Customer Reviews

Cisco-Linksys BEFW11S4 Wireless-B Cable/DSL Router

5 star:		(443)
4 star:		(218)
3 star:		(92)
2 star:		(115)
1 star:		(216)

 

 

I am not sure what all the others had problems with but my Linksys worked great out of the box. Setting it up I had an issue that was easily fixed by calling tech support,(only 5 min wait and worth it, the technician was very good). My laptop which will be connecting wirelessly was not connecting no matter what I tried. It turns out that you can't run wireless cards and ethernet cards (mine was built in} at the same time because the machine will always default to the ethernet card. Which is exactly what was happening. We removed the driver for the ethernet card and it began to work great right away. Everything else about the setup was fairly simple and went very smooth the directions were easy to understand. I especially liked the quick installation sheet which is what I used to setup with.

I highly recommend this product and would buy it again if I had to do it all over. The distance of the wireless machine is really dependent on terrain. But for my two story house it was great. The only weak spot being downstairs in the opposite direction of the linksys base as far as I could go. However it still worked and was quite able to handle downloads even at the weakest point. You just can't go wrong till they come out with a new beakthrough in technology. But even then the prices will be to high in the beginning. For instance the new 802.11a is several hundred dollars more expensive then this machine. And for what you get I just don't need it.

This is a winner. The newest version of the product is BEF11S4 VER 2. Many of the reviews done in this section were about the
BEF11S4 its the same model number but lacking the ver.2 after the BEF11S4.

The newest version has fixed most of the bugs of the previous version. Good Luck!!! A very satisfied consumer

This unit accomodates both hard wired networks (up to 4 devices) and wireless networks (use the Linksys cards - others may not be compatible) and serves as a router and access point. Setting it up was incredibly simple (I updated the firmware right away) and the default settings worked perfectly with my cable (Road Runner) ISP. I did implement MAC cloning on advice from the Linksys website (a great source for info on configuring this for various DSL/cable ISPs) later just in case. This was easy with the web-based configuration software.

You do have to know how your ISP works. I'm assuming I could not disable DHCP because Road Runner uses it. Since I couldn't give my machines static IP addresses, I sometimes have to change the port forwarding configurations depending on which IP address the router assigns each machine (we turn off the machines at night). You also need to reconfigure some of your internet software to work behind a firewall if they haven't been set that way all ready. And in some cases, I had to disable my personal firewalls (we use Sygate, AtGuard or Zone Alarm) for internet software to work (particularly FTP clients).

The wireless range (we have 3 hard wired computers and a couple of wireless laptops) is not spectacular (50' radius) but adequate for our purposes. Would have appreciated some input from the manufacturer about effective placement of the unit for optimal wireless performance.

If you're willing to do a little tweaking now and then and don't need extensive wireless range, this is a great all-purpose device.

