The Linksys Instant Broadband™ EtherFast®Cable/DSL Firewall Router with 4-Port Switch/VPN Endpoint is the perfect solution for connecting a small group of PCs to a high-speed broadband Internet connection or a 10/100 Ethernet backbone.
The Router can be configured to limit internal users’ Internet access based on URLs and/or time periodsURL filtering and time filtering.
For enhanced protection against intruders from the Internet, the Router features an advanced Stateful Packet Inspection firewall.
Use the Cable/DSL Firewall Router with 4-Port Switch/VPN Endpoint to create IPSec VPN tunnels, so you can securely connect to the corporate server from your home officeor any location when you’re on the road.
The Router provides a dedicated port for DMZ hosting and acts as the only externally recognized Internet gateway on your local area network (LAN).
With the performance and security features of the Cable/DSL Firewall Router with 4-Port Switch/VPN Endpoint, your network will take advantage of the Internet while keeping its data secure.
- Protects PCs from Ping of Death, SYN Flood, Land Attacks, IP Spoofing, and Other DoS (Denial of Service) Attacks
- Supports Up to Two IPSec Virtual Private Network (VPN)Tunnels
- Supports URL Filtering and Time Filtering
- Blocks Java, ActiveX, and Cookies
- Easily Configurable through a Web Browser from Any Networked PC
The Linksys Instant Broadband EtherFast cable/DSL firewall router with 4-port switch/VPN endpoint is the perfect solution for connecting a small group of PCs to a high-speed broadband Internet connection or a 10/100 Ethernet backbone. The router can be configured to limit internal users' Internet access based on URLs and/or time periods (URL filtering and time filtering). For enhanced protection against intruders from the Internet, the router features an advanced SPI firewall.
Use the cable/DSL firewall router with 4-port switch/VPN endpoint to create IPSec VPN tunnels, so you can securely connect to the corporate server from your home office--or from any location, when you're on the road. The router provides a dedicated port for DMZ hosting and acts as the only externally recognized Internet gateway on your LAN. With the performance and security features of the Linksys cable/DSL firewall router with 4-port switch/VPN endpoint, your network will take advantage of the Internet while keeping its data secure.
This router is compatible with Windows 95, 98, NT, 2000, Me, and XP.
Note: All Linksys routers now include a special edition of Norton Internet Security! Claim your free CD-ROM by calling (800) 814-0180, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Pacific, seven days a week.
| 
See a comparison diagram of the different wireless technologies. | Wireless networks are rapidly becoming more popular and coming down in price. Since they don't require cables, you can use the devices anywhere in an office or home, even out on the patio. There's no need to roll out an Ethernet network cable to each room of a house; you can network anywhere -- without wires. Outside of the home, wireless networking is available in hotspots at coffee shops, businesses, airports -- great when you're on the road and need to get some work done. For convenience, wireless networking is the answer.
What Wireless Standard is Right for Me?
Now that you've decided to create a wireless network, the next step is to figure out which wireless standard to use. Basically, a standard is a set of specifications for a device. All devices that follow a specific standard share operating characteristics, such as the radio frequency used and maximum data transfer speed.
For wireless networking, there are three standards to choose from at this time: To learn about the differences between the standards and select the right one for your network, click here for an easy-to-understand chart. |
1 Lemon- Steer Clear Money better spent elswhere
This router would be no stars if possible. I just spent two hours trying every trick mentioned on DSLREPORTS.COM to get this working with NO success. Flashing to previous and newer firmware had no effect. I spoke with a CLEC tech on the other end of the connection who reported fragmented packet errors. Swapping out the router resolved the issue. We were using SBC DSL Speedstream 5100 connection hardware known good, I didn't have another brand on hand to check harware compatability. I'd highly recommend another router...don't venture down this path.
Regards,
Jeff
2 Disappointed
Three months after purchasing this router, it just stopped working. I tried reinstalling the software and firmware upgrades but nothing worked. I was really disappointed because I like Linksys and the router was easy to setup but I'm not sure if I'll purchase another Linksys as a replacement.
3 Very fast and stable with 1.51.00 firmware
I got my BEFSX41 over two weeks ago. Set up was a breeze with my cable modem and I had it running in 5 min. Almost immediately I noticed that it started re-booting every other 10 min. and throughput was erratic so I decided to check some sites to see if this was a fluke or that I simply had a bad unit. Apparently, I wasn't alone. I went to the linksys web chat support and was suggested to upgrade the firmware, depress the reset button, nd cold boot everthing. If it still malfuntioned, the support tech told me to return the unit immediately. Now, after reading all of the negative reviews it received I was ready to return the unit but decided to give it another shot by ugrading the firmware to version 1.50.18. This reduced the re-booting occurance substantially to about 2-3 times an hour. (Still unacceptable considering that I had my old Netgear RT314 router for over 3 years and never had that problem.) but the throughput issue was only slightly improved. Again, I was ready to return the unit when I came across and message board on www.broadbandreports.com pointing to an "beta" version 1.51.00_hb firmware upgrade. Even though it was indicated as a beta version, it was also stated as being rock solid stable so I downloaded it from a link someone provided. Voila! After 6 days, the router has only rebooted once while I've been online and even that instance, the reboot cycled quickly. And the throughput issue has disappeared alltogether. Bandwidth meters that I've used throughout the internet have been clocking me consistently at around the 2000 to 3000 kbps range. I've been able download sizable .iso files without a single hiccup and the router nows seems faster than I remember, even with SPI enabled! I haven't tested the VPN feature of this unit but I'm completely confident that the performance there will be excellent as well. Would I recommend it? Only if you have the patience to do what I did otherwise, check our another brand.
4 Product with known problems
I purchased this product March 2005 after the failure of our previous router, Linksys BEFS41. I was attracted by the firewall feature. The newly purchased BEFSX41 did not work for me, even after 2 hours on the phone with customer service. Finally they admitted that this model had some known problems, and offered to send me a software upgrade. I received an empty email from them, no attachement, but enough disclaiming words to convince me to return the router IMMEDIATELY. The software they would finally send me 2 days later was a Beta version with the disclaimer that they would not guarantee that it would solve any problems, and they would not be responsible for any damage to my hardware. I would stay away from this model for now.
5 VPN incompatible with ADSL service!
What Linksys does not tell you on their website is that their box does not support PPPoA (protocol used by Qwest and many other DSL providers). Great as a firewall but absolutely useless for VPN. I spent more than 30 days trying to get it to work, and then could not return it--very frustrating!
6 Works like a charm!
You cannot beat the price for a VPN capable device. It works without a glitch with CISCO PIX FIrewall on the other end of the tunnel. Setup is a snap.
7 Works Great!
I replaced a switch with the router when I went with broadband. It took less than 5 minutes to get all my computers up and running.
