting online or accessing ...
Summary: yeah, it looked nice, but i think its a POS. i spent an evening trying to get the darn thing to work. i had no problems getting online or accessing the router administration, but did have the following problems:
1) router "save" feature is broken. have to save things two or more times to take effect.
2) buttons on front of router suck. have to push repeatedly to (as many as 30-40 times) to make them work. ho,ding them down isn't enough - you have to hold them down and/or find that tiny sweet spot on the pad where they work.
3) VPN functionality is broken, or at least is for my Nortel VPN software.
4) Wireless mac filtering functionality is broken. doesn't work as expected.
5) SPI firewall sucks. only protects against a bunch of old denial of service exploits that were all patched in Windows 95.
6) Security log is less than worthless. It deletes logs after an hour, and doesn't display enough info to make the logs of any use. a much better solution is the one i reverted to - linksys router with 3rd party linklogger software.
7) router admin password ************* is not properly documented. due to issue #1 above, that means you may spend hours trying to set or change a password that is not saved properly and won't let you login, and consequently forces you to do a hard reset and start all over again.
8) router runs VERY hot. this will no doubt effect lifespan of device.
9) Belkin support sucks. about the only thing i could understand (Belkin outsourced support to India) was him repeatedly asking me if i could access the net. when i said yes, he replied that the router was working fine then (despite #1-8 above that i politely detailed to him) and that i could not get an RMA. in the end, i was finally able to determine that Belkin apparently knows about all of these issues, and might fix a couple of them sometime down the road, but most likely won't do anything about #1, 2, 5, 6, 8. I'm not going to hold my breath for them to fix #3, 4, 7, 9. this piece of crap goes back to best buy tomorrow and i've already gone back to my very reliable, well-designed, bug-free, much more secure wired and wireless routers ( Linksys WRT54G and BEFSX41).6 out of 6 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Meets Expectations
by damonp69 on August 14, 2007
Pros: Easy Setup, Looks Great, Stable Connection
Cons: Tech Support, No NAT Setting
Summary: This router looks great and works as specified the only negatives I have encountered are:
1. There is no NAT setting even though on the router home page it indicates ...Summary: This router looks great and works as specified the only negatives I have encountered are:
1. There is no NAT setting even though on the router home page it indicates you can turn this setting on or off. I called tech support and he told me the setting is turned on by default, which I don't believe since I have an application that requires this setting and it's not working.
2. I previously owned the Belkin Pre -N Router (Great Router) and I used the Pre-N Laptop card which allowed me to connect @ 108 mbs now with the N1 Vision I'm only connecting @ 54mbs. I called tech support and they recommended I update the driver for the laptop card which I did but still the connection is 54mbs. Other then these 2 issues I'm happy with the router so far.5 out of 7 users found this user opinion helpful.
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So far, so good!
by gegcl on October 11, 2007
Pros: Good design, nifty screen acceptable range.
Cons: Interference!
Summary: I think it's a great home router for all sorts of tasks. I found a bad problem though, it interferes with wireless based headset phones. To fix this, pick ...
Summary: I think it's a great home router for all sorts of tasks. I found a bad problem though, it interferes with wireless based headset phones. To fix this, pick a different channel.
3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Beautiful But Useless
by Macko1965 on February 21, 2008
Pros: Nice design and LCD display
Cons: Drops wireless signals regularly
Summary: I was planning to buy the Belkin N Wireless Router which cost $79 at Best Buy, but when I saw this, I fell in love. It's the best looking ...
Summary: I was planning to buy the Belkin N Wireless Router which cost $79 at Best Buy, but when I saw this, I fell in love. It's the best looking router on the market, bar none. I loved the LCD display and the fact that it had a small footprint, so I shelled out $179 to buy it.
The setup was easy and I was up and running in less than 30 minutes, which is miraculous because I've never set up a wireless network before. However, once I got it up and running and started to download some movies, it kept dropping the signal. Major headache. It definitely wasn't wireless interference because the router was located less than 5' from the wireless adapter. I spent about 3 hours trying to find the cause but couldn't find out the problem. I logged into CNET, read the reviews and discovered that this is a common problem with the unit. I returned it the next day and got the Belkin N Wireless Router for $100 less. I've been using it for several hours without 1 dropped signal.