I have read nothing but negative reviews about this product. Has anyone ever seen so much negativity on one product??? It's insane. Despite all this, I decided to put Amazon.com's 30-day return policy to the test and order this anyway. I also ordered the Linksys WPC11 Instant Wireless Network PC Card. I have two computers I networked, a Compaq Presario 600Mhz Intel Celeron Laptop and a Compaq Presario PIII 700Mhz desktop. Only one wireless card was purchased for the laptop; the desktop was plugged in directly to the hub using a CAT5 cable. That's it. So, I spent exactly $350.00 and the price has even seemed to go down more (I may complain about this and try to get a rebate, but that's not the point I want to make here). So, I open it up expecting any of the numerous terrible things so many of the so-called "I've been networking computers for years and this is the worst piece of hardware ever prodcued, folks" experts have to say about it. I was pleasently surprised. It works. The router works very well, which so many people said was a terrible, worthless piece of junk and even the card which was supposed to be fatally flawed works well. It does not drop off after walking 10 feet away, it does not die after the first 5 minutes, it has not crashed either of my computers. Not even once. I've got a cable connection, not DSL. The laptop uses Windows ME and the desktop uses Windows 98. The internet connection was relatively easy. Work slowly. Read the instructions very carefully. I spent about 45 minutes making absolutely certain I had every piece of information ready for the installation. It's all spelled out in the instruction manual so I won't bother going into too much detail here. Just hit START, hit RUN and type "winipcfg". This shows you all of the information you will need to know. Hit "More Information" to make sure you see everything. Also, make sure you install the card first. The biggest problem I had with that is that the drivers aren't in the folder they're supposed to be in on the CD for the card. Just search through the directories of the disk. They're easy to find. The internet connection was easy. Getting the computers to network was more difficult. Luckily, after hours of trying, I realized Windows Millenium has a homenetworking Wizard built in. Once you get the hardware setup and installed correctly, the Home Networking Wizard does the rest. It guides you through the process, then insert a floppy disk to install the networking wizard on your Windows 95 and 98 platform computers. I spent about 4 hours doing all this, but it's only because I am a very careful and meticulous worker. I want to make sure I understand everything thoroughly before I do anything. I recommend this philosophy when installing any kind of network. The Most important thing I can tell you I save for last: the range. This is why I haven't given the product 5 stars. It really is false advertising! It won't go as far as they say it does. The claims are outrageous. However, the range is still acceptable for my needs. I am 75 feet away from the access point as I type this. There are 3 walls and a ceiling in the way. The internet works very well at this distance. I get downloads as fast as I do on my desktop (up to about 100KB/sec which is very fast for the internet). Remember, 1MB/sec is as low as it is supposed to get. Don't let the number 1 fool you! This is still VERY fast. The cable internet cannot handle this speed. We have a T1 at work that doesn't even go that fast. If you are copying a LOT of big files between the two computers then you may run into some problems. A gigabyte will take 16 minutes. Is anyone really trying to copy that much??? Most people aren't, but I can see how some people might. Don't let the fact that the card registers "No Connection" fool you. At great distances the card will register no connection but that's not true. It says no connection right now at 75 feet. I probably can't go more than 75 feet. I went outside with one wall between myself and the access point. I got up to an impressive 250 feet! but, the advertised 400ft? Forget it. No way! In conclusion, the internet works great. It's fast and works all over this house and all over the yard (2 acres). It will suit most peoples' needs as long as you don't live in a house with metal walls (this is a 100% wood structure). The networking works, but not if you want to copy gigantic files on a regular basis at great distances (close distances will work, however, very fast). video games will probably be a little choppy as the distance increases. I can share my desktop's printer. That works great, but the desktop has to be on. Get a print server for 90 bucks to avoid this problem. I am keeping an eye on this thing and plan to use it excessively while the return policy is still valid. I will update my progress with the unit with a followup review, as I have only had it now for 3 days.

After reading many of the setup nightmares, I decided to prolong setting up the wireless network for a week and enjoy the speed of my new cable modem for a week (i.e running a patch cable directly into the PC's network card.

Before I got setup with cable, my cable ISP needed to know the MAC address of my modem. Little did I know at that time, but when they activate your cable account, the MAC address of the cable modem detects the MAC address of the next unit downstream (i.e. my network card). We were up and running in no time!

A week later a decided to install and configure the wireless portion (router and USB adapter). Following the guidelines in the manual and in these reviews I:

1. Downloaded the latest drivers and firmware for the respective units.

2. Loaded the software.

3. Hooked up the hardware.

4. Updated the drivers and firmware

5. Connected to 192.168.1.1 and verified Setup and DHCP settings but could not connect to the Internet...Frustration set in.

6. I called Linksys. Average waiting time stated was 20 minutes. I waited 1 hour before getting a tech support rep. I explained the conversion from network card over to the USB adapter and router. We checked a few settings and found that I was connecting to the router but not the cable modem. This is what I already knew BEFORE I called them. Linksys Tech Support had definitly left a bad taste in my mouth.

7. I called my ISP and explained the conversion I was doing. They cleared the cache on their end that originally was using the MAC address of my network card and then reconfigured their system to find the MAC address of my cable modem again which in turn found the MAC address of the ROUTER.

8. Lastly, I reset the router back to it's default settings (button in the back of the router), rebooted my machine, and was wirelessly LIVE! What a relief.

Hope new Users of these products find this information helpful.