8 Used to be a good product, now nothing but junk - beware!
I've hooked up about 8 of these units for various clients over the past two years. They _were_ great for creating cheap and user friendly tunnels to Netgear FVS318 VPN end-points and other BEFSX41 VPN end-points. Since Cisco took over Linksys, it seems like they've seriously downgraded to components while increase the firmware tasks. I've attempted to install about 3 Cisco co-branded BEFSX41's with limited success. Two clients required PPPoE for their DSL and neither could use their BEFSX41's to connect - trying various firmwares and power-cycling all components provided no help. I ended up returning the units to the retailer and replaced them with more expensive Netgear FVS318's. The third failed BEFSX41 wasn't using the VPN or PPPoE features and it started loosing about 30% of the packets sent to the WAN interface (measured with Net Chariot software). Eventually the 3rd unit would start flashing error lights and reboot frequently. I tried several firmware versions for the BEFSX41, finally restoring the original firmware. After a couple of days we could no longer even connect to the admin page, much less use the device as a router or even a switch!! Have fun calling Linksys tech support in India! All they can tell you to do is power-cycle your unit, restore the firmware settings to factory defaults, and flash your firmware - save yourself 2 hours on the phone and avoid calling. You'll be lucky if you can even understand what the Linksys tech support is saying - they definitely won't understand anything that isn't on their "tech support walk-through software". I'd rather deal with automated tech support than call Linksys drones - Linksys tech support receives a big fat "F"! Fast food workers are more technically proficient - in fact, that is where Linksys tech support would be working if they lived on this side of the pond. (<--Note: I'm not claiming I could support anyone in another language other than English - I just know enough to not even try). Hopefully Linksys/Cisco will realize if they want loyal cusomters they will eat a little of their bottom line and provide half-decent products and support!!
Okay, 'nuff said - I'd highly recommend you spend two or three times as much and get something better!!!!!!!!
9 Reboots / Resets Every Couple of Hours
I was using firmware 1.50.18 on a version "0" BEFSX41. The BEFSX41 started resetting every few hours last week. I bought a new version 2 BEFSX41 thinking this has to be a hardware failure problem. Wrong, the new one started doing the same thing. Taking advice received on DSLReports I went back to an older 1.45.7 firmware reputed to be more stable than the widely reported buggy 1.50.18. Same problem. Stay away from this thing.
10 Nice router, fast, but doesn't support L2TP VPN
The Linksys BEFSX41 is a faster and superior router to the closest Netgear. I've found Linksys products in general to be more reliable than Netgear. BUT, I've been migrated to a new VPN client that utilizes IPsec L2TP. Although the Linksys does support IPsec pass thru, it does not allow L2TP. A couple of the bad reviews relate to VPN and I suspect that the trouble is using L2TP IpSec VPN. A change to PPTP will allow the tunnel to pass thru. But if you need to use L2TP then a diffenent router is needed.
I would suggest the SMC Baricade SMCBR18VPN. Its better quality and supports L2TP. A 4 port version costs less, but unfortunatly both cost more than this Linksys.
11 Linksys doesn't meet the challenge
I purchased a Linksys router to go between a Dell Dimension computer and a Speedstream 5100 router. I literally tried for a week to get the router to work. I was on the phone with 4 representatives from Linksys over that period of time. I was on the phone for a total of 5 hours just to get the DSL service to run properly. It never worked. About two hours into the phone conversations, they told me that they couldn't help any longer and that it should be working, because the 192.168.1.1 page indicated that it was connected and the pings were all coming back favorably. I exchanged the first one with another, and three hours later with them on the phone, I still couldn't use the router. I searched for some reviews of routers, and saw something good about a D-Link router. I plugged it in, followed the instructions, and I was off and running in 15-20 minutes. I will never recommend a Linksys product.
12 Piece of garbage befsx41
you better throw away your money than to buy this lemon. I have at least 15 routers installed in our 5 small branches and bought a pair of these for a new office lured by the low prices.
Well we got what we paid for. Router resets itself every 15-30 minutes. If I am using remote desktop, telnet or SSH when connection drops your work is gone. Same problem with your downloads and https connections when you are browsing online. Nobody in their right mind will try IPSEC after such a first impression.
But the worst of all is if you are using IP phone. Finally reaching a human being after twenty minutes on hold, I got disconnected because my router decided it needs a little nap.
Its a shame that Linksys makes such a product. We have a bunch of Linksys wireless and wired router (different model of course) but this one is right out of a horror movie.
Stay away !
13 Excellent - with the updated firmware
Any router will move your packets around, but the Linksys product stands out because it offers so many configuration options. If you do not need the options, the router works almost out-of-the-box. If you do need the extra power, it is there for you.
Make sure to download the newest firmware. Several features, including content filtering, did not work until I updated the firmware. This is easy to find on the Linksys website.
Aside from the hardware itself, I would also recommend this router because Linksys offers exellent support, both online and on the phone.
14 Worst piece of useless junk...
I spent hours trying to get this working with my DSL cable modem. Spoke to their tech support people with no luck. Drops connections all the time. Stay away from this piece of @#$%!
15 Piece of junk
I was attracted to this device because of Cisco's ownership of Linksys. Unfortunately, Cisco's quality standards have not filtered down to the Linksys line.
Although configuration was straightforward with a web browser, once the router went into operation it blocked sites on its own - even with the firewall disabled. One of the blocked sites was - as you might expect - Amazon.
Go figure.
16 Don't Buy It
This router seems to die about once every couple of hours. It crashes every time I try to upload any large file to external servers. I have upgraded the firmware every time a new version was released. No changes.
17 Problems with firmware v1.50.18 (latest as of posting this)
Linksys has had the very buggy v1.50.18 firmware posted on their site since 4/30/2004. This firmware crashes and reboots frequently. The router could be quite good for home users if they would fix the crashing problems. There are several forums dedicated to the BEFSX41 and the 1.50.18 firmware. I can't post the URLs here, but before buying please Google: BEFSX41 1.50.18 1.51.00.
18 The Edsel of the Linksys family
This router is awful. I purchased and returned three units. The firmware is buggy, it does not hold a DSL connection, it bumbles DNS lookups, and more. One unit was completely inoperable. One worked only partly after I flashed the firmware (to the same version that was preinstalled). The third seemed to work after I re-flashed the firmware, at which point I finally got around to setting up my VPN endpoint. Which, needless to say, didn't work. Argh!
Not all Linksys products are this bad; in fact most are quite good. (I have an old Linksys router that has served me well for four-plus years; it just doesn't support a VPN endpoint.) But this one is really an embarrassment to the product line. Dud products like the BEFSX41, plus the ongoing mess that is their Customer Support group, are really harming Linksys's once-fine reputation.
19 No problems whatsoever
I have two of these routers and they both work great! Didn't bother with the software on the CD and just used my web browser to configure port forwarding and DHCP. Firmware = 1.44.3. Both routers are plugged into an 8 port switch with a Toshiba Cable Modem plugged into the uplink port on the switch. Each router has it's own public static IP address. Not a single problem with them in the last year or so that I've had them.
