Labs

Belkin's glossy black N1 certainly has style on its side, and it's practical too: the intuitive front-panel symbols make it simple to see at a glance whether everything is working as it should. For example, the padlock glows orange if the wireless connection isn't secure.

The N1 has a built-in ADSL2+ modem, so it's only suitable if you have ADSL broadband. It's easy to set up, with a wizard to guide you through entering your Internet provider's settings. However, there's no push-button wireless setup and no Quality of Service setting.

Wireless speed and range were also slightly disappointing. Even when using Belkin's matching PC Card (which costs £65 including VAT), speeds were around half what the Netgear delivered. It all serves to make the N1 look overpriced.