Product Reviews

Belkin is gaining a reputation for its low-cost networking products ideally suited to home and small office users. Its latest model includes an internal ADSL modem, a four-port Ethernet switch, a wireless access point (WAP) supporting the 802.11b/g standards and impressive security measures.

Installation is simple enough. We used a wireless-equipped notebook with dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) enabled to log on to the router, where a wizard helped us to enter our internet service provider (ISP) details. The browser interface is well designed, with

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plenty of help provided along the way. The firewall protection uses network address translation (NAT) and stateful packet inspection methods, and there are plenty of options for customising the level of security you want.

Client IP filters control the services specific local area network (LAN) users are allowed to access, such as sending or receiving email, FTP or web browsing. You add the IP addresses of the PCs to be controlled, select the services to be restricted, and for website blocking add up to 30 URLs to block. Rule schedules determine what times and days these restrictions come into effect, although the log files don't show when a user has been denied access.

Other security functions available include media access control (MAC) address filters for wired and wireless connections, up to eight demilitarised zones (DMZs) for unrestricted access to services behind the firewall and a system that stops the router from responding to pings on its wide area network (WAN) IP address.

This little router is an excellent choice for sharing an ADSL connection among wired and wireless users, and keeping them protected at all times.