WHAT IS IT?

The BELKIN N150 is a wireless-N adapter  being sold for around $29 which allows you to quickly add wireless internet to your Windows XP, Vista, 7 or 8  Desktop or laptop.  It will also work with Mac OSX 10.5 and  10.6.   This adapter requires at least a 1.8 Ghz CPU, a CD-ROM  and 200MB of hard disk space to install.   Once it is installed, you can transmit speeds up to 150 Megabits per second.

INSTALLATION and SUPPORT

 
I purchased this adapter in order to upgrade an older Dell PC I had laying around in a part of the building that didn’t have Ethernet cables.  I needed to connect this device to the Clear hotspot I purchased earlie this year.  I had two problems with the PC:  #1 without being able to connect to the internet o find updates, Windows XP didn’t have enough data to install the Clear Hotspot  and #2 Without a CD-ROM, I could not use the installation CD that came with this adapter.

If you are using this adapter with a Windows Vista, Windows 7 or Windows 8 computer, as soon as you plug it in, the computer will automatically recognize it and install the appropriate drivers – as these versions of Windows come pre-loaded with a large array of generic drivers to work with adapters that have pre-loaded USB disseminated firmware.  

I went to Belkin’s website and it took me all of 2 minutes to locate the N-150 and download the 11MB firmware file I needed to make this adapter work on Windows XP. No call to Belkin support was required. The Belkin website offers downloadable firmware for all of its products.  I downloaded the firmware onto a usb stick and then transported it to this Windows XP computer. It installed without incident and the router began to work immediately after its recognition.

When you purchase a wireless adapter, it makes sense to purchase the fastest protocol you can. The days of “Wireless-G” are over and all new routers are designed to work on the “Wireless-N” protocol.  Wireless-G has a maximum bitrate of 54 Megabits per second while Wireless-N offers up to 600 Megabits per second.  The range of operation is also increased by  about 30 meters in Wireless-N allowing you to operate further from the router you get your internet from.   This gives a stronger, more reliable signal in most cases.  Since Wireless-N is backwards compatible  with standards A,B and G, you’ll definitely want to get Wireless-N until higher speed standards such as “Wireless –AC” become the norm (offering data speeds up to 867 Mbps.


OVERALL

 
I needed a simple solution to add wireless to a computer. I called up Best Buy and asked for the cheapest adapter they had. The N-150 retailed for less than $30 so I went with it. I love Belkin Products because I know that many years from now, I’ll still be able to download firmware for their devices if I ever lost the disk – or was unable to use it (as I wasn’t in this case).

If there is one thing I could complain about, it is the physical size of the case. The computer I was using had USB ports closely packed and this adapter measures  5.2 x 1.5 x 5.2 inches.  It’s about twice the size of a stick of gum and its bulk forced me to change the position of several other USB devices to accommodate it.  

I have purchased adapters in the past which offered tilting USB dongles to help you position them in case there wasn’t enough space in your USB hub. This adapter only came with a dust cap. That dust cap must be kept in the box or you’ll probably lose it. too bad they didn’t have a cap string to prevent that.

I have not experienced any unexpected disconnects or software glitches. I thoroughly recommend this adapter if you are under a budget and need to upgrade a laptop or PC tower.

Recommended: Yes