20 Beware Buggy Firmware
This review refers to firmware 1.45.3 dated Sep 26 2003. HTTP port 80 is port forwarded to a web server. The majority of the clients can reach the website fine. But for some clients (in particular clients on Southern Bell DSL and international clients in Singapore), the router will drop connection. This problem is particular to the Linksys BEFSX41, as replacing the router with another of a different brand (Fortinet) solves the problem. I'll never buy another Linksys router again.
21 Easy setup, poor performance, non-existant support
We bought 5 of these for our network. Setup and install was a breeze, however, these units can barely handle any load. They will either go into a self-rebooting loop or and "off/on" cycle (i.e. users can see the network for 3 minutes, then cant for 3, etc...). Customer service did not respond to any attempts to contact them. Linksys products are usually great and I'd recommend any of them except this unit.
22 BEFSX41 won't work with SBC DSL! Lots of Bugs!!!
First, the bottom line is DON'T BUY THE BEFSX41! It has a lot of bugs and it will NOT work with SBC DSL, especially with a SpeedStream 5100. OK, so why: I design routers and I spent 40 hours debugging the Lynksys BEFSX41 on an SBC DSL link. I tried all the modes and I scanned the WEB looking for possible work arounds. I finally narrowed down the problem to a design flaw but their custromer support would not even consider a refund in trade for the information that would allow them to fix the product. Lynksys technical support ranged from pathetic to marginal (the marginal came only because one tech was willing to download all the firmware versions to me); but I agree with the others, their tech support stinks.
23 Works if you don't mind intermittent outages
Got the BEFSX41 to replace a 4-port router without firewall. The BEFSX41 initially seemed to work fine, but then I updated the firmware as it had firmware over 9 months old new in the box. The new firmware completely changes the look of the interface, which is fine, but now the box stops functioning every once in awhile. I can't have the box that is the central point in the network do that, so I'm reverting back to the plain router and will buy a more robust firewall box. I think they are pushing this box against its limit in order to keep the cost low, but it's just not worth the hassle.
24 Design Flaw -- Stay Away
I have spent countless hours trying to get this product to work with SBC DSL and a SpeedStream DSL Modem. Spent at least 6 hours total on the phone to their incompetent Indian support group and 3 hours on the phone with SBC who graciously helped me to diganose the issues with a router that they do not support. This router is plagued with problems -- their solution is to revert to an older firmware. Yeah, right. In other words, this product is defective out of the box. After I installed a plain vanilla router (no VPN or enhanced Firewall), it worked fine. Linksys does not give refunds, so if you want to return it, make sure you return it to the reseller within their return policy.
Support stinks, the product doesn't work and they don't issue refunds. I'd say that's reason enough to stay away.
25 Lots of Bugs!!
I thought this would be a good firewall / router for my DSL connection after reading a positive PC Magazine review, but it is *extremely* buggy. Often reboots for no obvious reason. I downloaded the latest firmware, and that made the issues even worse!! Tried to revert to a previous, more stable version, but tech support never sent me the file. What a joke. The Cisco brand will suffer from this, especially among the small business crowd. Who wants this hassle? I'd rather pay more for a stable and secure product!
26 Skip this review
The review I wrote here was for a different Linksys product (Linksys BEFVP41 EtherFast Cable/DSL VPN Router with 4-Port 10/100 Switch), and has been reposted there. I do NOT have experience with the BEFSX41 so please disregard this review. (message edited to remove review comments)
27 Good news & bad news
Bad news: Had to send first one back. Good news, no argument from tech support. They issued a RMA immediately.
Good news: Second router does most of what it should. Bad news, it crashes when we upload big files (>2meg) and try to use the cookie, Java, and active X filters. Turn off the filters, and it works OK. We are pushing the little guy pretty hard. We use it as a router between 4 LAN side computers and a WAN side computer (the internet server). We are pushing 100 Mbps through the router both ways (one direction at a time).
Good news, our church bought one to connect to a fractional T1 line and it works w/o a problem. Our installer strongly recommends the latest firmware based on his experience. Bad news, the published instrutions apply to the older firmware. The new firmware is much different, but very easy to use.
All in all, it probably will work in most applications, but don't try to push it to the specification limits.
28 BEFSX41 is a dog
The Linksys BEFSX41 is a real dog. My first one rebooted whenever I uploaded jpeg files with the firewall enabled. With the firewall off, it uploaded fine. Tech support said that it seemed to be a hardware problem so they sent me a new one.
The new one is even worse. It reboots at random. Tech support said I should flash the new firmware (version 1.50.18). Don't do that if you want the router to work at all. We had to force a reflash of the older version to get it to be able to boot up again. Now it still reboots at random times, and sometimes I have to force the reboot. It seems to want to stay in its diagnostic state with the evil red light on for a long time.
Tech support now wants me to get another new one. What makes them think that it will be any better?
29 Worst technical support I've EVER seen
Shortly after purchasing and using the product, I looked at its internal logs and noticed hundreds of lines indicating port scans (mostly UDP but some TCP). They were colored green. I couldn't find any information about this in the Linksys manual, so I called customer support. Not only could I barely understand them, they couldn't even answer my simple questions - are these port scans getting through? What does green indicate? Frankly, I don't even know if they understood my question. I have the feeling that this outsourced tech support has no expertise with this product. After several calls, I reached a tech that sent me a firmware patch "downgrade" to install. It turned out that he sent me the wrong firmware patch as it was for a completely different Linksys router. Had I installed it (if it would even install), I might have lost access to the device altogether. Beware: if you run into problems with this device, you're on your own.
30 Works well when not using advanced features.
I have several computers behind this firewall/router (SBC Yahoo DSL w/ Efficient Networks speedstream 5100 cable modem).
Had to reconfigure the LAN a little for each machine to use the router defaults (and DHCP). Installation of the router was painless. Working for a month now with no problems, however I am not talking to a time server and the only change from defaults was to forward the IDENT port to /dev/nul for security reasons. Others complain about the VPN feature...haven't used it. I guess my advice is; If you just looking for the switch/router/firewall features then this is a winner.
31 Avoid this one
This box has plenty of problems. I'm very unhappy with it.
Dynamic DNS doesn't work.
SNMP is broken.
I'm using it to VPN from my home to our company's netscreen.
The router is crashing at least twice a day because of some problems with the VPN.
What's worse: linksys doesn't seem to be able to fix their bugs any more. Every time they release a new firmware that fixes something, it breaks something else (like e.g. SNMP).
It's a royal mess.
32 Plenty of Problems
I've really liked Linksys products before, but I don't think I will ever buy them again. Tech support for existing firmware with known bugs is non-existent. Time filtering of packets requires that the router be able to acquire the correct time. The current version of the firmware can't. The documentation for the filtering is poor, and doesn't explain how the rules are applied.