The best value wireless network hub/router for SOHO. Most buyers will have little problem getting it set up and working. A few buyers will have significant software conflicts or radio frequency reception problems and may want to return the unit.

A few suggestions:

1) This is not only a wireless router but also a four port hub. All desktops that can be easily wired to the hub should use a cable instead of a wireless connection (less expensive and faster). If you need more than four wired connections you can easily "uplink" this unit to an inexpensive 8 - 24 port linksys hub.

2) Consider purchasing the USB wireless network adapter for desktop computers. The USB unit can be repositioned for best reception.

3) Download the latest software/firmware from linksys.com before you begin installation. The CD that comes with the product will almost certainly be outdated.

4) If you do not currently have a home network, remember that this device not only provides internet sharing but also full network access. (Your wireless laptop in your bedroom can print on the printer in your home office and access files on your child's PC). You probably will want to understand a little about windows security before turning on file and print sharing on individual PCs.

5) "Out of the box" this product has wireless encryption turned off. This default allows anyone within range of the unit to access your internet connection and possibly your home network. While this setup is the easiest way to initially set up the unit, most people will want to turn on 64 bit encryption (You provide a key to each remote connection). 128 bit encryption is now also available but slows down connection speed.

This device has many of features and great functionality for the price. Relatively inexperienced computers users will probably get it working without too much pain, while more technical users will find enough tweaks to keep them happy.

The reason I like this product is ease of setup, and the fact that it has some wired ports. Some wireless routers have no place to plug in a CAT 5 cable, so even if your main computer is only a foot away, you will have to buy a wireless network card which adds to the cost of your system. My main desktop computer is plugged directly into the Linksys, and my notebook operates wireless. The manual is pretty good, and after making sure that your computers are set to DHCP (not hard to do) the Linksys will work as a rounter and gateway to the Internet by just plugging everything into the right holes. If you use Linksys wireless network cards and adaptors as well, the entire operation is pretty painless. Orinoco PCMCIA cards have a bit more range, but you have to jump through few more hoops to get things right.

Some tips: 1. Don't expect miracles when it comes to distance. A lot of factors come into play, including what your home/office is constructed off, and interference from other devices in your home/office. Try to get the unit up high for best coverage. 2. While the rounter does act as a firewall, if a hacker does get to it, and knows the default password (hardly anyone ever changes the default password) they could get through. So, change the password. 3. Change the SSID address. When used as a wireless router, this "should" keep your neighbors from using your router as a gateway to the Net, or getting into your computers when files are being shared. I took my notebook to my neighbor's home and was able to get into my files and surf the Net with no problems. 4. If you are sharing files and folder, use passwords. While I don't want to make anyone paranoid, these are simple changes that should help with security. 5. Linksys support is okay, and it is 24/7, but you have to get the right person. If things don't work out call back. You'll never get the same person twice.

If this is your first adventure into networking or wireless networking, Linksys makes the process pretty painless.

I purchased the Linksys router (V2) along with the WPC11 card (V3) just last week, and am pleased to report that both are running exceptionally well, especially considering that I live in NYC. Many negative reviews have been posted about this suite of products, and perhaps some are valid, but most are backlash from earlier versions of each component working (or not) with each other. Linksys seems to operate on the belief that getting a product out into the marketplace with a few kinks is better than getting it out there perfectly (and therefore with a significant time delay to market), and I respect that rationale (think of how many service pack updates you've had to do with any of your Windows operating systems over the years! ) Below describes my experience thus far with this suite of products; your experience will likely be different if you have a different OS, have lots of 2.4GHz phones in your house, your house is make mostly of steel, etc. But we'll get to that....

BACKGROUND:
Those of you who are looking to get into the wonderful world of wireless networking should freshen up on the good, the bad, and the ugly of what the 802.11 standards are. A good resource is 80211-planet. This site has several articles (search for "Jim Geier" or "Minimizing 802.11 Interference Issues") to help explain why you can potentially expect interference depending on the location and conditions around either your router or your network card. Bottom line = there are many variables that can affect performance of any 802.11 product, but you won't know unless you dive in and give it a go.

