Cisco-Linksys EtherFast Cable/DSL Router with 4-Port 10/100 Switch
by Linksys
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Our Price: $78.99 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $9.94 (click here) Category: CE See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Cisco-Linksys EtherFast Cable/DSL Router with 4-Port 10/100 Switch
Customer Review: Great ... once you can get it hooked up right
Summary: 4 Stars
First off, I have to admit that I'm an intermediate (at best) user. Far from a newbie (I started back in the pre-DOS days with a Kaypro!) but I have been left in the dust in recent years.
I have been using an older version of this same model router for 7+ years and found it incapable of handling my ISP's hi-speeds. I was clocking only up to about 5-8 Mbps download (my ISP supposed to deliver up to 20 Mbps).
The good news is that once I managed to get this new version up and running (about 2 hours and 3 phone calls), it was fantastic. I'm getting 16-18 Mbps over most test servers.
The bad news is that it wasn't as simple to install it as I'd hoped. First, I connected everything EXACTLY as the Wizard instructed. When it came to configure my router, it said it could not detect a router. I tried again. It said it could not configure the router. I tried again and again. I called my ISP to make sure the internet type, etc., was correct.
Then I called Linksys and got their call center in the Phillipines. The first customer service person I called was very friendly but told me I'd need to connect directly to the modem so I could configure the router manually. Since I was having a bit of trouble doing that, I got a case number and told her I'd call tech support back.
I managed to get online by bypassing the router altogether and called Linksys back. I got a guy whose accent was so thick I had trouble understanding him. He was rude and impatient. He told me the advice the first person gave was wrong -- that I had to be connected to the router in order to manually change its settings (which is, I have to admit, the correct info).
When I had a little delay in reconnecting the cables (with him waiting impatiently on the line), he asked me how many cables I had. I told him I had a cable from the computer to the router and one from the router to the modem. He asked again, with clear impatience in his voice, how many cables I had. I repeated my answer. Then he said it would be best is they did a remote hookup to make the changes to my computer. I do not feel comfortable with that but, reluctantly agreed. Then he told me they'd be an extra charge for the service.
I said NO, that I needed him to help me install the router. Well, I'm not saying he hung up on me, but the line went dead at that point. Coincidence? Perhaps.
Anyway, I kept fiddling around, using different cables (NOT the one that came with the router) and giving my cable modem time to reset itself (that may have been the key, I don't know).
Suddenly, everything was working!!!! I'm so happy with the performance that I'm like a new mother who immediately forgets the pain of childbirth. I have a healthy 16 Mbps connection and can easily dismiss the labor pains.
So, bottom line is that the router itself is excellent but the documentation and customer service stink.
Customer Review: Great product, can save you money.
Summary: 5 Stars
Though my review below is specifically for the single port system, the only reason, I did not go to the 4-port system is that we have 5 computers that needed to be on it. If you only need 4 this is the way to go, then you have a $20 hub eliminated. According to the computer guy that sold it to me the only difference between the 1 and 4 port systems, is just that.I bought the DSL Router on the suggestion of the local computer company that sold me my computers. I know nothing about networks. I was told by the local cable internet provider that I could only support 3 computers simultaneously on my cable line at one time. If I wanted 5 computers hooked up simultaneously and I did, I needed to pay for 2 separate cable lines plus 3 additional IP addresses. This is because they said they could only support 3 computers per line. This would be about $95 per month.
The local computer company guys told me I could use this DSL router to create my own IP addresses. All I needed was a hub that would support all 5 computers and a network card in each computer. I would need the hub and the network cards anyway for the cable connection, so this only cost me about $100 more to reduce my cable cost from $95/month to $40/month. This is a $55/month saving. On top of that I have a hard firewall and it is 100% legit. This I checked out.
As my family is hard core gamers (Everquest mostly) and my daughter and I surf the net, it is not unusual for us to have all 5 computers on at once. We have not noticed any degradation in our connection. Three of the computers are on Everquest most of the time.
As for hooking it up, I found the instructions to be a bit sparse, but complete (in retrospect) for what I was trying to do. I routed my cable connector directly to the DSL box and then the DSL box to the hub and the hub to the individual computers. Routing to the individual computers was the hard part. This was only because of the location of the computers and the fact I live in a center-split house.
When it was time to enable it, I did need help. However, I called the local computer company that sold it to me, for assistance. I can't speak for Linksys support. But, the things I had to change were pretty easy. If you try and change the input port location on the hub and corresponding switch orientation on the DSL router you should be able to get it right, by process of elimination. There are only 2 of each. This is really all I had to do to resolve the problem I had.
For usage, since we have had it up and running for about 1-1/2 months now, we ocassionally crash it. I wish I could say why, but I think it is due to a loose connection. In this case we turn off all the computers and reboot the DSL box, by turning off power to it. It has fixed it every time. The reset does not seem to fix this problem. If I was more knowledgible, I could tell you why.
I can't speak for the firewall, as I have no clue how it works.
All in all, this was a very good investment.
Customer Review: Linksys gets it right
Summary: 5 Stars
There are several things that I really like about this device.1) It actually works.
2) There are lots of lights on the front to tell you what's going on at a glance.
3) Good documentation.
4) The case is designed for stacking. Stacked units are stable, and have enough space around them for good air flow to keep the devices cool.
5) All the wires plug into one side of the device. This makes it much easier to hide the ugly wires and position the Linksys on your desk without taking up more space than necessary.
6) Web based configuration is intuitive and easy to use.
If you are looking to distribute your cable/dsl connection to multiple computers, please save yourself a great deal of grief and buy a Linksys, NOT a DLink.
DLink makes a similar device, called a DI-704. They have major quality assurance problems. I bought two, one in Pittsburgh, PA, and one in Charleston, SC. Both were flaky. They would work for a while, then just die. See my review of the DI-704 for more details. So far, the Linksys unit is working flawlessly.
