Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)The original version of this router was version 1000, based on the same platform as Belkin's F5D8230-4 Pre-N and the Linksys WRT54GX routers using Airgo's v1 technology and a Broadcom engine. It got an excellent review from Tom's Networking guide.
Then Belkin put a whole new circuit bard inside the same case and called it Version 2000. It used Airgo's v2 technology and a Realtek engine, and got roundly criticized on the equipment forums for being an inferior product.
The latest version is 3000, which isn't even based on Airgo technology any more. Now Belkin is using Ralink technology, and it's essentially the same router as the Airlink AR-525W, SparkLAN WRTR-300 or Compusa's store brand MIMO router, any of which can be found in stores for about 25 bucks. The version 3000 technology bears no resemblance to the Airgo version that got such a good review at Tom's. In fact, the router with the Ralink chipset (the Airlink) came in dead last and was the only one to receive a rating of "not recommended" in Tom's roundup.
Of course there's no way to tell in advance which version you'll get, but it's a pretty good bet you'll get the latest one. The only way to tell is to look at the sticker on the bottom of the box.
This practice of changing the internal electronics without changing the model number is a really annoying practice. It's hard enough to do all your research and decide which model to buy, so then to end up with something entirely different from what you thought you were getting is just maddening. Your best bet is to just stay away from this one.
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WIRELESS CABLE/DSL ROUTER G with MIMO
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