Linksys BEFW11S4 Wireless-B Cable/DSL Router

Other products by Linksys

Product Details

Product Manual [740kb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 3.5 x 9.5 inches ; 1.3 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B00005ARK3
• Item model number: BEFW11S4
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1,079 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #4,034 in Electronics (See Bestsellers in Electronics)

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  Electronics > Computers & Accessories > Networking Products > Routers

• Date first available at Amazon.com: May 2, 2006

Product Description

Amazon.com Review
In the past, people creating a home network had to choose between string ing cheap Ethernet cable all over the house or spending tons of cash on a slow, unreliable wireless system. Products like the BEFW11S4 wireless four-port cable/ DSL router from Linksys have changed all that. This unit works as an Internet ga teway, traditional four-port Ethernet hub, and wireless Ethernet hub; is easy to install; and is relatively inexpensive. With the Linksys cable modem and wireless Ethernet adapter we tested with the unit, everything worked like a charm with next to no configuration hassles.

The BEFW11S4 is chunkier than a standard Ethernet switched hub, but is so versatile that a little extra bulk is acceptable. Basic installation involves little more than plugging in the power cord and connecting the Ethernet output from your cable or DSL modem to an input port on the back of the device. Four Ethernet ports on the back accept connections from computers with standard network interface cards, while two antennas on the back handle the unit's wireless capabilities. The standard ports operate at up to 100 Mbps, while the 802.11b technology allows for wireless transmissions at up to 11 Mbps. That's not the blazing-fast performance you'd get from more expensive 802.11a or 802.11g wireless products, butis more than enough to handle Internet connection sharing, LAN gaming, and normal file transfer duties.

This product's forte is Internet connection sharing, as it serves as a single point of contact for every computer attached to a home network. All your ISP sees is one IP address sending and receiving Internet traffic, even though several computers on the other side of the BEFW11S4 might be accessing the Internet at the same time. The other nice thing about this setup, as opposed to standard Internet connection-sharing software, is that no particular PC must be turned on before the others on the network can access the Internet. As long as the BEFW11S4 is running, any PC can get on the Web.

Although the device is surprisingly easy to set up, a Web-based interface is available that lets advanced users access security settings, permissions, and a variety of other options. It is easy to use and can be accessed by any PC on the network without having to install special software. The unit itself provides plenty of feedback, as it is equipped with several LEDs that indicate the status of each standard connection, along with the wireless signal. There also is an uplink port on the back that lets users add more hubs, switches, or other devices as their network grows.

The router performed as expected in tests, providing fast 100 Mbps speeds to two basement computers using the standard Ethernet ports and a steady 11 Mbps signal to a third PC located upstairs and about 40 feet laterally from the base transmitter. The strength of the wireless signal is entirely dependent on the conditions in which the device is used, but most home users shouldn't have a problem reaching any one room of their house from any other room.

Perhaps the only drawback to the BEFW11S4 is that if installation doesn't go as smoothly as it did for us, configuring the device could be difficult for novice users. It's designed to be a plug-and-play unit, but there are hundreds of seriously advanced settings lurking under that friendly façade that can really mess things up if they are not configured properly. The good news is that most users likely won't have any problems, and once the BEFW11S4 is set up it works so smoothly and seamlessly that you'll forget it's there after a while. --T. Byrl Baker

Pros:

• Easy installation, seamless operation
• Makes it very easy to share an Internet connection
• Powerful configuration options for those who want to get their hands dirty

Cons:

• Wireless Ethernet adapters to connect to a PC must be purchased separately
• 802.11b transmission speeds are pokey compared to more modern standards

For more information on the differences between an Access Point and a Router wit h Access Point, see the following table:

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: 802.11b 802.11a 802.11g To learn about the differences between the standards and select the right one for your network, click here for an easy-to-understand chart.

Product Description
The EtherFast Wireless AP + Cable/DSL Router with a 4-Port Switch provides the ideal solution for connecting your wireless network to a high-speed broadband Internet connection and a 10/100 Fast Ethernet backbone. Configurable as a DHCP server for your existing network, the EtherFast Wireless AP + Cable/DSL Router with a 4-Port Switch acts as the only externally recognized Internet gateway on your local area network (LAN) and serve as an Internet NAT firewall against unwanted outside intruders. The Router can also be configured to filter internal users' access to the Internet. A typical router may have to rely on an external hub or switch to share its Internet connection, but the Linksys EtherFast Wireless AP + Cable/DSL Router channels this connection through the blazing, full duplex speed of its built-in EtherFast 10/100 4-Port Switch. This cutting-edge combination of wireless router and switch technology eliminates the need to buy an additional hub or switch and extends the range of your wireless network. Now your entire wireless network can enjoy blazing broadband Internet connections supported by its robust switched back-bone. With the dual-function speed and power of the EtherFast Wireless AP + Cable/DSL Router with a 4-Port Switch, your network will take off at speeds faster than you ever imagined possible.

See all Product Description

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

363 of 390 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A real answer to a real problem, March 11, 2002

By	Doug (Midlothian, VA USA) - See all my reviews

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

44 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I wish I could give it 3.8 stars, May 20, 2001

By A Customer

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.

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Work with your cable ISP, February 7, 2002

By	Scott R. Marshall (Roanoke, VA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.