33 Works - but not problem free!
Buyer Beware - I have been using for the BEFSX41 for over six months now. Initially everything was great, easy setup, tests from GRC showed everything looks good. Then it started auto-booting. To say the least it is very annoying waiting for it to come back in middle of web browsing. Testing hasn't produced a consistent pattern. Contacted technical support - their solution is to revert to older firmware version. Old firmware version has known exploitable vulnerabilities, but tried anyway (they are tech support right) which reduced frequency of problem, but has not truly corrected the problem. I then went searching for answers - I'm not the only one seeing this and other problems. Check out http://www.dslreports.com/. Do search on BEFSX41 and read up on their forum. I'm sorry, but I haven't started buying competitive brands to do comparisons so I can't recommend a better alternative. Personally though I'm working on building a Linux based firewall. I know that is not a solution for most people, but illustrates my frustration with Linksys and their parent Cisco in this product and it's support.
34 Looks good Ready to go
You don't have to look any further if you want a device to share your internet conection. I couldn't get over just how easy this kit is to use. Just plug the cables in and you are cooking on gas. Terrific. Reccomended to all.
35 Networking: Not just for techies anymore
I'm a "techie" guy. I'm not a professional but I know plenty about computers. I configured the advanced rules on my software firewall myself, I've built computers using other people's instructions and parts lists, and I've programmed in C++ for fun.
However I had never really done any local area type networking. I knew it was something I could do but just hadn't tried, partly because I was kind of intimidated.
It was time for me to get over it though. I wanted a hardware firewall with "Stateful Packet Inspection" for my home system because I just switched to a Vonage phone and I now have to leave my cable modem on 24 / 7 or the 'net phone won't ring. Knowing that this would mean my computer would be more exposed than I was comfortable with, I decided to pick up one of these routers to put the PC behind, and also to permit me to try building a small home network for fun.
So I ordered one of these bad boys. So what did I learn installing this thing? Hardly anything. Why? Becuase the included CD does the whole thing for you! I really couldn't believe it. You pop in the CD, and it examines your net connection. Then it tells you to plug in the router. Presto, you're networked. Repeat for all computers you want hooked up to the net and you're done.
Now - why have so many people had trouble with this thing? Well, I managed to break (and then fix) this thing in about 10 minutes just "fiddling" with the settings. Since I know nothing about LAN type setups, I started experimenting with the router's settings. Cluelessly, I changed the IP address of the router to the internal IP address assigned to my computer by the router. Ah, this screwed everything up instantly. Having done this I could no longer pull up the configuration utility in the router. So I had to unplug all the wires and hold down the "reset" button for 30 seconds to restore the factory settings, then reinstall.
In short: LinkSys may have made networking seem deceptively simple, but that doesn't mean that a n00b can't break the thing. I broke it without hardly trying, and as I said, I'm no n00b.
Once I stopped breaking the thing with my curious-george type antics, there were no problems, no conflicts, not the slightest bit of a stutter. For the more tech inclined: I left Sygate on my system. You know all the "noise" traffic (ie ICMP) that hits your software firewall if you're hooked up directly to the net? Every drop of it is gone, of course, because the hardware firewall is deflecting it and discarding it if it's not relevant.
Tech specs: I'm using a Win 2K machine, p4 1.5 with 640ram, with a Motorola Surfboard cable modem and a 3Com Ethernet card.
So if a friend called me and said: "I need a firewall router, but I don't have anyone to install it for me. Is there a 'For Dummies' book I can get?" I'd tell them to forget the books and just buy this router.
If a techie oriented friend called me and said "You got a favorite firewall?" I'd say this one - with one caveat. The included firewall, while seemingly sturdy, is very limited in it's configurability, especially when compared to Sygate. (Possibly an unfair comparison - I don't know.) For example it only allows the forwarding and blocking of UDP and TCP traffic. I would have liked a firewall that let me work with ICMP too - the firewall seemingly just "deflects" all ICMP.
Regardless: If you'd like a router and improved PC security, I'd highly recommend this thing. You don't need to know a single thing about networking to both improve your computer security ten fold and get up to 4 PC's hooked up online.
36 Not too happy with it...
I had 2 of these routers and both died. After the second one die, I went with netgear. The NetGear does not have a lot of the detailed features that the LinkSys had, and I miss them. This NetGear (rp614 v2) has been giving me problems as well. I say pass on them both...
37 Not a very good VPN
For the price you pay for this, you'd think it might actually work. I used this for approximately four months and waited for a new firmware patch over that entire time. I just wanted something newer than the almost two year old firmware that it came with, but nothing. Spoke with tech support a number of times, but nothing was resolved and they didn't really help much at all anyway. What was wrong with it?
Basically, it functioned great as a stand alone NAT router. It did that part well. But beyond that, it did not do the advertised features. For instance, the VPN endpoint wouldn't actually allow me to connect at all. Configuring the VPN client under Windows without third party applications is nigh impossible, so I tried out SSH Sentinel. SSH Sentinel works great as a product because I've used it to connect to other IPSEC VPNs, including the Linksys BEFVP41, but it would not connect to the BEFSX41 at all.
Secondly, the port forwarding doesn't work. Say you want to forward port 80 to a computer in your network, you can do that from outside the network (i.e. a machine outside your network can enter your WAN address and get your internal machine) but if you enter your external WAN address hoping to get access to your internal machine while inside the network, it won't work. It will time out. I had to set up a DNS server inside my network to point to the internal IP address in order to get around this failure in the product.
All in all, this router is severely lacking and isn't worth your money. If you really want Linksys, get the more expensive BEFVP41, it actually works as an IPSEC VPN endpoint. However, I recommend getting something else. Personally, I decided on the Zyxel 300 Series router and a permanent Linux VPN server and that works ten billion times better.
38 Works Great
No problems using this product with my SBC Yahoo DSL.
39 bad, Bad, BAD
This router sucks. That's right ladies and gentlemen. I saw this thing for $50 a day ago. It looks like right after the holidays the demand went up and so did prices. It looks like people started doing their work / using Internet right on Dec 5 and decided to go router shopping. Terrible! Now I must wait for the price to drop again.
40 Installation wizard didn't work on Adelphia Cable
The installation wizard could not automatically detect my cable Internet setting (Adelphia). The electronic manual and paper installation guide did not help to correct the problem. I was able to manually set the IP address, but that would have required me to do this every day (Not acceptable). A search of the Linksys Web site (Under their Knowledge Base section) provided me with a paper on how to install their routers on an Adelphia Cable network. It worked like a charm. Besides a little frustration in finding my answer, the firewall/router works like a charm. I have connected two computers to it and they both access the Internet with no problems. The logging feature allows me to observe the traffic in and out of my system, as well as the attempts by possible hackers to access my network. Overall I'm happy with this purchase.