INSTALLATION:
I'm running a Thinkpad T21 laptop with W2K, and have RoadRunner for cable modem service (Toshiba modem). I popped open the box for the Linksys router, briefly skimmed through the long booklet directions, and then carefully followed each step of the 1-pager quick-installation instructions. The router connected to the cable modem without a hitch (note that RoadRunner uses DHCP...what's DHCP you ask? Go to webopedia and do a search on DHCP for details). Please note that I used all of the default settings. Time to connect cable modem to router and router to laptop = 11 minutes.

I then popped open the box for the network card, and again followed the directions line-by-line on the quick instruction sheet that came supplied with the card. Once again, I used all of the default settings, and lo and behold, the card began communicating with the router without a hitch. Time to connect the card to the laptop and the now 'networked' laptop to the router = 7 minutes (including software installation).

PERFORMANCE:
I live in a duplex in lower Manhattan, and so at first I was skeptical in light of the reviews I had read before about performance relative to distance from the router, etc. However, I am able to move anywhere on either floor and get a consistently good signal (the router is upstairs and I'm writing this downstairs, whilst streaming music...no lags). I have downloaded hundreds of MBs worth of data thus far without any problems, streamed music and videos, emailed, surfed the web, uploaded files, etc. I've connected another wired computer to the router and it connected without a hitch (again, make sure you're familiar with DHCP...makes things a lot easier). The signal did fade to a whisper when I went outside, but I'm not entirely surprised, given that the router was 3 floors away, and trying to communicate through several walls of brick, wood, and steel. I'll probably toy with the position of the router in the house to see if I can boost my response outside. I haven't tried a network game yet, but then again, I'm not using the laptop for that purpose. I also haven't attempted to update the firmware of the card (as it prompts me ever so often to do) yet, as it is working now. Instead, I have placed an email to Linksys for their recommendation, and will post an update to this review when I have an answer.

RECOMMENDATIONS:
If you're ready for the wireless world, the Linksys set of products work very well, especially now that they (and Amazon) ship the latest version of each. Some helpful tips:
- Don't install the router next to a 2.4GHz phone or a microwave
- Placement and positioning of the router and antenna are key. Just as Rome wasn't built in a day, getting your wireless network up and running smoothly may take a bit of fine-tuning.
- If you find unbearable interference, change the channels. Just like on your portable phone, you can potentially see dramatic improvement.
- Make sure you have an extra CAT5 cable around for the installation. You'll need one to connect your DSL/cable modem to the router and then another to initially connect the router to your computer.
- Tinkering can get you into trouble! If you don't know what a configuration is, then don't tinker with it...a classic way to burn your fingers on the hot stove of curiosity.
- READ THE DIRECTIONS! Following each step slowly but surely in the short-run can significantly reduce your headaches in the long-run.

If you've done your research, you should know by now that no 802.11 product is a panacea for every possible wireless situation. It simply may not work for your home or office, given the variables in play. But like the intrepid explorers who found the new world, you too can find happiness--and new working freedom--with a wireless network....

The router as a basic platform for browsing the web and recieving email works allright. If thats all you want to do and you want both the wireless and hardwired abilities in one package.. this is an acceptable product.

Its hardware offers pretty much every feature you could imagine would be packaged into a device like this save one, which is QoS (quality of serivce) i.e. the ability to limit specific users to specific speeds.. but as this is not found in any comparable competitors products its not a big loss...

The problem comes in with their firmware. To put it simply you could consider this device to be in beta testing at the firmware level... at BEST

While the problems won't be seen with simple mail, web and messaging software.. it gets alot stickier with persistent connections... i.e. chatrooms, conferencing, and games. If the wireless module is enabled, it will 'hang' roughly 2-3 seconds after each minute. It only does this when wireless is active. Its a firmware issue dealing with the searching for new clients that they haven't ironed out (and who knows if they ever will, its already been through 12 firmware revisions)

similarly, the current firmware lacks the ability to set the MTU (packet size) which again while it won't interfere with your email will cause a game to crash out eventually as the packet size is nonstandard (i.e. not 1500) and eventually persistant connections will die with packet fragmentation. Again their customer support acknowledges this is a problem with their firmware but cannot say when it will be fixed.

