Networking Reviews

As described in the manual, without the power supply, only ports 1 and 2 are active. With the power supply, though, none of the ports are active until I power it up and down a few times. Belkin has some quality control issues!

This hub functioned well [on my XP system] for about 3 weeks, before unexpectedly reporting a a Device failed to start 'Code 10' error, following a system reboot. I went through the XP the troubleshooting work-flow, but had no success at re-animating the beast. My recommendation would be to forego the economy, and spend a little more of your hard earned cash on something better. Fortunately, I was able to return my dead hub and receive a full refund.

This has a known problem if your system is Windows XP. It may work for one day and then stop working. Will get an error that says 'Device cannot start. Code 10'. Belkin will replace it without asking very many questions. If I could give this zero stars, that's what I would give it. Don't buy this.

amazons review says it has connecters but it dosnt!!!

Connecting two ethernet wires is a pain. The wire itself contains 8 small color coded wires inside that must be connected indivudaly to the corresponding color on the other wire. These wires can't be soddered because the signal requires metal to metal contact, it won't work with lead sodder. Steady hands and loads of patience are required

factor in the $75 you'll need to spend for tools to crimp on your connectors (not included) and this is a very bad buy. Hey Amazon, you need to make clear that this is BULK CABLE and not a finished product!

i will be returning this to circuit city, the description states this has gold plated connectors, well there are NO connectos here! this is nothing more than a bulk run of cat 5 cable. STUPID AMAZON! thanks for the waste of time!

I've asked amazon to delete this review, it referred to an issue that does not apply to this hub.

This hub is possibly the worst USB hub I have ever used- it loses connection when placed vertically as well as the fact that it seems to work completely sporadically. I definitely would discourage any would-be buyers from this item. Strangely, all the other Belkin equipment I use works swimmingly- perhaps this is simply an anomaly in their lineup.

When I received this 7 port hub, I had high hopes. It looks nice, has 5 ports in the back and two convenient ports on top. But it has two very odd weaknesses.

First, when you plug it in, a red power light comes on and all 7 port lights are lit. What good are the port lights if they are lit even when no device is plugged into that port?

The other odd behavior is that devices that are plugged into the hub are powered on even if the host's USB port is not powered up (i.e. the computer is off). In fact, the devices are always powered on even if the hub is not even connected to the host. My computer is off, but my USB illuminated keyboard is still illuminated, my USB microphone's power light is on, my USB wireless network's power light is on, etc.

The behavior of these two issues seemed so odd (lights always on, devices always powered) that I assumed it was due to a defective part. So I called Belkin's technical support. The guy who answered was very rude and impatient. He basically stated "that is how the hub works". When I asked him if he could show me where this odd behavior is documented, he told me "it is not documented, but that is how it works and if you don't like it, return it and get another brand of hub". Not a bad recommendation.

The AXIS OFFICEBASIC PRINT SVR USB ( 0171-004 )is accompanied by completely inadequate, obtusely written installation instructions. There is no telephone based customer service (perhaps that is a blessing) and my well constructed questions sent by e-mail were answered so incompletely as to render them unanswered. Their response was exactly as if they did not fully comprehend English syntax (DUH!). I hold a Ph.D. (and thus can be assumed to have at least average intelligence) and have considerable experience constructing, using and servicing computers and LANs, however, I was completely defeated in my efforts to connect the AXIS print server to my network; the documentation and customer service helped not at all. Shame on Amazon.com for selling this product to persons who are not I.T. engineers.

By the way, when you return this product because it did not meet minimal expectations for usablity, you will pay the return postage.

This might actually be a decent product if you have the right printer. After 5 days of working with Axis' tech support, they declared it would not function with an Epson C84 (purchased new in 2004). There is no comprehensive list of which printers work and do not work; it's whether or not you feel lucky. Most importantly, Axis/Tech Depot will not accept returns on this product for any reason whatsoever, so you are stuck with it. Watch for mine on an online auction shortly. Be sure to PHONE Axis Tech Support as their email-based support is slow, usually a cryptic sentence fragment, and loaded with typos.