The N1 Vision Router is beautiful but useless. Kind of like my ex-wife.3 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Weird, just plain weird
by govtmule on September 29, 2007
Pros: Fast and good throughput
Cons: VPN chokes and sputters
Summary: When using simply as my home router everything works as advertised. Fast throughput, no problems. When connected to our VPN, this thing chokes, sputters and drops the connection every few ...
Summary: When using simply as my home router everything works as advertised. Fast throughput, no problems. When connected to our VPN, this thing chokes, sputters and drops the connection every few seconds. I am very disappointed in this thing, very disappointed and am taking it back
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Stable, fast, and a great addition to all my cool gear!
by FreakyFranks on September 15, 2007
Pros: Zero connection drops with heavy usage.
Cons: I've seen faster, but not enough to complain.
Summary: This router is the FIRST one I've used that has not bumped me off-line while putting a strain on my network. My house network is heavily used; ie. gaming, ...
Summary: This router is the FIRST one I've used that has not bumped me off-line while putting a strain on my network. My house network is heavily used; ie. gaming, torrents, uploading, 5 different computers, wired and wireless simultaneously. I have tried all the major brands, super g, super a, and even Linksys business edition N. The N1 Vision steals the show in all areas. All of the other ones (except the Linksys business) would bump me offline and needed some sort of attention during heavy usage. The problem with the linksys was it was SSSSLLLLOOOOOWWWW! The N1 is very easy to set up, and when paired with a wireless n Atheros 5008 in my notebook, the coverage is incredible! I can pick up my network down the street from my house in my car. The only negative thing I have found with the router is a slight speed drop with wireless downloads during speedtests. With Super G (108mbps advertised), I could reach 22mbps download speed on speedtest.net. With N (300mbps), I average about 18-20mbps. I'll take the slight performance drop (I'll never notice the difference during usage) to get the stability this router offers. Hopefully, the new firmware update will help the throughput, and maybe there is a setting I haven't found yet that will increase the wireless speeds. This is the only reason it doesn't get a perfect score of 10.
The bottom line is, I have not dropped connectivity once since I've owned it. Wireless gaming is great!!!! Not a single hiccup. My pings are always 10-20ms using wireless. (BF2, BF2142, Unreal, Oblivion, etc.)
I love this router! It has solved all of my problems.2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Firmware Upgrade Improved Performance
by akijione on August 16, 2008
Pros: Love the style, the lcd display
Cons: None at all
Summary: Out of the box, the Belkin N1 Vision, is sleek, but performance was normal. After the firmware upgrade, my distance increased, and download speed also increased. Upgrade your firmware for ...
Summary: Out of the box, the Belkin N1 Vision, is sleek, but performance was normal. After the firmware upgrade, my distance increased, and download speed also increased. Upgrade your firmware for better performance.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great, Fun, Beautifull Design
by DJStunner on September 22, 2007
Pros: Just look at the LCD , need I say more?
Cons: Im not enough of a geek to have a cons because of tech software
Summary: I bought this the very sec it hit the shelf at best buy, didnt even look at the price. I have had NO problems with it. It tracks who is ...
Summary: I bought this the very sec it hit the shelf at best buy, didnt even look at the price. I have had NO problems with it. It tracks who is connected to you network, how much bandwidth they have used in the last 24 hours and currently using... although I would like to see what the other users are uploading/downloading at instead of just one grouped number; Quick easy guest access to your network without giving out your private key.
If you got the cash, its great to have.
Works fine and looks Great.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Solved my home network issues
by Larry Lamb on August 18, 2007
Pros: The gimmick display is useful
Cons: Doesn't wall/rack mount
Summary: As is the norm, there were just a couple of places that my old Linksys B router did not reach in my home. Plus, all the adapters on our PCs ...
