Aesthetic:
With sharp, sleek lines, the N1 goes beyond the bland design of some competitors. The high matte black is particularly eye catching.

Set up:
Setting up the N1 Vision is a breeze. The instructions are well outlined; simply plug the N1 into a phone line and AC into the wall, then connect the modem to the Ethernet/network port on the back of your computer via the supplied RJ11 cable. Then you’re ready to setup your wireless connection, which only takes a short moment.



Performance and Use:
The N1 vision wireless modem-router is intended for use on ADSL or ADSL2/2+ services in Australia. It works on the 802.11b/g standard wireless protocol and is compliant with 802.11n 2.0 in draft spec.

The N1 is the type of modem that goes for better specs without the flaky claims that ‘certain other’ manufacturers hide behind.

Up to four computers can share via the LAN ports and 16 computers can share via the WLAN. Each Lan port is good for 10/100/1000 networks (that’s up to a GB of data), with handy auto sensing and switching technologies incorporated into the unit.

What also makes the N1 vision special, apart from its blinding wireless speed is its excellent display. If you haven’t experienced a modem with display capabilities, then you’re definitely in for a pleasant surprise.

Having the display on your modem is quite convenient and you can toggle through a range of features from seven main home screens including; speed, connections, password access and the ability to pull up download/upload graphs.

We found it easy to change between settings without too much effort, although the buttons are perhaps a little too sleek and soft to the touch. Press harder and you’ll get there.



The need for speed
Belkin says that in optimal wireless conditions, the modem can race off to around 150Mbps, though in our real world testing conditions, expect around 60- 100Mbps – and Belkin seem to agree with this number. But hey, that’s still a great deal faster than most of the competition.

The N1 is particularly unique in that has the ability to use a greater number of wireless channels and it’s this very function that will do its best to optimise your wireless connection. This means giving you greater wireless coverage in hard to connect areas whether it may be a large home and backyard or an area where multiple wireless networks are competing for space.

Three antennas on the N1 can be adjusted by rotating them to different angles to improve performance and that seemed to help the signal when we tested it. Because the N1 can transfer such a large amount of data, it’s perfectly suited towards HD applications.

If you’re thinking about installing that long wished-for media centre, the N1 could prove to be the perfect partner for sending data across your network quickly and seamlessly.

Overall
The Belkin N1 Vision is an excellent modem router that is using one of the best wireless protocols currently on the market. If you’re thinking of sending HD films around a home network or you’re dedicated to gaming, you’ll be hard pressed to pass up the N1. But, if you just want the best coverage for your dollar; the N1 remains good value.