| Belkin F5D8053 Wi-Fi N Wireless Adapter |
| Reviews - Featured Reviews: Network | |||||||||||
| Written by Alex Hanson - Edited by Olin Coles | |||||||||||
| Sunday, 05 October 2008 | |||||||||||
Belkin F5D8053So, you say you just bought a second or even a third computer for your household fand you're wondering how you're going to connect it to the Internet? Well, for one thing you'll need a router and probably a wireless adapter such as the Belkin F5D8053 N Wireless adapter, unless you plan on directly wiring it to a port on your router. Using a wireless adapter however would be the much easier and quicker way to setup access to your home network/broadband Internet connection. Benchmark Reviews has just reviewed the Belkin F5D8053 N Wireless adapter for you. Now let's see if it's something worth buying or not. I particularly like using wireless USB adapters just because of their ease of use and speed of setup. They also tend to pick up wireless network signals better than their internal PCI card counterparts. The N Wireless USB Adapter connects your desktop or notebook computer to a wireless network. Providing greater range and faster speeds, N offers an excellent solution for sending large files such as video, music, photos, and documents among the networked computers in your home. Based on the 802.11n draft, N Wireless enables multiple receivers and transmitters to send and receive data using Intelligent MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) spatial multiplexing techniques which greatly increases speed, coverage, and the reliability of the wireless network.
About the company: BelkinBelkin offers a diverse product mix that provides people with seamless electronics integration in their homes, cars, and on the go. Belkin, a privately held company founded in California in 1983, is the recognized global leader in connectivity solutions. Since our inception, Belkin has experienced an amazing 20-plus consecutive years of dramatic growth. Our product mix includes award-winning innovations for easy-to-set-up networking solutions, accessories for iPod players and XM player devices, and the first CableFree USB Hub. Our PureAV brand, a line of cables, power, and digital wireless accessories, extracts the full performance potential from high-end home theater equipment, while offering elegant designs and advanced features. Belkin's U.S. presence includes headquarters in Los Angeles, a distribution center in Indianapolis, and an R&D facility in Rochester, New York. With major facilities in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, our reach extends to offices throughout Europe and to our Pacific Rim sites: Australia and New Zealand and, most recently, Singapore and Shanghai. Belkin has come a long way to become the market leader across its product lines in just over two decades. From a garage in Hawthorne, California, with two employees and sales of $100,000 for the year, Belkin has become one of the fastest growing companies in the world, with over 1,000 employees and sales topping $1 billion. In addition to earning Inc. magazine's 2003 Hall of Fame award, Belkin has been listed twice in its list of "500 Fastest-Growing Privately Held Companies in the U.S.", the "Inner City Top 100" list for six consecutive years, and the Los Angeles Business Journal's "Fastest Growing Private Companies" list for five years. More information is available on the Belkin website. Belkin N USB Adapter Features
Connect your notebook computer to a wireless network to: Belkin F5D8053 Specifications
System Requirements
Package Includes
Closer Look: Belkin F5D8053Shortly after installing the Windows Vista 64bit operating system, I discovered my old wireless adapter wasn't compatible with my new operating system so when I found out that the Belkin F5D8053 N Wireless Adapter was compatible, I was excited to try it out. Included in the package is a CD-ROM which has the necessary drivers to install it with but I like to use the most recent drivers anyways so the first thing I did was download them directly from the Belkin website to ensure optimal performance.
After downloading the latest drivers, I was ready to get started connecting up this new adapter. On the outside packaging of the retail box it is attractive and informative leaving no doubt as to what's inside and to it's features and specifications.
After removing the adapter from the box, I was surprised at how small the adapter really is. This works to my advantage because I was looking to have it sit discreetly on my desk without it screaming "Hey, look at me!". It also has a nice black textured finish that feels high quality to the touch.
Just to illustrate the actual size of this adapter, I've included an image of it in my hand. OK, I do have somewhat large hands but still, you can see from the image above that this wireless adapter is relatively small. Belkin Wireless Detailed FeaturesI like how you can remove the adapter from the base and plug directly into a USB port if needed such as in the case with my laptop. My laptop having only an internal wireless G adapter, plugging this adapter into the side USB port allowed me to connect at wireless N speeds.