The DI-704 also has terrible documentation. Just a few pages of poorly translated text. I had to go to their web page to get enough information to make the thing work at all. The Linksys comes with a manual that tells you everything you need to know, including how to get certain popular multiplayer games to work without having to drop firewall protection altogether. It even includes an appendix that shows you how to wire your own RJ-45 straight-thru and cross-over connectors, complete with diagrams!
The DLink provides very little information via the lights on the front. The lights indicate whether or not a computer is connected to the port, period. The Linksys unit tells you that a computer is connected, whether or not it's running in full or half duplex mode, whether it's operating in 10Mbps or 100Mbps mode, and it also reports collisions, all with a few lights on the front of the unit. Sweet!
The DLink case is pretty boring; it's just rectangular. Stacking them gets unstable fast, and blocks the ventilation holes. It also takes the WAN connection on one side, and the LAN connections on the other side, making it hard to position it on a desk so that the wires are not in the way, and making it completely impossible to hide the wires. The Linksys has none of these problems.
Both the Linksys and the DLink have good web-based configuration mechanisms, however the Linksys one is superior. It is easier to use, and the status page refreshes itself periodically; with the DLink you have to manually refresh the status page.
Given the tremendous differences between these two cable/dsl router/gateway devices, it's just amazing to me that they cost almost exactly the same amount. There's simply no comparison; get the Linksys and keep your hair.
Customer Review: Linksys BEFsr41 v4
Summary: 2 Stars
I picked up this wired router a awhile back and after about 6 months of putting up with its crap I ditched it for a Netgear, which has preformed flawlessly under the same conditions for the last 6 months.
The Good: The hardware itself preformed admirably under MOST conditions; throughput was good and reliable, internet speeds remained high even with large amounts of traffic over the LAN, setup was very easy and the kit came with everything you would need to connect it to a computer (no skimping out on the Cat-5 cable like some companies do).
The Bad: The firmware is garbage, as a result this modem can not handle bittorrent traffic, multi-party video chat or any other kind of traffic that requires sending/receiving data from many different outside connections. It goes into a reboot cycle every time. I asked all over the Linksys web site and talked to forum users and costumer service people alike, the final answer I got was that its related to the router firmware and until Linksys fixes it its gonna stay broke. I did all the standard hoodoo garbage they recommend, tinkering with countless settings inside the firmware, holding the reset button and cycling power, cycling power multiple times after updating the firmware, rolling back to older revisions, etc. I did everything short of building a shrine and sacrificing a chicken. So unless Linksys has fixed the firmware since I washed my hands of this dog I wouldn't risk your money on it.
The Ugly: While not a real "problem" the case of this router is overly large, flimsy, and ugly looking. It has a slightly domed top with 4 insets near the corners so you can stack multiple routers on top of each other using their stubbly little legs, something most people would probably consider useless. The case itself is also very pliable, if you squeeze the top and bottom a bit the case starts to pop off. Plus there are little nooks and crannies all over to catch and show off dust. Coupled with its patented "doesn't match anything" two tone blue and black color scheme and cheese grader vent holes covering large areas of both its top and bottom it is not a fun piece of hardware to look at.
To summarize its faults: Its ugly, a pain to clean, larger than it needs to be, flimsy, poorly supported and doesn't work for half the stuff I need it to do. The only reason it gets 2 stars is because it was cheap and the hardware itself is solid. I've used Linksys products in the past and they used to be good quality for the money, now they are crippled by poor software. Clean that up and get a styling team that didn't flunk out of design school and they could easily be making 4 star products again.
Customer Review: Disappointed
Summary: 1 Stars
I am a professional programmer, I spend my days writing code and watching it run on the network or on the web and I have spent a lot of time trouble shooting application problems. I thought at the very least this would only take me an hour or so. So,I went to the expense of having my home wired with Cat 5 cable and was surfing the net, using a WebRamp router to connect our 3 PCs, a printer and use 1 ISP account using a built in 56k modem(on the WebRamp router). I was watching the price of DSL come down and decided to splurge and order a Linksys DSL router(BEFSR41) and call our local Phone company to start the journey to DSL.I did some searching online and found the best deal for the Linksys router at Amazon. This was $30.00 cheaper than any place I found.
I setup the appointment with the Phone company and took the day off so I could configure the router and get my high speed DSL hook up working. When the day finally arrived for the installation of the DSL line(the Phone company guys arrived at 10:00am). The Phone company showed up and did their testing of the line and hooked up the DSL model. I pluged in the Linksys router and it powered up. But I could not get it out of diagnostic mode. I called Linksys Support line, after 15 minutes of listening to Music I finally talked to "Person" who informed me that he would document my problem and someone would call me back in 2-3 hours. I told him that I needed help now and told him the problem, he consulted with another Support person and told me the problem was the a bad circuit board. I should return this one and get a new one. Well the phone company was done and I had 1 PC that could recieve email and surf the net. Not a good situation. So I sent the router back to Amazon and went to Best Buy to get another Linksys router... This one did connect but I spent another hour with Linksys Tech support, we could not get it to recognize the DHCP server. The Tech Support person had me download a firmware patch. (I did not mention that I had to disconnect and reconnect the router, fix my DSL hookup - another story). Once I got the firmware patch, I reconnected my router and and powered up the 1st PC. Finally I got the correct network settings, subnet mask, DHCP router settings, etc. It only took 10 minutes to get the first PC out on the internet. It took me about another 15 minutes to connect the next 2 PCs.
I started around 10:00 am on a Friday and finised up with all the PCs around 7:30 that night.
I have to admit that I would never go back to a 56k modem again. But... be ready to spend some time working around problems.