Brief evaluation
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This surge protector allows for up to 8 devices, including 4 'wide' DC adapters to be plugged in. It will protect them against power surges and, in addition, it can protect one phone line (RJ-11) and one coax wire if they are connected to pass through the Belkin surge protector.
My personal experience does validate the claims the manufacturer makes for the features that I am using and I can verify at this time. So far, I am happy and, in my opinion and based on its meeting real needs, good design, features and low price I recommend it as (in my view) one of the better it its class.
Soon after purchasing this unit I learned that for very little extra I could get and, in fact, I purchased the Belkin 12-Outlet Home/Office Surge Protector with Phone/Ethernet/Coaxial Protection and Extended Cord which has 4 extra outlets and comes with a true RJ-45 Ethernet support.
More details
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The following are noteworthy, in my view.
Positives:
+ TRUE 8-outlet capacity. Unlike the traditional surge-protected power strips where one beefy AC adapter would cover 2 slots, Belkin's device truly accommodates 4 AC adapters and allows for 4 more plugs to fit in.
+ 'Protected' green light (must be on) provides assurance that the surge protector is operational. When the green light stays off it usually means that the surge protector 'expired' while protecting your device from a power surge and it must be replaced ASAP. [The Belkin warranty promises a free replacement under its warranty terms if you meet the requirements and, it seems, you pay for shipping the damaged unit to Belkin and, possibly, the new unit to you. That's likely to add up to the price of buying a new unit from Amazon and, if you factor in the hassle, probably not worth it.]
+ 'Not grounded' red light (must be off) will warn you when there's something wrong. Belkin's warranty won't apply if the light was on when your devices got fried. I don't know if for a fact but I assume they have a way of telling if that was the case.
+ 10 ft. long chord. This is very important to me and it was one of the criteria that had to be met when I ordered this item.
+ 90 degree plug allows you to easily plug it into a busy 4-plugs wall outlet.
+ Clip for cable management. I find it useful.
+ Thin (one inch) and flat shape. Stands well on a table or on the floor.
+ Telephone and coax cable pass through for surge protection. I don't use these but I'm surprised that something this inexpensive has them.
[NOTE: The 'phone' jacks are RJ-11 (phone), not RJ-45 (Ethernet). I heard of installations where RJ-11 connectors are used for Ethernet but that is not the norm.]
Negatives:
- Other than encouraging the unrealistic expectation that Belkin would pay you big $$$ on connected equipment warranty, I can't think of anything bad.
Warranty
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On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is a worthless warranty and 10 is one that's unbelievably generous, Belkin's should be somewhere around 2 or 3 - 95% of all warranties on devices this cheap are likely to be a 1.
They do promise to replace the item if it sacrifices itself while protecting your devices for as long as you can prove that you didn't do anything stupid, you have a purchase receipt and you ship the damaged item to Belkin at your own expense. It's not clear if they will charge you for shipping you back a new item. This may or may not be something worth pursuing. My impression is that you are not going to save a lot of money to get a 'free' replacement from Belkin and you are likely to waste a lot of time in the process. I'd probably buy myself a new one if the one I have now stopped working but it's good to know that they do have a 'lifetime' warranty. By 'lifetime' they mean the natural life of the product but 'natural life' is not precisely defined.
As far as being reimbursed for damage to devices that this surge protector was expected to protect, my impression is that you are not likely to get much if anything unless you can afford a lawyer and you are willing to sue. You have to meet a long series of requirements that are expressed in several paragraphs of techno-legalese.
Rating
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I will have to repeat myself stating that, in my view, this is one of the better surge protectors in its class. It loses one star for the 'Ethernet' confusion. I could have and maybe I should have removed one more star from the over-hyped warranty statement printed on the box but... as sad as it is, everybody does it and Belkin's warranty is better than most so, I am awarding 4 stars on an item that inexpensively addressed real issues I had with protecting several devices clustered in a corner of my basement.
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Disclaimer:
I would call myself the opposite of a Belkin shill. After reading the news stories concerning some Belkin employees' attempts at promoting their wares at this site via employee-written reviews and other unethical practices I tended to stay away from the Belkin brand. In this instance, the price and the promised features were hard to resist and, to my surprise, I am very happy with my purchase. Belkin 8 Outlet Home/Office Surge Protector with Phone/Coaxial Protection and Extended Cord - Belkin - Surge Protectors - Power Strip - Surge Protection'
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