The internet speed for this router does match stated specs. But buyers beware if you are going to use this to connect a hard drive to use as a media hub in your house. The router does have USB 3.0 ports which should handle up to 640MBps HOWEVER, the router has to 'convert' the signals from Ethernet (or wifi) to USB interface which normally takes a good bit of CPU power. That's why you computer can handle it easily, but this router cannot. After a few speed tests, with Gigabit Ethernet LAN connection (1Gbps) to the router and connecting a USB 3.0 external hard drive, I was only able to get a max transfer speed of 5Mbps which is not even close to the theoretical 640MBps speed. Is is good for just internet use? Yes. Will it be good for a printer USB connection? Yes. It is a good router for Media Hub applications? My opinion, No. Hence, the three stars.
Bought this router to add the 5 GHz band along with server storage to my setup. It has been a month and so far, I do not see much to complain about. Download/Upload speeds are comparable to those obtained when directly connected to the modem. The wireless range on both the 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz bands are reasonable and the connection is stable.
Upon unboxing the device you are greeted with a blue card on top that says “enjoy”. Flipping the card over reveals very basic depictions of how to connect the device. After removing this card from the box the router comes into view, wrapped with a transparent plastic bag and transparent stickers adhered to both sides of the router in order to protect its glossy black finish from scratches. The ethernet cable and power adapter are already attached out of the box and ready to go.
After following the depictions laid out on the “enjoy” card and entering the required information located under the router, I was greeted by the Belkin dashboard which first scanned for a firmware update but did not find any. Once that was done, I began to explore the features within the dashboard. The interface is laid out quite well and I had no issues finding and configuring the parameters that I needed. The first step was changing the WiFi SSID and password. I then added a password to secure the dashboard. Once any settings are changed the router will reboot to apply the changes, this behavior mirrors routers I have used in the past.
The next spotlight feature of this router is server storage provided by its USB 2.0 port on the back. I did not find any instructions on how to setup this feature and the router’s dashboard was of no help either. Most of the links/buttons in the “Optional Software” tab are broken and non-functional. This is due to the fact that Belkin configured this page to load these images/buttons from their remote server instead of hard-coding them into the firmware of the router. Belkin has apparently removed these images/buttons from their server and thus the issue. My recommendation to Belkin would be to remove the "Optional Software" tab in the next firmware update and instead direct users to their support page for downloads and manuals.
Belkin’s USB Control Center is not compatible with macOS Mojave but that is not a problem as you can access your attached storage by using the “Connect to Server” feature in the Finder. The firmware installed on this router can be buggy at times and you may be unable to connect to the attached hard drive. In this event you will need to restart the router. Before you attach a hard drive to this router ensure that the disk is formatted in FAT32 and that the disk contains only 1 partition.
For watching Full HD videos you will need to use a media player that supports caching (eg. mpv or VLC) as read/write speeds from and to attached USB storage is capped at 3-6MB/s (Megabytes Per Second). In light of the slow read/write speeds of this router from and to USB storage, I contacted Belkin Support. They where helpful in trying to improve these speeds, however they eventually concluded that the maximum read/write speed for USB storage was a “theoretical” 8MB/s (Megabytes Per Second). Factors such as interference and the number of devices connected to the router would cause a decrease in throughput.
Aside from the obvious discrepancies outlined above, I’m quite satisfied with the router’s performance. Internet speeds are surely not lacking. Be sure to disable “Intellistream” and set the “Self-Healing” option to initialize on a daily bases for optimum performance. While this may not be the fastest router available, the Belkin F9K1116 is decent. It is also one of the better looking routers that you will find and at a decent price.
2nd Review 4 stars: Received replacement router 3Apr2019. Belkin Customer Service walked me through firmware update and pairing my devices. Everything took about 1 hour, but for $19.99 & 2 year warranty & Belkin customer support, I am a happy camper. Will see if router needs resetting and how it operates in the next few weeks. If all is good, will update my 4 stars to 5. I gave Amazon another chance because the Belkin customer service was amazing. I returned for an exchange and received replacement 24hrs later. Strangely the router was not in an amazon box that obscured the contents. The Belkin router box had an address sticker on it and was left by my front door without them ringing the bell. What is up with amazon delivery lately? This is 3rd delivery issue in last few months.
1st Router/1st review 1 star: Out of box I could not get the router to connect with the computer/modem but could access the router dashboard. I reset username, etc. but took a bit of troubleshooting with my computer & settings to get it working but only 2.5 MHz was showing up and not the 5MHz. Since I did not understand difference between 2.5 vs 5.0 I called Belkin customer service (Bcs). In short 2.5MHz is good long distance but slower (other rooms away from router); 5MHz good short distance and faster (in same room as router). We got the router working, but then my devices kept bouncing in and out of wifi and back to 2.5MHz. Turns out router required firmware update. Bcs talked me through the update, but then the computer could not find/recognize the IP address for the router and I had neither internet or wifi. So we hardwired the internet connection to the computer, downloaded firmware update direct from the Belkin website and re-set the router (reset button on back) and spent 1 hour and 34 min on phone with Belkin trouble shooting the installation, settings, etc. Final test showed binary is error which translated to "Dead out of the box". Belkin said to return to Amazon for another and to make sure it is not a refurbished unit but new. Once I receive the new router, run the download of the firmware update and restart everything, it should work (unless I get another dud). They said the reason the router is so cheap is because the firmware is outdated, but if the router is otherwise good, the update should work. I am giving Amazon another chance because the Belkin customer service was amazing, and the router has a 2 year warranty that they will honor once I exceed the Amazon return window. I returned for an exchange, will update if there are any issues with the exchange or with the replacement. I am back to using my Belkin N300 until I can switch out. But after this Belkin customer service experience...I will only buy Belkin routers.
