Belkin N+ Wireless Router

Without a fancy name, the Belkin N+ impressed us where it matters the most: range and throughput performance. As a bonus, it also offers a limited network-storage function. We were only disappointed that it doesn't offer dual-band support, like the DIR-855 or the Linksys WRT610N. The N+'s performance, however, more than makes up for this, especially considering its street price of only about $100. If you plan to have a wireless network in a neighborhood that doesn't already have too many wireless signals, we would recommend the Belkin N+ over any other wireless-N routers.

Setup and design
Although the Belkin N+ is one of the bulkiest routers we've reviewed, it actually has an elegant and curvy design. The router is made to work in the vertical position only, with two antennas on top, making it significantly taller than most routers. The ports and blue LED lights, located on the back and front of the router, respectively, are clearly labeled, and, as such, even novice users won't have a problem figuring out the function of each port and the meaning of each light.

Thanks to its clear instructions, we didn't experience any problems setting up the Belkin N+. The included CD contains setup software that walked us through every step, and we got the router up and running in less than 5 minutes. Alternatively, you can use the router's Web interface for the setup process and further customize its settings. Belkin routers' Web interfaces are generally intuitive, and their layouts have not changed since Belkin's first Wireless-N router, the Belkin Wireless Pre-N router, which is also the very first Wireless-N router that CNET reviewed. When it comes to intuitiveness, though, we prefer the Web interfaces of D-Link or Netgear routers.

Features
Although the N+ lets you connect an external USB hard drive, it is, in fact, not a full-featured NAS server. You will not be able to manage the external drive--including creating share folders and access privileges--through its Web interface, as you can with the Linksys WRT610N.

The N+ comes with the Belkin Storage Manager desktop application that makes it easy for you to access the connected external hard drive. Once you have plugged a USB hard drive into the router, the BSM application takes about 10 seconds to detect it and create a network drive mapped to it. Any computers in the network with the BSM application installed have full access to the entire hard drive's content, simultaneously. If you shut down the BSM application, the mapped network drive will be disconnected.

Alternatively, you can also access the storage without the having to install the BSM application by using the IP address of the router. However, novice users definitely want to stick to using the desktop application.

The N+'s storage function supports FAT, FAT32, and NTFS file systems and worked very well with thumbdrives. When we tried it with a few USB external hard drives, it was hit or miss. Most worked well, but the OWC mercury wasn't ever recognized

Summary:
Unparalleled range; fast throughput; easy-to-use network-storage feature; affordableBulky design; network-storage feature is limited; no dual-band support; short one-year warranty.