41 Easy Installation
I'm running a Compaq pentium 4 with an RCA DCM225 cable modem connection. I wanted a firewall router and I purchased BEFSX41. Installation and configuration was easy and the installation documentation was perfectly adequate to get it hooked up. I've only been running it a few days, though, so I give it 5 stars at this point only based on ease of installation and what looks to be perfect functionality right out of the box
42 Just what I needed!
I looked all over for firewall/routers that would allow a PC and Mac to share the same cable-modem internet connection safely, and this one seemed to fit the bill. I haven't really tried getting the two machines to talk to each other. Both are able to simultaneously access the internet safely, and that's all I was looking to accomplish. Very easy to set up, and no problems (so far).
43 Sets up in minutes!
Great value for the money. Perfect for a small home network sharing one internet connection and files. When I bought this router, I was using the free Motorola SB4200 modem from Cablevision OOL. Screen pop was okay running through the router...not as good as running the modem straight to the pc (which was decent). Thought I'd try the Linksys Ehterfast Cable Modem with this router...POPITY POP POP! What a difference! Great combination. You can't go wrong. Don't bother with crappy hand-me-down modems, break out the crowbar and buy a Linksys modem and a Linksys router and hit the net.
44 Best choice for home and small business
I have ordered my third BEFSX41 and all I can say that it is the best firewall/router I have ever seen. Its features are more than enough to do everything you want in a small network. In ten minutes I was able to build up a VPN between my home and my office. I can see my office network from home and I can print on my home printer from my office. I have an internal WEB server inside the class C network and it works flawlessly through the static WAN address. BEST BUY!
45 Doesn't work with RCA DCM235 cable modem
The Linksys BEFSX41 firewall router would not connect to a RCA DCM235 cable modem. The router would not recognize the ethernet link from the cable modem. The cable modem was supplied by Comcast, who tested it and found it working properly. An older Linksys BEFSR41 router (the non-firewall version) connects to this same cable modem just fine. Three different BEFSX41 devices were tried, and all had the same problem.
Working with Linksys product support was a nightmare. I contacted product support four times, had to completely describe the problem each time, and was given the same useless suggestions each time. Despite giving a case number for referral on subsequent calls, these folks never save any information about the case. Attempts to send me new firmware upgrades via email failed twice because they sent empty emails (i.e., no attachments and no content). When the new firmware was finally downloaded from their website, the installation program failed and the new firmware could not be loaded.
If you choose to purchase this product and it doesn't work properly right out of the box, don't waste your time trying to figure it out. And don't waste your time contacting Linksys product support. Return it and try another brand.
46 It Just Works !
This thing just works great and I have not had a problem with it since I installed it. Buy it you'll like it.
47 Won't see a Motorola SB4100
I shoulda read the reviews first!!. The BEFSX41 does not see the Motorola SB4100 modem. I am connecting via Time Warner to Earthlink. The modem works fine connected directly to my PC, and the local networking of the router works well also. Just no connection with the internet through the router.
Linksys technical support is hopeless -- nobody there ever heard of this problem. They told me the router was defective and I returned it for another -- same problem. Now they finally say it won't work with my modem. I learned more from these reviews than from the company.
Maybe I can get my cable company to get me a SB5100 -- we'll see.
48 Good Internet Protection - Excellent Price
I have used linksys products for a number of years. They are pretty reliable and long lasting. Having a hardware firewall is much better, in my opinion, compared to software based one. So, this is a good solution at a very good price.
49 some features don't work
Keep in mind that with the firmware available it can't setup pptp tunnels with the advanced firewall features enabled. Other features seem to dissapear as later firmware releases have come out.
50 Some Modem Problems
I too had problems getting an IP address between my modem and my router. Seems that my Motorola Surfboard SB 4100 modem wouldn't communicate with this router. I changed to a Motorola Surfboard SB 5100 modem and I connected up immediately with no problems at all!
51 Solid router with nice features.
I have had this router for about three months now and it has been very solid: no problems. I have 4-computers connected to a switch, a router, and a cable modem (all Linksys) and have had no problems. The only bad thing I can say about this router is that Linksys doesn't really help with the more advanced features. However, their web site has gotton much better lately and I noticed that some of its advanced features are explained there (not necessarily under BEFSX41).
52 A Breeze
It took two tries, but this router still setup in less than 15 minutes.
Works as the Linksys site claimed and I am pleased with its performance.
53 Linksys befsx41 non-plug-and-play :-(
Researched for 3 weeks, picked this one over the netgear fr114p because nobody around here offered the netgear. Good features on the Linky, good price, etc.
Got it home, no WAN connection light. Called tech support, got a girl who didn't speak English well. Finally told me to re-flash to older firmware, which they'd e-mail me (never got it).
Called tech support again, got more runaround, they told me to get a long cable or hub and try that. Well, if I'm going to drop money on that, I'd just buy a nicer router to begin with, wouldn't I?
They told me to exchange it, so I got a new one. Same prob- no WAN connection with my cable modem, a Motorola Surfboard 4100.
And yes, for those who will ask, I am computer literate and do in fact know what I'm doing.
Took it back and got the D-Link DI-604 instead. It is NAT and not SPI, but its other features struck me as better- more control over URL filtering, time filtering, etc.
It was plug and play, 5 minutes and I was online. I played a few online games, no setup or special config required, no speed loss as seen on the games and dslreports.com. Called D-Link tech support to walk me through my first port-forward, and even though I waited 10 minutes it was worth it. He spoke the language, knew what he was going, and it went without a hitch.
Don't bother with the Linky, get the D-Link, they're well reviewed for a reason.
54 A great product, but spoiled by stupid design
This is a nice box. It supports just about everything you could want to do. However I have two bones to pick with Linksys, the first of which forces me to give the product a low rating when I would otherwise have rated it highly :
1. All the ports require you use a crossover cable. This is totally unnecessary and significantly adds to the cost of setting up a home network. Every other switch I've seen uses standard patch cables, which are much cheaper to buy and easier to find.
2. The diagram on the back of the packing box indicates that you need a Linksys DSL modem as well as the Linksys router. This is slightly misleading and could lead to inexperienced consumers buying and extra piece of hardware that it totally redundant. If, and only if, you have to plug directly into a phone line do you need a DSL modem or bridge. In this scenario you would run an ethernet cable from the Linksys router to your DSL modem/bridge, and a phone line from the DSL modem/bridge to the wall. However, if you DSL provider has wired your house with an ethernet port then you can plug the Linksys router directly into the wall port, and plug your computers into the router.
55 FIrst Class Piece of Equipment, But...
I had setup a wireless Linksys router for a friend in his Win XP and ME machines, and it went without a glitch, using the automatic install CD. This one is not the same. The dedicated hard wire version, does not work with the CD. I set it aside, and then followed the instructions, that came as a quick start fold out guide, and it configured like a dream.