This card is awful. I have a 3 megabit cable connection, however when using this card, I can only download files at about 20 kilobytes/second as opposed to 300+ on my other cards.

I would highly recommend against purchasing this card. I have a wireless network with several clients and the machine with this card gives me the most grief. I have 2 problems with this card. I always randomly get disconnected and then the connection immediately comes back. Also the driver for this card has a pretty bad memory leak. I've spoke with tech support about 3 months ago and the issue has still not been resolved.

although the box says works with Windows98, mine has a problem ... win98 can't recognize the driver in the installation CD which is also the latest version at the trendware website.
(note that maybe the product requires win98SE, but the package doesn't say so) I've posted a request for support at their message board and have not heard back within 24 hours. good price but isn't worth the aggravation so far. will update this if I get it working.

Device is crappy. Cannot pick up any signal unless hub is practically next to it. Even then, the signal strength and link quality are irratic at best. Customer support for the device is nearly useless. In summation, the equipment is just a a hair above a mere child's toy -- nonfunctional and breaks down at the slightest movement. A must-not buy!

Watch out for this card. It does not have any Windows 9x drivers included, nor does it have drivers for any other OS. Microsoft, Microsoft, Microsoft... must have been some handshaking going on at the session layer when this card was made!

I bought this for my notebook because I needed USB2 and figured why not spend an extra few dollars and have "dongle free" IEEE/Firewire as well. I have used Adaptec products in the past and never had a significant problem, so I bought this unit even though it is twice the cost of other products with the same functionality. My primary purpose for this CardBus is for connecting my Dell Notebook with my Canon LiDE 30 Scanner - which does not plug into an outlet but instead gets all of its power from the USB (think about it - the perfect combination for people with mobile offices and notebook computers). Well, there is not enough power coming from this CardBus to power the scanner (which is understandable). Fortunately (NOT!) there is a place to plug in a power adapter to boost the power coming from the CardBus - but NO ADAPTER comes packaged with this overpriced product.

According to the User Manual, if you want a power adapter go pick one up: "UL-approved power supply rated at 12 Volts and capable of 2.1 Amps, with connector size 3.5 mm outside / 1.3 mm inside diameter, 8 mm length." GOOD LUCK - Adaptec doesn't sell it, Radio Shack laughed at me ("too big for us to carry") and I cannot locate one on the internet (I did try, but I am not an electrical engineer). I tried contacting Adaptec Tech Support, but they have not responded so far (I even told them I would take the adapter that Quality Assurance used to test the CardBus!). So - if you are thinking about this product maybe you should consider the alternative Siig product - half the price and includes an adapter!
----- UPDATE -----
Since writing my review I have spoken with Adaptec Tech Support, and they admit that an issue exists in regard to the power adapter. They are continuing to research the availability of such a power adapter, but have yet to find one available for purchase on the market (Jun-17-2003). They have also agreed to refund my purchase price due to the design defects. Before I spend more money and get frustration in return, I will do some substantial research into the Siig CardBus (JU-NPC012) and OrangeMicro's OrangeCombo CardBus (70USB90040).

One thing that I did not mention above: I am not very knowledgeable when it comes to electricity, but what I have discovered is that if you use a power adapter with amperage less than recommended, the device can become hot - to the point of melting and potentially catching on fire. That is why having the appropriate power adapter is so important.

Although this hub is advertised as being Macintosh compatible, it failed to deliver sufficient power to attached USB devices, including Apple's own keyboard and optical mouse. Even with the hub's external power supply connected, it was unable to provide the power needed to use the Mac's input devices.

The folks at [Amazon.com] have neglected to point this out, but the unit they're selling is a refurb. As such, it's not eligible for the rebate Asante is offering right now, which makes this limited-warranty refurb a bad deal compated with the brand new 1004 model that replaced it (after the rebate.)