Belkin responds to router-advertisement controversy [sp]

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

Belkin Responds to Customers’ Concerns Regarding Routers

Belkin offers firmware upgrade to eliminate browser redirect from all its 
routers


(Compton, CA) – November 10, 2003 – In response to a Usenet group posting 
stating that Belkin spams its customers through its routers, Belkin 
Corporation apologizes for the concern this has caused and is taking action 
to address the issue. To allay customers’ worries, Belkin will offer a 
firmware upgrade that will be available via download from its website 
(www.belkin.com) on November 17, 2003. This upgrade will rid the redirect 
completely so that no additional browser windows will appear during the 
router’s installation process.

Belkin acknowledges that the Parental Control sign-up window could be 
construed as spam and wants to reassure the public that it has never been 
Belkin policy to intentionally spam its customers.

“In our efforts to make home networking easier and less intimidating, we 
unintentionally overlooked the effect that this Parental Control sign-up 
issue would have,” states Eric Tong, Director of Marketing & Product 
Management.  “We never intended to compromise the trust of our customers 
nor has it ever been our policy to deliberately spam our customers.”

The Parental Control sign-up option currently in question appears during 
the router installation process. When the user clicks “No” to decline the 
feature, the option never appears again. However, if the user clicks the 
“X” to close the window without answering “Yes” or “No” to the option, the 
sign-up will periodically continue to reappear. With the new firmware 
upgrade, the Parental Control sign-

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Belkin Response – p. 2


up feature will not appear as a separate browser window. The Parental 
Control feature itself will not be eliminated from the Router completely; 
rather, the way in which the sign-up process is presented will be removed.

Belkin has recently focused its efforts to create a user-friendly 
networking experience by offering features such as Easy-Install software, 
simple user manuals, and dedicated 24/7 networking technical support line. 
Parental Control content filtering is designed to help parents monitor what 
their children view on the Internet and block them from viewing 
objectionable websites.

Belkin has been offering the Parental Control feature on its Routers since 
February 2003. To date, the company has sold tens of thousands of units and 
had not received any complaints from consumers about the browser redirect 
until last week.


Belkin Corporation, the global leader in connectivity solutions, offers a 
range of innovations for the computer, electronics, and mobile consumer. 
With a diverse and far-reaching product mix consisting of home and 
enterprise networking, KVM (keyboard/video/mouse) and peripheral sharing, 
power protection and cabling, as well as USB and FireWire devices, Belkin 
extends its reach also to Bluetooth™, cellular, PDA, iPod, and other 
solutions for mobile computing. Belkin products are available through 
www.belkin.com as well as through a network of major distributors, 
resellers, and superstores.

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