The EtherFast 5-Port 10/100 Auto-Sensing Hub from Linksys is the quickest way to build or expand a Fast Ethernet network. Each port automatically detects and negotiates 10Mbps and 100Mbps connections (dual-speed per port). You can mix 10BaseT and 100BaseTX hardware on the same hub without the need for a switch or any additional network hardware. The EtherFast 5-Port 10/100 Auto-Sensing hub is perfect for small workgroups that are interested in expanding as their networking needs grow. Easily connect to other hubs and switches by using the shared uplink port. As an added bonus when all ports on the hub are running at 100Mbps the uplink port becomes capable of sending data distances of 100 meters (328 feet) at a blazing 100Mbps!
The EtherFast 5-Port 10/100 Auto-Sensing Hub from Linksys is the quickest way to build or expand a Fast Ethernet network. Each port automatically detects and negotiates 10 Mbps and 100 Mbps connections (dual speed per port). You can mix 10BaseT and 100BaseTX hardware on the same hub without using a switch or any additional network hardware. The EtherFast 5-Port 10/100 Auto-Sensing Hub is perfect for small workgroups interested in expanding as their networking needs grow. You can easily connect to other hubs and switches by using the shared uplink port. When all ports on the hub are running at 100 Mbps, the uplink port becomes capable of sending data up to 100 meters (328 feet) at a blazing 100Mbps.
1 Not the best experience for me
I bought this hub about a year ago and it ran without issue for about 3/4 of a year thereafter, exhibiting no anomalies and overall being quite an efficient little hub.
That was until one port died a few months ago with a second one now dying. That event was a nightmare to troubleshoot until I actually started flipping cables on the hub...and lo and behold, that port wasn't working even though the LEDs were blinking.
This is the first linksys product I have purchased, and it has problems. Maybe it was from a bad batch, but a failure rate of 40% in less than a year is unacceptable. The general verdict about linksys is it either works for about a year or two or doesn't work at all... i.e. if you want reliability, don't buy them.
Trust me, I've config'd their BEFSR41 router and even port unblocking is a nightmare. That and getting supposedly ROUTABLE protocols working across all ports.
People only get this stuff because they know no better.
I have avoided the router and used a K6-2/450 as my "router," a system whose CPU is about 100x more powerful than the one in the linksys anyway. If you want a router, get a real one, like the Cisco 2610XM. If that's out of your price range, you don't need a router.
2 Not the best experience for me
I bought this hub about a year ago and it ran without issue for 3/4 of a year thereafter, exhibiting no anomalies and overall being quite an efficient little hub.
That was until one port died a few months ago with a second one now dying.
This is the first linksys product I have purchased, and it has problems. Maybe it was from a bad batch, but a failure rate of 40% in less than a year is unacceptable. The general verdict about linksys is it either works for about a year or two or doesn't work at all. i.e. if you want reliability, don't buy them.
Trust me, I've config'd their BEFSR41 router and even port unblocking is a nightmare. That and getting supposedly ROUTABLE protocols working across all ports.
People only get this stuff because they know no better.
I have avoided the router and used a K6-2/450 as my "router," a system whose CPU is about 100x more powerful than the one in the linksys anyway. If you really really want a single-purpose router, get a real one, like the Cisco 2610XM. If that's out of your price range, your application probably doesn't call for a router.
3 One of the 5 ports went dead, caused serious downtime
During a server room reorganization I added some new servers and plugged in our DSL router into a previously unused port. The port was half-dead in a weird, difficult to diagnose way. Machines in the IT area could still ping the DSL router and get Internet access, but everybody else's Internet and email went down for several hours - nobody could figure out what was wrong. Problem solved when the DSL router was plugged in to a different port again. We're getting rid of this hub fast.
4 Two of my Linksys hubs are dead
I bought this one 1.5 year ago and it died after a year of use at home. I thought it's just one of few defected product bought by an unlucky guy. Plus, it is definatly not a complex product that will break easily, so I bought another one for the office 6 months ago. Well it died today with the same sympton - the light indicator can't even tell you which port is in use or not (you plug in to the 1st port but the fifth light will be on instead of the 1st one). Did the same thing happen to anyone?