I've been using this router for quite a while now and I am very pleased with the performance.. Belkin's web based user interface is very simple to program and utilize. The ability to plug a hard drive or printer into the router via USB and share it across all of your wireless devices is very handy and the signal strength is comparable to far more expensive routers. Dual Band allows you to have more than one wireless network in case you've got some devices that are older and can't use Wireless N you can run the other set at Wireless a,b,g and still connect seamlessly. Great product, great company. Quick ship and the item was brand new in the box as promised.
I am VERY happy with this router! Easy to set up, easier if you already have a router it's replacing. This router actually has 3 different hook ups or names when you're looking at the list of WiFi signals! (Example names ONLY) Belkin Rt1, Belkin Rt media and Belkin Rt Guest! So computers and phones would go on the Rt1 channel, All your smart TVs and streaming devices on the Media channel and any guests and visitors go on the guest channel! I found this to be a fantastic idea, I am Also VERY happy by how fast each channel is too!
Feature Product
- AC wireless router with dual band technology for max speed to multiple devices
- Up to 2.8x faster than Wireless-N
- Video streaming and gaming-up to 300Mbps (2.4GHz) + 867Mbps (5GHz)
- Backward compatible with Wireless-G and Wireless-N
- Easy setup via tablet, smartphone, or computer with Simple Start app
Description
The Belkin AC 1200 DB Wi-Fi Dual-Band AC+ Router offers a new level of reliability, speed and coverage for all your Wi-Fi devices. Now the whole family can watch shows and play games online with tablets, smartphones, or Smart TV - all at the same time. AC is next-generation Wi-Fi, providing greatly improved coverage and speeds up to 2.8x faster than traditional N routers. AC Wi-Fi signals travel faster and farther than the current standard and with Belkin's Simple Start installation is easy and quick - just use a smartphone, tablet or computer to set up your router. The Belkin AC 1200 also enhances mobile device performance, and works seamlessly with Wi-Fi 'N' and 'G' devices. Get the most out of all your wireless devices and take home networking to the next level with the Belkin AC 1200 DB Wi-Fi Dual-Band AC+ Router.
This is a great router. Set up was a breeze and I was online in less than 5 minutes. I read reviews on several sites before I made the purchase. I must say that there is too much negative hype surrounding this router. It works great.
The only downside that I can think of is the range of the 5 Ghz band. I get disconnected while I mow the lawn listenin to Pandora. I take a few second to connect to the 2.4 Ghz band and I am mowing again.
I also love the guest mode. My friends can have WiFi without connecting to my home network. It is great!
I was also able to connect my printer to the network via the usb 2.0 slot. Works fantastic.
If you were hesitant about this router, please ease your mind. This is a great piece of equipment worth your money.
PC, Fire Stick, Netflix, HULU, Alexa Echo, and 2 Android Phones
Fabulous !!
After 6 months of connection problems.....
I ordered this router and I have never seen my devices connect so effortlessly.....
I don't know why so many negative reviews....This router did everything it stated it would.
My experience has been that some people just like to complain
Wonderful and easy setup!! My nephew assured me that it will work with my Android device. Dual band is very important too when living in an apartment with many other routers. Just make sure you follow steps for passwords. I was trying to enter guest access first.
When you pull out the code card and have hooked it up you will find the NETWORK NAME (SSID) belkin.4xx then enter the (security key). That will configure for about 3 minutes, then it will all work. My guest was able to sign in using "Guest Access" network name and guest security key code. Also, I no longer needed a blue ethernet cord, the yellow cord on the Belkin plugs right into your modem.
SO easy to setup!!! Bought this after I had spent over $100 on what I thought I needed, turns out I only needed this and could have saved myself a lot of money and heartache! Took me about 5 minutes to set this up with my existing internet modem, and instantly had Wi-Fi for all of my home devices.
good router. this is the second belkin that i have purchased. both have been good. this one is twice as fast as my old one. these are so easy to set up. takes about 10 minutes. one valuable feature is: in switching from the old belkin to the new one, you can use your old password and do not have to reconnect all the devices. the devices are connected automatically. distance is not a problem. we have a three story house. the router is on the first level. we have no transmission issues. we use at distances from 30 to 75 feet. walls have no effect.
Thanks for give us valuable information If you are looking for Belkin Support call on 1800987893 , visit on
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