As well as having the simplest name in the group test, Belkin seems to have taken the most time to make the N1 easy to set up, with clear labelling on the router and simple instructions.

The N1 sits on a desktop or is wall-mountable, with the 10/100Mbits/sec Ethernet ports at the top. The big status icons are bright against the stylish gloss black of the case so are clearly visible, but give no indication of network traffic.

The pictorial icons for each component of the connection chain are a good idea for novices, giving you a first indication of where a problem lies.

The setup CD has a wizard-driven route to get you up and running, although you can easily set it up manually with the web interface. There is no wizard in the web interface, but the menu system is laid out in a clear and logical fashion.

The Belkin N1 has four wireless modes: 11g only, 11g and 11b, 11n and 11g or n-only. N-only mode can use 40MHz bonded channels to get the full bandwidth. Protected mode operation is available for use in mixed-mode networks with lots of 11g and/or 11b traffic.

All forms of security encryption are supported including Wep and WPA/WPA2 Personal and Enterprise modes. An icon on the front panel illuminates when wireless security is enabled. The SPI firewall is enabled by default but offers only basic event logging and no email notifications.

There are lots of preconfigured port forwarding settings to enable easy setup of ‘virtual servers’ for popular games and applications. There are no web filtering controls, but you can restrict access by IP address and/or time.

Given that for many people a draft-N router may be an addition to an existing network, the N1’s ‘Use as Access Point’ function might be useful as it bypasses the routing capabilities and firewall in the router.

This article is part of a group test of draft-N routers.
See also:
Buffalo Airstation Nfiniti
D-link DIR-635
Linksys WRT300N-UK
Netgear Rangemax Next
Trendnet TEW-631BRP
Graphs and table of features can be read via our pdf downloads above.

You can also read an introduction to this group test and discover the Editor's Choice of product.