5 It's a hub
It's a hub, I have three computers in my room, I can hook them all up and they all work. I'd call that a raging success.
6 go buy a switch instead
the speed is too slow, even over a 100mb network, due to its broadcast nature. with switch price so low, buy a switch instead of this one.
size: 5
speed: 2
feature: 2
easy of use: 3
7 Effortless, Fast Home networking!!!
I have been running a Linux router/firewall/print server/backup file server for yonks, and i was satisfied with the performance my 56k dial-up was providing me, over my 10baseT network (a Surecom 8-port hub at the centre of it all). However, as soon as I updated to a 1Mbit/256Kbit ADSL line, the performance of the 10Mbit network started to just frustrate me. Whenever I wished to copy files from one drive to another, whatever downloads/bandwidth going on with the ADSL connection was sapped and strangled. Not happy.
Then I thought I'd make the plunge to a propper 100mbit switch. I haven't looked back. I researced into a number of 5-port switches from the likes of all companies (netgear, smc, belkin, linksys and one no-name 8-port) and i found that the best value for money was in the LinkSys.
The unit itself is solidly constructed and the quality of workmanship would be as good as the big guns in networking stuff (baystack, designated novell stuff etc...). Speed-wise, I have no complaints. Very very very rarely do i ever get a collision and it has no troubles at all transfering data between my 4 computers and my server.
The documentation is brilliant. Its easy to understand and in-depth, making its set up a walk in the park. Setup!! It is true plug and play. All i did is replace the connections from my old hub to my new switch, and whala! Going. No mess. No fuss.
I'd recommend this switch to anyone wanting to set-up a home network. It'd also have few complaints even in small office. Its dedicated uplink port means its not going to be superceded any time soon which is always reassuring in this world.
Out of 5 stars, I give it 10!!!
8 I'm very impressed
This has been my secound experience setting up a small home network. The first involved an SMC router. The Linksys documention and overall user experience (setup guide, admin screens, and so forth) put the SMC materials to shame-- really it's night and day. Both routers seem to work fine (though the SMC unit conked out on me; I think this was a fluke.) But the Linksys' usability wins hands-down. Highly recommended.
9 It's not a hub, it's a switch ...
This is NOT a hub, it's a switch. The only case where this will likely matter is if you are expecting to be able to do network packet monitoring through a system patched into this unit. This will not work, since this unit will not repeat all packets across all ports. This has been confirmed to me by Linksys support.
10 linksys etherfast 10/100 auto-sensing hub
This hub is pretty good. A little on the light side, it might slide on the surface a little, but the hub does a nice job at controling the network. This hub is good for linking home computers to a single ISP (DSL or Cable)it will also let you share a dial up account, but your better off using it for some kind of broadband. On the account of being light weight you can use some kind of sticky mounts (Double Sided,The kind where all you have to do if pull on a tab and the adheasive should come right off with out damaging the surface).
11 A totally flexible and reliable splitter
I've used my hub for various applications - cable modem splitting from a router and simple PC-PC gaming. This hub is perfectly utilitarian for getting the data back and forth with high reliability and unparalleled speed. No problems auto-sensing in either situations over several months of use.
Though it does say 5 ports - if you use this as an uplink from the router, you'll obviously only get 4 output ports. This is not the case with the gaming issue though. The only minor complaint is the AC resistor power cable. The AC adapter plug is rather easy to yank out of the backside - especially if you are moving cables frequently. Other than that, it's worth every cent for high speed fun and efficiency!
12 Reliable
We've been using this for over a year. It was an upgrade from a 10BaseT hub. The 100BaseTX feature was a significant improvement for home networking speed. We have three computers on it, one an always on FTP server and this device handles the traffic flawlessly.
If you're using Internet Connection Sharing with computers with mixed NICs (some 10BaseT, some 100BaseT) you might see very minor improvements in internet speed on the computers with 10/100 cards, but don't expect this to increase your cable internet speed dramatically. Most of the cable networks are 10BaseT and only an upgrade to 100BaseT on their part would make a big difference. So when they say you'll speed up your internet connection, don't believe it!
We tried a more expensive one a few months ago that promised improved performance - thought it might be better at handling traffic and collisions - but it made no difference. Stick with cheap and reliable, and this one fits the bill.