Summary: As is the norm, there were just a couple of places that my old Linksys B router did not reach in my home. Plus, all the adapters on our PCs were G. I bought two different Linksys G (with/without SpeedBoost) and there was no difference for connectivity. I bought the Belkin as a joke, planning to test it and return it to Best Buy. However, my main laptop with G internal now works on my deck. Maybe other N routers would work too, but this one does what I need it to do. The browser menu is different by usable. The funniest thing is the display. I though it was stupid, but now I love watching the activity meters. (Man does Xbox360 online suck up bandwidth!) So far, this N works better with G than the two G I tested. Without wall mounts, it sits on my desk on the clock setting mostly. A couple of clients have asked why my clock has antennas. Regarding cost-- it probably is 30% higher than another brand N router-- so you would need to decide that the display worth the premium.
Updated
Other user comments on this device regarding the four direction control are correct-- movement to the right is very poor. I suspect that the toggle switch warps because of the enormous amount of heat this thing generates. I think I could toast bread on the back of this thing. All that said, it still works well in my split level home. But-- don't buy it for the display because the control is spotty which thus makes it overpriced.
Updated on Oct 27, 2008Run. Run away. The device died this morning. Tried another power supply and no go. It is simply dead. It is also about 14 months old so it is out of warranty. I suspect that it simply overheated and fried. Since I paid the near $200 price, the cost of ownership was about $15 per month. I replaced it with a far less expensive DLink DIR-625 for $69 at Office Depot. The signal appears the same or better on all but one laptop-- which may be more of an issue with the laptop. I will seriously miss the nifty clock and gauges... but I miss my $200 even more. In the end-- don't buy this device (priced at $149 at Best buy this week).1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Companies will do anything to pick up business
by mohanman on August 25, 2007
Pros: Looks cool
Cons: Runs hot, lcd display freezes
Summary: I had this item for about 3 days. It was okay. It would seem to freeze a lot and need rebooting, especially the useless lcd display. It's a gimmick, ...
Summary: I had this item for about 3 days. It was okay. It would seem to freeze a lot and need rebooting, especially the useless lcd display. It's a gimmick, nothing more, nothing less.
Buttons felt cheap, would recommend not to buy.2 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Belkin
- Part number: F5D8232-4
- Description: The N1 Vision wireless router offers an easy way for you to view your network's broadband speed, computer bandwidth usage, and the status of your connected devices - all from an easy-to-read display. Packaged in a new sleek and sophisticated design, N1 Vision offers the best in networking performance with its wireless 802.11n 3x3 radio design and wired gigabit ports. The N1 Vision wireless router continues Belkin's commitment in providing the best user experience in the home market through its Plug-and-Play "CD-less" installation and simple network security setup.
General
- Device Type Wireless router
- Form Factor External
Networking
- Connectivity Technology Wired, Wireless
- Wireless Capability This product uses the draft version of the upcoming 802.11n standard. Its compatibility with other and future products is not guaranteed, and it may interfere with current 802.11b and g products.
- Integrated Switch 4-port switch
- Data Transfer Rate 300 Mbps
- Data Link Protocol Ethernet, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, IEEE 802.11n (draft)
- Switching Protocol Ethernet
- Network / Transport Protocol PPTP, IPSec, TCP/IP
- Max Range Open Space 1600 ft
- Features VPN support, MIMO technology
- Compliant Standards IEEE 802.3, IEEE 802.3u, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.3ab, IEEE 802.11n (draft)
Antenna
- Antenna Qty 3
Communications
- Type None
Expansion / Connectivity
- Expansion Slots Total (Free) None
- Interfaces 4 x Network - Ethernet 10Base-T/100Base-TX/1000Base-T - RJ-45, 1 x Network - Ethernet 10Base-T/100Base-TX/1000Base-T - RJ-45 ( WAN )
- Compatible Slots None
Miscellaneous
- Cables (Details) 1 x Network cable
- Encryption Algorithm WPA, WPA2, 64-bit WEP, 128-bit WEP
- Authentication Method Radio Service Set ID (SSID)
- Microsoft Certifications Works with Windows Vista
Power
- Power Device Power adapter - External
Software / System Requirements
- OS Required Apple MacOS X 10.4, Microsoft Windows Vista / 2000 / XP
Manufacturer info
- Belkin
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Belkin products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://www.belkin.com/
- Address:
501 West Walnut Street, Compton, CA 90220 - Phone: 1-800-223-5546