I like the idea that this unit comes with the built in hardware firewall. In addition, I highly recommend the free version of Zone Alarm. PC Magazines editors choice. Simply get the free version at ZoneAlarm.com. I loaded the included Norton Internet Security, and it ate up a good bit of system resources, which overall slows the machine down. I'm using Verizon DSL, and they have a web site, that measures connect speed. The Norton IS slowed me down to a consistent 600. When I removed it, by using uninstall, and loaded the Zone Alarm firewall, I got a consistent 750.
I tried everything. Verizon was getting 864 at my box outside. I had another machine that was getting 750 consistently. Both machines are exact mirrors of one another-all the same components. I even brought back a MSFT ethernet card, and replaced it with the same Linksys PCI Card as the other machine. Then I remvoved Norton. It sings. Get Zone Alarm.
This Linksys router does not slow your connection down at all. I hooked a phone line up, through a window, directly into the outside phone box, and ran it directly to the modem. It went from the modems ethernet port, to my PC. In plain words, I eliminated the router from the loop, and got the same exact performance results as when the router was hooked up.
When I put the Linksys PCI card in the other computers in my home network, when I booted them up, they automatically, found my internet connection. If it doesn't with yours, be sure and check-automatically detect proxy settings, in Internet Explorer.
I love the new set up. Networking the machines is great. Being able to share files, printers etc, and most importantly the super fast internet connection. No getting bumped off.
If you qualify for DSL, I highly recommend it. Once again, I am getting a consistent 750. My friend has cable, and although he occassionally gets 1 meg, their are times when he runs at 6 to 30. (That is not a typo). Consistency, and reliability, and first class service is what I am getting from Verizon. Don't beat them up, they will come out, and pamper your connection until it is right.
One other thing that is really important. DSL is super sensitive to noise in the lines. If you are having a problem, they send out a cable specialist, and shorten your line. Phone lines run toward the service, and oftentimes, are in mulitple loops, which run away from your service terminal as well. More noise, more distance, equals slower connect times. Also listen real hard for hum in your house line. Get on a phone with a volume button, and turn it all the way up. Get a dial tone, press 5 for example. It should be DEAD quiet. If it is not, improve your internal phone lines. Don't run them along power lines etc. Start with one connection, then reattach one at a time, until you find the one that hums, then fix it. It will ruin your performance.
I guess I am rambling. This Linksys router, is a winner. Their PCI cards are tops as well. Since all of the Tech professionals I know strongly recommended me to not go wireless, due to the ease of intrusion, into your internet connection, and more importantly your private computer-information, I went with this version. Glad I did. It works great. Highly recommended.
56 firewall has some holes
I bought this in July 2003 just for the firewall capability. The install wizard wouldn't run properly on my machine (WIN ME), so I just followed the setup directions. They are very simple. I left my Mcafee Firewall Plus software running. After a week, I found certain port probes are passing through Linksys and then being caught by Mcafee!
The firmware in my router is 1.44.3 dated 12/24/02. There is no upgrade available on the Linksys website. Linksys customer suport sent me a Beta release of firmware 1.44.7. It installed easily and seems to have fixed the problem.
Reviews say this is the best consumer firewall router on the market. It may be, but don't turn off your software firewall. A copy of Norton internet security products comes with the router. Free updates for virus checking and firewall rules are included for 60 days. After that an annual license must be purchased to stay current. The programs are single use only licenses.
A very useful program to read the firewall log is WallWatcher. It is freeware, source included. WallWatcher runs as a SNMP server and collects events from the router as they happen. Linksys does not include a similar program with the box, but they do have a download available. I didn't try it.
If you play Internet games, you may need to adjust the MTU setting or performance may suffer. Download the documentation from the Linksys site. This is an easy change to make.
Amazon does have the best price for this product. Locally I found it for $$$$$. The router ships with a patch cable, so you don't need to buy anything else.
This is a very good product for SOHO with minimal requirements. For a business, I'd keep looking.
57 Go buy an electric fan to go with this router!!
I have been a very loyal Linksys customer with high brand confidence. But, I will have to say that, this particular model get over-heated very easily. When it get over-heated, it will start to drop network connections, then the web interface will get shut, and the Ethernet port will refuse to work. I will have to unplug the power, and wait for ten minutes, then the router will get back on once it cools down. But this heat problem will repeat itself almost every couple hour.
My solution: I grabbed a Westinghouse electric fan, and blow directly at it with the fan.
Result: It has been working perfectly for almost 3 straight weeks now, not even with a hiccup.
Verdict: Coincidence?
58 Beware BEFSX41 Compatibility w/ Moto SB4100-- Support??
After reading the various mixed but generally positive reviews of the BEFSX41 router I decided to purchase the unit hoping the one note of a compatiblity problem between the router and Motorola SB4100 cable modem was an isolated situation. I experienced the same problem described in the earlier review. The router and SB4100 will not talk to each other directly. I have it working now by using a 50 foot ethernet cable between the modem and router. It works perfectly now but will likely replace the cable with a hub.
My bigger concern is the lack of support by Linksys. It took two tries to get a knowledgeable support person on their "chat line". After 30 minutes she suggested a warranty return. I confirmed the compatibility problem by using a high end ethernet tester (I sell such test equipment) and decided to keep the router and fix the problem myself using the 50 ft cable or hub.
I also sent two emails to Linksys identifying the problem. It has been two weeks and I have yet to receive a reply.
I understand and accept the fact that there can be compatibilty problems between these types of products. My concern is over the fact that with the exception of a lone support person at Linksys there has been little acknowledgement of such a problem. My thanks to the reviewer who found the problem in the first place and offered a solution. I suggest anyone considering the purchase of Linksys products do with the understanding that their support may be lacking.
59 Great Router
I purchased this router based on PC Magazine's editor's choice award, its stateful packet inspection, firewall capabilities, high PC to PC transfer tests in review, and the good experiences that people I know have had with Linksys routers in the past. I was not disappointed. I popped the CD that came with the router into my computer and was literally up and running in a matter of minutes. Everything works great including the ability to connect to my office VPN.
60 Solid Hardware
The positive:
I have had the Linksys BEFSX41 for about 6 weeks now and i must say overall i'm quite happy. The NAT functions work admirably, and the port forwarding features are also excellent (works well for IRC DCC connections). I run windows on the boxes behind this unit and use it to connect to a FreeSwan linux box which connects me to a windows domain behind that; works perfectly (some people mentioned not being able to see microsoft drives or computers, you need to enable NetBIOS broadcasts in the Advanced tab of the sx41's VPN setup). Also, remember to set your MTU to 1440 if you're VPN connection is dying after a few packets. Lastly, the DHCP works well and quickly.