13 Happy in Oregon
It took about 10 minutes to open the box, Read the user guide, plug one cable from my Linksys DSL router and hook up two more computers to my network. No hassles no troubles and it works great.
14 Cheap, fast, easy....
I wired my house about six months ago using one of these babies and it's worked like a breeze. It seems durable, reliable, has never been the source of any network difficulty, and, hey, cheap to boot. Can't hardly complain about that!
15 Linksys EFAH05W, a great hub!
This hub provides easy, fast setup, as well as installation. It easily splits an internet connectoin from either a DSL or cable router, as well as serving as a connector between as many as 5 computers (4 computers if the hub splits an internet connection between the computers on the hub). All in all a great value!
16 One important warning
When I originally purchased this, I set it up and followed the sparse instructions and nothing worked, no matter what I tried. I later found out that my DSL Modem came with a crossover patched cable, which will not work if placed between the DSL Modem and the hub (only between the DSL Modem and the PC). Once I threw out the crossover cable and switched to a standard ethernet cable, everything worked like a charm. But there was no clear identfying writing on my crossover cable so I had no idea initially what was the problem. The hub itself works fine, so my only gripe is that it would have been nice if they had mentioned this possibility since I am sure many users are trying to use this hub with DSL.
17 The best solution for sharing CABLE/DSL on the net.
I bought this under the impression it would effortlessly share my @home cable connection between 3 computers. I can happily say it works awesome! This thing does everything! It' so simple to setup, and the switch is just an added bonus! Toss that Hub and make room for the SWITCH! The router has DHCP, IPSEC, IP Filtering, etc..etc.. I can truly recommened this as a MUST BUY! Unless you need more than 4 computers shared, then go with the 8 Port version that comes with QoS.
18 works great
This hub works great . . . we have a cable modem (1.5 Mbs) and three computers, which are about 50 feet apart. The instructions state the hub will work for distances of up to 100 meters. One thing to watch - although it's a 5 port, if you use the built in uplink (which you probably will), you have to leave the 5th port empty (so it really works more like a 4 port). (So you're fine with 4 computers, but if you have 5, you're not)
19 Switch to a Switch (Linksys EZXS55W)
Don't buy this HUB, instead buy the 5 port SWITCH put out by the same company (EZXS55W). Anything a hub can do, a switch can do better (DSL, Cable, Networking). A must for Pic n' Save shoppers who demand Mercedes Benz performance. Most important feature: Each port has devoted, uncomprimisable bandwidth. A hub, on the other hand, has bandwidth that varies directly with network demands. The rather insignificant price difference between Linksys' 5 port hub and 5 port switch demands that EVERYONE buy the switch. The hub is by far a more profitable item for Linksys. Don't be fooled by the best seller indices that we see upon entering the networking page, or you too may fall victim to the cult of mob rule.
20 Quick and relatively easy, BUT.....
My review of this hub is tainted by the ease-of-setup aspect, not because I had any trouble with setting things up, but I can see how the beginnger might. I am a computer tech, and in curiosity I flipped through the documentation--very slight indeed. There was hardly any help at all, and it was mentioned as almost an aside that the port next to the connected uplink port just won't work. The novice user, with such sparse documentation, may have real trouble with this hardware. That being said, I very much like this hub--it's fast, there is no need for any bothersome firmware, and there have been no glitches since my initial purchase a month ago. Go Linksys!
21 good and simple
I bought two of these hubs and I have connected them at a distance of about 60 feet apart. I completely upgraded my 6 computer 10 Mbps system to 10/100 in about 1/2 an hour. Also, I upgraded in the middle of the day while the network was running and with little interruption to the workstations or the network. The only trouble I had was my own mistake. I couldn't get two of my computers NIC to run at the faster 100 Mbps speed only to later find that the hubs had automatically sensed that the NIC's were 10 mbps only. They work like a charm and so does my new fast network.
22 Good, but ac adapter blew up
I loved it while it worked. but after about 2 months the ac adapter blew up internally. I loved it completely while it worked, but you cannot find a 5 volt ac adapter anywhere! I guess that I will have to ask for one by the manufacterer.
23 Works great!
I bought this hub a while back, and it has been working great ever since. I've been using it with my DSL modem to share the connection with multiple computers.