Now, the only gripe I really have about this adapter is the base is somewhat flimsy and unstable. It felt as if it needed a little more heft or weight to it because it too easily tips over and falls down.
The LED on the front of the wireless adapter is a very bright blue especially when viewed directly on. You will probably want to turn it away from you especially if you like to compute at night or in a dark environment. It doesn't bother me but it might for some people.
Another issue that might or might not be of concern is the USB cord. It's a tad bit short but then again it works for me and probably will be just fine for most folks but having a longer cord would certainly allow for more placement options if you have that need to. The cord itself measures just under 5 feet long. Testing MethodologyTesting of the Belkin F5D8053 N Wireless USB Adapter was conducted inside of a fairly large but standard wood frame construction home so I expect my results to be fairly typical of what most network users should expect. I used three separate computers to test it's wireless capabilities. Two of which are desktops and one is a laptop. I'll refer to them as simply desktop #2, desktop #3, and laptop. Desktop #1 is hard wired to the router so I didn't include that one. The router and desktop #1 are located near the northwest corner of my house. It's not the ideal location but it's where my broadband cable connection resides. My laptop tests were conducted at a distance of twelve feet from the router in the same room with a direct line of sight to the router. Desktop #2 is located on the far southeast corner of my house on the same floor and desktop #3 is located directly downstairs and about 30 feet off to the northeast side. The laptop test I ran with both the internal wireless G adapter and this external Belkin F5D8053 N Wireless USB Adapter. I also used the same Belkin F5D8053 N Wireless USB Adapter on the downstairs PC, desktop #3. Each test was conducted three times using SiSoftware Sandra and I simply averaged the results. Test Systems
Test Results
The test results were indeed impressive. I couldn't connect faster than 285 Mbps on the laptop at 12 feet away from the router and 270 Mbps on the downstairs PC (desktop #3). Considering there is flooring, appliances, plumbing, electrical, and even air ducts between the router and downstairs PC, I was still impressed.
I didn't really understand why the latency was so high on the laptop considering it was the closest PC at only 12 feet away using the Belkin N USB wireless adapter and yet it scored the best with it's own internal wireless G adapter. Wi-Fi N Final ThoughtsWhen I first received this adapter, I was looking forward to using one that actually works in the 64bit version of Windows Vista. My old adapter just did not have an "official" set of drivers for it. I did find an aftermarket driver that was flaky at best. So finding one that actually worked and was stable was very important to me. The Belkin F5D8053 N Wireless USB Adapter certainly fulfills that requirement. Install and setup was quick and easy. I had no problems whatsoever getting it up and running.
The speed at which it connects and transfers data at is more than enough for even high definition video streaming even when used in different rooms and even floors. The base that the adapter plugs into could use a little more heft and weight to it so that it stands upright on it's own without tipping over so easily. Sometimes even the cord would not sit inside it's little cutout on the back very well which contributed to the standing upright problems. I also think the cord should be a little bit longer for those who want to place it up and/or out of the way. Belkin F5D8053 ConclusionThe F5D8053 Wireless Adapter is a very good product overall with very few (albeit nick-picky) complaints. It's small size is very convenient and it's high quality black textured finish is evident upon close inspection but it's bright blue status LED could be a distraction for some. I didn't quite like the flimsy base. It just seemed too lightweight and wobbly and not always wanting to stand perfectly upright. However, the install and setup process was a breeze and compatibility with Windows Vista 64bit was certainly appreciated. The speed and strong signal strength are also pluses for this adapter. Newegg.com currently lists the Belkin F5D8053 Wireless Adapter for $69.99, so the cost is a little on the high side of comparable wireless adapters and as a result I didn't rate the overall value very high. With some price searching, there are online retailers selling for as low as $49.99. However, I have no problem recommending this wireless adapter to anyone especially if you want wireless N transfer speeds, high reliability, good signal strength, fast data throughput, and Vista 64bit compatibility. Pros:
+ Small discreet size Cons:
- Lightweight and flimsy base stand Ratings:
Final Score: 8.70 out of 10.Questions? Comments? Benchmark Reviews really wants your feedback. We invite you to leave your remarks in our Discussion Forum.
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Comments
Sincerely
Edwin Niles