Belkin Wireless is Crap, Apparently

  • Thread starter Thread starter Grinder
  • Start date Start date
Grinder said:
| If you purchased a Belkin wireless product, you could
| get a full refund or 50% promotional discount from a
| class action settlement.

http://www.belkin.com/class_notice/classnotice.asp
Click to expand...


Same stupidity could be applied against every analog data modem every
manufactured. 56Kbps modems can only get up to 53Kbps because of a FCC
restriction but those modems still say 56Kbps (because you can get that
on a private telephone setup). But you probably won't get 53Kbps
because of phone line conditions (wire length from trunk station,
resistance of twist connections and splices, internal PBX or phone
systems in apartment buildings, or other physical factors). Yet the box
doesn't give an average of real-world values but instead the maximum the
analog modem is designed to support.

I have to wonder if the idiots think that an 11Mbps or 54Mbps or
whatever rate device is really going to magically force their 1 to 6Mbps
service from the ISP go up to 11Mbps or higher. The cable modem might
have an 100Mbps connection to an intranetwork but that won't make a
6Mbps ISP service change magically to a 100Mbps service.

I read the class action and settlement web pages. Neither describes
just exactly what specific complaints are made to support the statement
"consumers who purchased these Wireless Products suffered injury because
they did not receive the advertised speed and transmission rates or
connectivity range(s)."

So when will the class action suit show up against LCD monitor makers
who advertise 2ms (or any other rate) but which is from grey to grey
instead of from black to white transition? Or the hard drive makers
that publish a noise level in decibels but omit the frequency of that
noise (since hearing is non-linear so some frequencies will seem louder
than others but are actually at the same amplitude)? Or against
television ad producers that use chopping of amplitude but increase
density to make their commercials much louder? Or the packaging sadists
that make it impossible to open their package without scissors which has
resulted in an increased number of dental injuries trying to gnaw the
package open? Or every pen maker for the damage caused by leaking ink?
Or HP for measuring the expiration date for warranty on an inkjet
cartridge from when it was manufactured rather than from when the
consumer actually bought it? Or for gas pumps that aren't compensated
for thermal expansion and price in tenths of a cent but charge at whole
pennies?
 
Grinder said:
| If you purchased a Belkin wireless product, you could
| get a full refund or 50% promotional discount from a
| class action settlement.

http://www.belkin.com/class_notice/classnotice.asp
Click to expand...

For the record, I use Belkin wireless products both at work and home and
have been very happy with them. Whilst its inevitable that some people will
have problems with their products (after all how many must they ship each
day), I regard and will (for now) continue to regard Belkin as producing
reliable products.
 
On Fri, 22 Jun 2007 02:32:22 -0500, "Vanguard"

<snip.
I have to wonder if the idiots think that an 11Mbps or 54Mbps or
whatever rate device is really going to magically force their 1 to 6Mbps
service from the ISP go up to 11Mbps or higher.
Click to expand...

<snip>

Exactly, or as common is someone who seems some distance
claim applicable as line-of-sight in an open area with no
interference then wonders why they can't get full speed
diagonally through 4 walls when it's behind their computer
and they have their microwave and cordless phone running...
and it couldn't be the client end because someone /on the
internet/ said their wifi card works ok in a different
scenario.

I happen to have one of the products covered, think it cost
me about $10 AR a few years back and it's hardly worth the
time to get involved.

Oh wait a minute... come to think of it, my Belkin product
failed due to faulty capacitors... but I replaced them and
it works fine again albeit not as a primary wifi router,
rather it had a nice feature that it defaults to a bridge
mode so it was used in lieu of a client adapter before it
was replaced when the Google checkout discounts around
Christmas last year made everything very inexpensive for a
few weeks.
 
Brian said:
For the record, I use Belkin wireless products both at work and home and
have been very happy with them. Whilst its inevitable that some people will
have problems with their products (after all how many must they ship each
day), I regard and will (for now) continue to regard Belkin as producing
reliable products.
Click to expand...

I have to second Brian's post. Belkin products, including those on the
lists, have performed admirably in my use. Given that I purchased
notebook cards and a wireless router at about half the price of
competing products, I have less than no complaints.

My router/wireless and router/wired connections max out at over 22Mbps
down with Comcast's Powerboost, don't overheat and fail (Linksys), and
don't simply quit from bozo power adapters (Linksys, Netgear).

Q
 
I have to second Brian's post. Belkin products, including those on the
lists, have performed admirably in my use. Given that I purchased
notebook cards and a wireless router at about half the price of
competing products, I have less than no complaints.

My router/wireless and router/wired connections max out at over 22Mbps
down with Comcast's Powerboost, don't overheat and fail (Linksys), and
don't simply quit from bozo power adapters (Linksys, Netgear).

Q
Click to expand...


Power adapters are a commodity item and nobody is immune to
this fault. Using same chipset and drive voltage, they are
also not immune to overheating. Routers are fairly
modularized, picking the chipset and antenna arrangement
then what is left is the casing and firmware. Their
firmware isn't as good as some and the case is really poor.

In the end it may not matter though, as you only have to
have a product do what you ask of it and continue doing so.
I just can't find anything about most Belkin products that
is exceptional and some things are worse than average.
 
kony said:
Power adapters are a commodity item and nobody is immune to
this fault. Using same chipset and drive voltage, they are
also not immune to overheating. Routers are fairly
modularized, picking the chipset and antenna arrangement
then what is left is the casing and firmware. Their
firmware isn't as good as some and the case is really poor.

In the end it may not matter though, as you only have to
have a product do what you ask of it and continue doing so.
I just can't find anything about most Belkin products that
is exceptional and some things are worse than average.
Click to expand...

I will not defend your defense of the indefensible. Poorly engineered
power supplies and products are the bane of consumers and the big three
in networking (Linksys, Dlink, Netgear) have been the worst
perpetrators, IMO. You do no one any good by attempting to justify poor
products.

Of course, Belkin has had their problems, as have the others. While
Belkin might simply rebrand, their products in my use have, and continue
to have, performance equivalent to what they advertise. The big three,
though, owe me at least an apology, if not cold, hard, cash.

Q
 
I will not defend your defense of the indefensible. Poorly engineered
power supplies and products are the bane of consumers and the big three
in networking (Linksys, Dlink, Netgear) have been the worst
perpetrators, IMO. You do no one any good by attempting to justify poor
products.
Click to expand...

Their adapters are about the same as anyone else's. The
only reason it might "seem" they have a higher failure rate
is that they also sell more units.

I agree, it does no good to pretend Belkin are better, even
average, compared to the major brands.
Of course, Belkin has had their problems, as have the others. While
Belkin might simply rebrand, their products in my use have, and continue
to have, performance equivalent to what they advertise. The big three,
though, owe me at least an apology, if not cold, hard, cash.
Click to expand...


Actually many people feel their 802.11g products are slow,
but the 11b were better. IMO, it has more to do with the
'site, antenna positioning, and antenna quality, but
nevertheless some have replaced their Belkin products (not
to single them out, other brands being replaced as well) to
remedy the problems with another brand.
 
Back
Top