The negative:
It seems to drop any inactive connection after ~10 minutes for a reason i can't fathom. SSH connections, ftp sessions, anything that hasn't been used in ~10 minutes gets dropped. I am using firmware 1.44, i have tried 1.44.8 (beta) but the problem was not fixed (nor apparently is it in the newer beta firmwares). Overall this is only a minor annoyance, but i would like to see it fixed in the future.
Tech Support: While i did not have to call their tech support for anything that i've done with this unit, it should be mentioned that their tech support is notoriously ignorant. If you're having trouble with some basic function i'm sure they are willing and able to help you, but answers to questions about advanced issues are usually spotty at best.
Overall - 4/5 (5/5 could be achieved later with better firmware)
61 Most features work
Although I have not seen any negative reviews regarding this product on Amazon, it needs to be said that not all features advertised are present. I purchased the router with hopes of using the DDNS feature allowing me to not need a PC running a third-party app or need to pay for a static IP. However, the feature simply is not functional. In fact, if you visit the [DynDNS] site, they state that the Linksys company did not conform to the standards, so the function does not work...very lame (and it is impossible to get a response from technical support)!
62 Simplicity itself
I'm not a networking expert by any means, but setting up this router was just too easy. Opened the box, followed the quick start guide for 3 minutes - and that was it. Everything worked, and I was connected to my VPN network at work and my 3 PCs in literally 5 minutes. An excellent buy, and I got it at a great price too!
63 Excellent router for home, but beware VPN users
I have no problems whatsoever with the router performing and protecting for standard home use: in fact, I'd recommend it strongly for this use alone.
Where I have a problem is connecting into my company's VPN. Tried turning off SPI, it connected, but couldn't broswe the MS network drives. Put the laptop on the DMZ w/SPI off, still the same issue. Moved the laptop to the DSL connection before the router: works fine (router isn't involved at this point). I also tried the laptop on other routers and it was fine with connecting in. By process of elimination, it has to be a problem with the Linksys, unfortunately.
I still recommend this product, just beware if you're using it for connecting to a VPN.
This is NOT related to the VPN functionality of the router itself, just its pass-through ability for IPSec/PPTP.
64 Excellent features and very easy to set up.
Works well with my Motorola SB4100,... Thing to look out for is that if you need to register your MAC address with your ISP, then you need to run 'ipconfig /all' (windows users) to find the WAN MAC address, as the LAN MAC address is the only one printed on the router. Once this is done, then it will communicate with the Motorola SB4100 Cable Modem without problem. This is a very good router and I would not hesitate to buy another. Much better than the cheaper Linksys BEFSR41, which is also excellent, but doesn't have the features I need.
65 Motorola Surfboard 4100 owner - No Probs with BEFSX41
I just bought this router and had it set up in only a few minutes. My ISP requires me to register the MAC address before I can use the device. This caused me a few problems initially as the MAC address marked on the device is for the 4 LAN ports - you need to access the router setup using a browser to find the WAN MAC address. Once I'd done this I was using this router within minutes. The firewall feature is very secure and passed all the Shields-Up! tests with flying colours. This router is also fast and I have so far not found anything to dislike (though my package arrived with a broken setup CD, which I didn't need to use due to very simple router installation). Now my PC's are protected whenever installing windows, and even before I have had time to install a software firewall. I chose this model in preference to the cheaper BEFSR41, and it was worth every penny just to get the enhanced features.
66 Great No-hassle Router
This is an incredible product. We have had one running for about a year now. It took some work to set up, but that was Ameritech's fault. The product has been running without much assistance for a year now. The only change I had to make was made from 40 miles away. Very cool.
I would definitely recommend this product.
67 OK but not perfect
The router has nice features not found in some other similar routers but my router died after four weeks. The router started dropping the network every few minutes, driving users crazy. Since we were past the 30 day return period with Amazon we have had to work with LinkSys. I felt confident enough in the router to replace it with the same model but purchased locally to avoid the return delays if the replacement router had the same problem. So far all is well.
68 Beware Motorola Surfboard 4xxx owners
I purchased this router to work with my Motorola Surfboard 4100 cable modem, but when I connected the modem to the router's WAN port with the supplied cable, no lights appeared on the router.
I tried my old cable with the same result and then a new 50ft cable. After several connection attempts with this new cable, the lights came on and everything worked fine. I thought the intermittent connection must be due to a faulty WAN port, so I returned the router to Amazon for a replacement, which arrived just a few days later. (Fantastic return service!)
However, to my dismay, the replacement seemed to be suffering from the same problem ... only the 50ft cable worked and then only after numerous connection attempts.
I looked ...to see what I could find and found several forums with people reporting the same problem when using the Motorola 4xxx modem. It seems the voltage on the cable modem is too high, which is upsetting the router. I can only assume that the 50ft cable created enough of a voltage drop to cure the problem. Some other router brands are having similar problems connecting to the Motorola modems.
The recommended solution, which I am now using successfully, is to put a hub between the router and the cable modem.
My advice to Motorola 4xxx owners: Search the web for information about which router will work with your modem without having to buy a hub as well.
The connection problem aside, the router was a breeze to set up and has been working without any other problems.
69 Fastest specs!
I bought this router because it has a 10/100 port to the modem (the port to the Internet). All the other routers (except the new "g" wireless router) have 10 meg ports to the modem. Also, I read a review with speed tests showing this router, with stateful packet inspection (SPI) enabled, has speeds faster than competetors with no SPI. With SPI disabled, it was unbelievably fast for a $ router. I'd rather use this router and add a wireless access point later It may be a little more money. But I think the components will be better in the end.
I connected it very easily. No crossover cables are required (unlike Netgear). I did not use the cdrom setup. I followed the little fold-out poster quick start which directs you to use the web browser to access the router's embedded setup screens. For Earthlink, I just specified PPoPE, and my userid as my email address (complete with "@earthlink.net"). Added my password. That was all it required. Powered the DSL modem off, and the router and PC. Turned on the modem, then router, then pc. Typed in a URL to the browser. And found I was connected to the Internet. No need for Earthlink's connection software.
70 awesome router
I have my main computer, my son's computer, and my laptop hooked up to this thing and it works beautifully. I loved it so much that i got one for my brother also...I highly recommended.
71 Holy cow!
Wow, this thing even protects you from "land attacks". My secret compund in the desert will be safe for sure with this baby watching the gates.
72 Simple, simple, simple
I have a 4 1/2 year old P2 400 running Win 2000 Pro and a new P4 2.53 running WinXP. I installed my cable modem software onto the new rig and just plugged everything in. It was simpler than I imagined it could be. Out of the box, up and running in minutes. The magic of networking...
73 Too simple!
Just switched to cable/high speed internet access and was reccommended by others w/same to get a router as a firewall protection. This little guy comes loaded w/that protection! W/in 5min I had this thing installed and working w/my Linksys BEFCMU10ver2 modem(I recommend it too); these 2 guys stack very nicely. Again w/in 5min I had this installed and registered at the Linksys website; time to install includes registering, hooking up AND taking care of a 16mth old son! Thank you [Amazon.com] for carrying this!