In the end, on their customer support's own reccomendation, i had to take the device back and am using their normal 4 port router (no problems) with their seperate wireless access point (no problems)... its a shame they can't get their act together and successfully combine two of their own products into one box

For home networks, this wireless router is unparalelled. Linksys overall makes decent "prosumer" products for the home (when compared to NetGear or D-Link products, Linksys is much more reliable and easier to configure.) I read many of the reviews on here before I decided to write one myself. I do not understand alot of the trouble that people are having with this router.

I almost exclusively use linksys equipment. I have found it to be the easiest and the most reliable to set up. If you are using this product, you will not need a router/bridge as one is built in.

I recommend that you connect it to the linksys adsl/cable modem/router for maximum ease in administration and compatability. Otherwise, the WAN out of your ADSL or Cable box to the WAN in on your wireless is all you should need to do. Initially, the WAP will broadcast the station ID (SSID) as linksys. You'll obviously want to change that... as the one reviewer noted, Linksys is easily hackable if you do not change the default settings. I must admit I "see" and sometimes browse unprotected linksys routers around town (and even in my neighborhood). An unprotected WAP is not a good idea.

You should definitely shut off the SSID broadcast once you get things established. I also recommend the WEP encryption. Be sure to write down the keys.... otherwise, you'll probably be unable to connect and have a hard time.

I also recommend you allow the MAC filters. This will prohibit anyone other than your hardware from accessing the router/WAP. Even if someone hacks the WEP or finds/figures your SSID, they cannot tell the router to do anything unless they also clone your MAC address... something not easily done "blind."

All in all this is a good product... worth the 60 bucks... most definitely. Personally, unless you have some compelling reason to set up 802.11g (like you are doing video conferencing over it) - 802.11b is fast enough for home environments.... especially since the FASTEST ADSL/CABLE lines usually go 3MB TOPS (and that's virtually never seen - even inside the given network).

BTW - I also use my Linksys with Mac and PC's. The PC's are a bit easier to configure to use with the Linksys... but once you plug in the WEP keys into the Airport card configuration, Mac's work just fine. Linksys' is much easier to administer than Airport Base station... I'll tell you that much... and a Linksys base station is 60 versus Apple's $200 (or 100 bucks on eBay for an old Snow 2 version - 200 bucks for the Apple Extreme=802.11g standard).

If you are a total novice - I recommend you stay away from wireless. Wireless products expose your PC to both the "net" and people who are wandering/close by to your physical location. If you don't know what you are doing - it is easy to "eavesdrop" on your system and hack your way in... however, if you stop broadcasting your SSID, edit your MAC filters, and enable WEP - it's going to be pretty tough to hack the way into your network.

I figured a product based on two other working Linksys products (WAP11 and BEFSR41) would be stable...wrong. Keep in mind that the BEFW11S4 has just been released. It is a first generation product, and these units are the first off the production line. I spent four nights trying to configure it. Now, I'm a Network Administrator for a medium-size enterprise, and I'm no stranger to routers and wireless bridges.

I could get the unit to run for wired connnections, but with lock-ups after it had sat idle. But forget about wireless. I tried with a WPC11 card in a Win2k laptop and a WUSB11 on a Win98SE PC. No go. I could get the NICs to link at various strengths, but any attempt to pass data would send the BEFW11S4 into fits. It would loop through its diagnostics, and finally stop all wireless communications. In fact, the WLAN light would go out, even though its interface page still said that wireless was enabled. I tried factory default settings and several custom configurations.

I was able to find both a WAP11 and a BEFSR41 on sale locally, and with Linksys rebates, they were only $40 more than the single BEFW11S4. I got the seperate units working perfectly within a hour.

If your thinking of buying this unit, forget it for now. Look for deals on the seperate units (after all, the BEFSR41 is already in its second generation, it says "v.2" on the box). If you already have the BEFW11S4 and are having problems, you could wait for a firmware upgrade--who knows when that might come out. But, obviously, many poeple are having the same trouble so Linksys "should" be aware. Let me say, Linksys may blame Compaq, but it's the BEFW11S4 that is buggy.