If you try to access a blocked Web site, this message pops up

The Belkin router comes with a six-month free trial for its parental-control Web-content-filtering service, which will appeal to families. (After the trial ends, the basic service costs about $25 per year.) Based on software developed by a company called Cerberian, the filtering service lets you easily shield youngsters from inappropriate Web material without installing additional software on each networked computer. How does that work? The router sends every Web page request to Belkin's database of 2.5 million approved family-oriented sites. If the material fails to pass muster, a warning screen pops up, and the user is denied access to the site. If the site isn't on Belkin's list, it triggers an automatic appraisal process, which takes several seconds to complete.The filter generally worked well in day-to-day use and blocked some disturbing material, although if Belkin's server is down, you're out of luck. A software update that will be available in the coming months will solve this problem by storing the list directly on your PC. Like all filtering software, however, it also blocks innocuous sites, such as one for breast cancer research and another on anatomy. Of course, you can also override the warning and create your own policies. For a one-time fee of $10, you can upgrade the service to keep a list of all sites visited from your network.Overall, the Belkin 54g wireless cable/DSL gateway router was a top performer among early 802.11g products both in g-only and mixed (802.11b and 802.11g) environments. It also exhibited excellent range on our tests.The Belkin 54g delivered 19.1Mbps of throughput in 802.11g mode on CNET Labs' tests. That's about 20 percent faster than the Linksys WRT54G Wireless-G broadband router, but it's only marginally faster than the Apple AirPort Extreme. When we moved 5 feet away from the router, however, the Belkin 54g occasionally demonstrated inconsistent behavior, and its throughput dropped off dramatically. At 25 feet, its speed fell to 12.5Mbps, slower than both the Linksys and the Apple. At 75 feet, however, it regained its advantage over its competitors with an impressive 7.1Mpbs of throughput.In mixed-mode tests using 802.11b clients, the router scored a top speed of 7.7Mbps, faster than its two peers. It also managed to maintain its lead at distances of up to 75 feet. The Belkin 54g worked flawlessly with two 802.11g PC Cards from other vendors and connected without incident to five different 802.11b radios.For practical throughput tests, CNET Labs uses NetIQ's Chariot 4.3 software with Chariot 4.4 Endpoints as its benchmark. For wireless testing, the clients and routers are set up to transmit at various distances from the access point and to automatically select the best transmit speed. All tests are run with Chariot software using TCP and are run in our CNET offices over channel 11. Our tests indicate the range that you can expect in a typical office environment, but the range in your own home or office may differ. You may be able to achieve better performance in situations where you can establish a clear line of sight. For more details on how we test networking devices.With its limited lifetime warranty and toll-free, 24/7 phone support, Belkin puts other companies to shame. The included 96-page manual offers good setup instructions, with a troubleshooting section and some information on getting the router to work with Macintosh computers. However, if you need additional help, the Belkin Web site offers only the very basics. For example, you'll find firmware updates and manuals but no searchable knowledge base, setup tips, or online chat rooms. The company says that it plans to revamp its support site, but it could offer no firm launch date.