74 Good Product - REALLY Needs a Surge Protector
I purchased this product about a year ago. I was very happy with it, it was easily configurable, simple to use, a dream. Then it died. I am 99% sure that my apartment got a small power surge and this firewall was fried. Nothing else got hurt, so I would strongly suggest using it with a very good surge protector.
Oh, also, the Linksys Customer Support people were completely useless. I knew more than they did about firewalls and computers in general, and their final "synopsis" was "Sir, your firewall is weird...."
75 Dlink BEFSX41
It worked right out of the box. No problems at all. Running 4 computers on one DSL line to the internet and file sharing between the 4 computers.
76 It worked without a hitch
I bought this router/switch based on PC Magazine's editor's choice rating in the Nov. 19, 2002 issue. Wanted to move my Linksys "network-in-a-box" home network (3 computers, 2 print servers) to high-speed cable, but wanted the extra security provided by the firewall in this router. First, I upgraded to cable access on one of my computers by disconnecting it from the old network and connecting it to the new cable modem. After I got that setup working, I setup the router as directed. I used Linksys' automated setup. It copied over the Internet connection settings from the cable modem/service into the router setup. Bang, it worked. High speed access through the router. I used that access to download the most recent firmware for the router and installed that without a hitch. I then set up the other two computers as the directions dictated in just a few minutes, making sure to use the rounter to automatically assign IP address (it is a DHCP server, too). It all worked. No problems. Amazing. I use three of the four 10/100 ports on the router/switch for the computers and the fourth to attach to the Linksys 5-port switch I had left over from the old network. Through that I connect to Linksys and HP print servers to get to HP LaserJet and OfficeJet (duplex printer/fax/scanner/copier) printers. I just plugged this stuff in, followed the set up directions and it worked. I have had very good luck with Linksys equipment. My only complaint is that it would have been nice to have an eight-port rather than a 4-port 10/100 switch with all the other features of this device. A very minor complaint.
77 Worked like a champ out of the box
So far so good after over a week. The BEFSX41 practically installed itself. Just plugged it in between my computer and the cable modem, and it went to work. Using the "start here dummy" method, I tried to use the setup program on the included CD. Eventually, the process balked and gave me an alert box that said it couldn't configure my system, call the support hotline. I unplugged everything, pressed the reset button on the router, and tried it again. Same result. Then I had a bright idea: Bypass the dummies method, and just use my browser to connect with the interface console embedded in the router. I found that the machine was already configured properly and was working fine. I entered a new password (no dummy!), and that was it. I turned on the router's logging feature, to see what traffic was being passed. I happened to already have a copy of Norton Firewall installed (a trial version comes in the box with the BEFSX41), and with it I could keep watch on what was getting through the router. Nada. Tight as a drum. After a few hours I noticed my email client wasn't getting through to my ISP's mailserver, so I had to make a little tweak in the firewall. Other than that, the router has been perfectly transparent to my online applications. I ran a port scan at Hackerwacker.com, and my system came up absolutely clean.
Easy as pie to install. Works flawlessly. Money well spent!
78 Good update
I got this model to replace my 2-year-old befsr41 that was slowly failing (could not get web interface to fully come up and it was impossible to change configurations, even after a firmware upgrade).
This one set up without a problem, and I was running 20 minutes after the UPS truck came :)
I like the vpn and firewall feature, which I did not have before. The most surprising to me is the dynamic DNS support. I only wish it supported more DDNS providers (it only supports dyndns.org accounts).
79 DHCP bug in lateset code
Overall the product worked well but from time to time DHCP would only work for a single machine (I have 3). Finally code version 1.43.4 fixed the issue. I had problems with both 1.43 and 1.44.
80 Simple to Use, Highly Effective
Dead easy to install, set up, and use. The firewall works great - I use Black Ice for my software firewall, and had been getting "hit" at least once per hour. This filters out almost all attacks before they get to my computer. Be sure to change the default password from "admin", but that's about the only change you should need to make to the settings. I highly recommend this one.
81 Works... Most of the time
I'd agree with others that the router offers fast setup, etc - but this is not exactly unique among SOHO routers these days.
My problems are with stability. On a regular basis the router loses it's programming. Web interface to the router becomes garbled and it appears that the machine is scrambling its memory (IP addresses in date fields, etc). Within a few minutes - it's out for the count.
Firmware flashes and all don't seem to solve it - and don't bother going to the website for support - it's slim at best and you'd think no one ever had an issue.
82 Could not get it to work. Will return it for refund.
I give it 2 stars, but cause I like how easy it is to use, but for some reason it just refuses to work on my network. I used to have the BEFSR41 when I had a cable modem, and that worked great. No problems with it what-so-ever. So, I naturally assumed this would be just as easy to set up. I have since moved and now have DSL service using Sprint's Fast Connect. I purchased this product in an attempt to connect my other 2 PCs to the Internet.
I've spent way more time that I want to admit trying to get this product to talk to the Sprint DSL modem. I have had no success. I went to the Linksys website and read through the FAQ as well as the KnowlegeBase. I followed all the instructions to the letter and I has never worked. I even resorted to sticking in the install CD and using their Wizard program to set up the router. The wizard program failed to connect as well.
It very frustrating since the BEFSR41 model was so simple to setup and use and I never had any problems with it (I wish I had not given it away). I plan on returning the BEFSX41 and buying the BEFSR11 (or BEFSR41). Hopefully, I'll have better luck with either of those products. If not, I'll have to buy the Sprint supported one and I really do not want to since It's twice the cost of these products. Supposedly this product supports the Sprint network, but I do not believe it anymore. If you are using Sprint Fast Connect DSL Service, this product may not work for you.
83 Works to perfection!
A great piece of equipment. Both my roommate and I use it so we're only paying one cable bill. Never had any problems with it (Wish I could say the same of the cable company). Extremely simple to install.
84 "Simply" Fantastic!
These two words can say it all. I bought this to be able to upgrade and existing group of networked PC's to a fast Cable Internet service. Firewall safety was another essential issue. This does it all. Not only that - in a matter of minutes, this little gadget was installed and all the PC's with it. The installation wizard that came with it was a gem. It didn't care what we were running: Windows 98 (SE), ME or XP, and we had all of it. It just did what it had to do & configured everything automatically! I do not know how Linksys does it, but they produce such useful and sophisticated hardware products with the capability of being installed, without a hitch, by the average non-technical person. That's why I can say this is "simply" fantastic!
Whenever I have wanted network hardware, I have gone to Linksys and have never been disappointed. They have made life easy in the networking world. And, when you consider their prices, it would be hard to be disappointed.
Highly Recommended!
85 Fantastic router with VPN capability
Very happy with this router. Setup is not required for simple config., just connect the cables to the right ports, and bingo!... Highly recommended!
