| Linksys BEFW11S4 Wireless-B Cable/DSL Router |
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Model: BEFW11S4
Brand: Linksys
Manufacturer: Linksys
Average Rating: 
(submit your review here)
Total Reviews: 1079
Platforms: Windows NT, Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows NT 3.5, Windows NT 4, Windows NT 5, Windows Me, Windows XP, Windows 2000 Server, Windows
Operating system: None
Form factor: External
Hardware platform: PC
Data link protocol: Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, IEEE 802.11b
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| Features: |
Connects to a broadband modem, a 10/100 Ethernet backbone, or wireless network
Long wireless operating range supports 300 feet indoors and 1,500 feet outdoors
Provides roaming, best access-point selection, load balancing, and network traffic filtering
Configurable through your networked PC's Web browser
Can act as a DHCP server for your existing network |
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| Description: |
| The Linksys BEFW11S4 is your all-in-one networking device This wireless router features support for the 802.11b protocol, which lets you wirelessly access your network and the Internet from up to 800 feet (outside), or 300 feet (inside) away |
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| User Reviews (1079 total): |
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Linksys cable router, November 2, 2002
By Thomas Paine (East Coast)
I have installed several of these wireless routers for our cable modem customers. I have only had one that failed during the initial installation and after spending a couple of hours with a very knowledgeable person in their tech support, we determined it was DOA. No problem, I replaced it with a brand new one and it performed fine. Setup is a no-brainer. Plug it in, turn the computers on, and you are up and running. I have installed comparable Netgear products and they are somewhat more difficult to provision. The Linksys unit automatically discovers the DNS and IP address automatically. Using the 4 ports, the unit performed flawlessly and with the wireless units adequately. Do the firmware and software upgrades from Linksys' website as there are enhancements to the products. I recommend the Linksys over all the other brands due to quality, ease of use and tech support.
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Easy to install, November 1, 2002
By wapak (Daphne, AL United States)
I spent all of 10 minutes installing this router. I have never installed one before and thought it was going to be a job. Most of the time was spent reading the instructions. The instructions were very easy to follow.
If you are considering a wirless network, this one works well and was easy to install. I am running Windows XP in case you were wondering.
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That's it?, October 31, 2002
By justdefend (Phillips Ranch, CA United States)
After researching how to get a network running I decided to pick up a Linksys Wireless Router. After plugging a line from the computer to the router and a line from the cable modem to the router, I ran the Linksys software on XP and it completed everything flawlessly. After a few clicks of the mouse, the software automatically configured everything and the router was set up. Had no idea it was this easy!
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Great product, October 29, 2002
By Stephanie Hansen (Franklin, TN United States)
Used in a 1000 square foot apartment. Can be in any room or on deck and still receive a full/quality signal. Have never been dropped because of this unit. We use both Windows 2000 and Windows XP with it.
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Linksys Router Never Turns Me Down!, October 28, 2002
By coldfusion (Covington, WA)
I just bought this wireless router yesterday. I've had "wired" Linksys router and it was working without any glitch for about one and a half years. Now I got this wireless router yesterday and tried to set up. I was up and running in 10 mins! Could it be easier than this? Of course, it's a bit slower than 100Mbps, but it's totally acceptable speed.Linksys did a tremendous job making it easy for us to set it up. I am finally wireless! I can take my laptop anywhere in my house and still be connected. Awww...
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Works like a charm, October 28, 2002
By A. Ackerman (Balltimore, MD USA)
Previous experience with trying to set up a router from another company had me somewhat reluctant to try this, but when I moved into the current century and obtained broadband internet access at home, and wanted to be able to use my laptop while at home to access the internet, I decided to take the risk and bought this unit. It was so simple to set up that in less than about 15 minutes, my two pc's (connected by their ethernet cables to the back of the router) and my laptop (with a simple to install wireless card, also by Linksys) were all connected to the internet at the same time. I have had it for about 3 months, and have never had a moment's problem with it. I hear the product service is great, but am unable to comment since I have never had to call for help. I thought it was a good buy at the previous price, but this new price drop makes this a great buy.
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Do NOT use with XP or MSN, October 28, 2002
By unknown
I ordered this, plus the USB wireless adapter, because I heard it was easy to use. After 15+ hours on the phone with tech support with Linksys and after the 30 day return policy expired, it became clear that it wasn't going to work, although no one knows why (both computers are brand-new and the DSL connection works great on its own). Linksys claimed that there's something with MSN that changes the configuration, but no one could tell us what the right one was, and every time something would work, something else would go wrong. We spent several lost weekends working on this and our blood pressure shot up exponentially, and Linksys has only offered us a credit with them, not our money back. This products are absolutely TERRIBLE and we wouldn't wish them on anyone.
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Surprisingly easy and fun to set up, October 28, 2002
By unknown
I was really impressed with this product. Setup was truly a breeze and actually quite fun. I suggest the following measures to make the wireless side relatively secure:* change the default SSID to something other than "linksys"
* change the router password to something other than "admin"
* disable "broadcast SSID"
* enable 128 bit WEP
* restrict connections to your adapter(s)' MAC address(es) Don't worry if this sounds a bit confusing. The Linksys browser-based setup utility makes setting these options extremely simple. You will also need to adjust your wireless adapter(s) to match the new SSID and WEP key. Of course if you prefer sharing your wireless connection with the world, you might want to visit:
http://opennodes.com/resources/
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LinkSys 4-Port Cable/DSL Router Rules!, October 27, 2002
By blamaute (Scarsdale, NY USA)
I am very happy with the performance of the router. I've looked at a couple of others but I have to honestly say this gives the best combination of price and performance.I will honestly say it does help to have some experience in networking to fully take advantage of this product's features, at the same time it should be more than sufficient for a novice.
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so far so good, October 26, 2002
By Y. rona Yang (Alamo, ca United States)
Bought this unit after having read many reviews, and researched competitor products. Decided on this one for its price and all-in-one package. Also bought the Orinoco Silver wireless pc card for my Sony Vaio notebook to set up wireless network -- decided against Linksys's own wireless pc card after reading reviews about its poor range.
I have just set up MSN DSL in September when it first became available. Because I live on the hills, no other DSL worked for me before MSN, tried PacBell and EarthLink (EarthLink has the worst product and service). My first attempt to connect LinkSys's router with my MSN DSL modem was not successful. I went to the LinkSys website and searched in its Knowledgebase of support questions. To my disbelief, they actually have an article published just a few weeks ago exactly about setting up Linksys with MSN DSL modem! I followed the instructions (was given a different IP address from the default one given in the manual) and got it to work in minutes. I was very impressed that they kept their tech support so up-to-date. They know what they're doing!
The orinoco pc card didn't work so easily as the Linksys router. I had to call orinoco tech support and ended up upgrading my notebook from win98 to win2000 before I got it to work. Once I upgraded to win2000 though, it easily connected to Linksys router like magic.
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good propduct, October 26, 2002
By Kit T. Ng (Boston, MA USA)
I had the old linksys 4 port switch for my home network. Recently purchased a laptop with build in 80211.b WiFi, so I upgraded my old linksys to this one. Been easy to install and smooth sailing. The web-based administrative interface was easy to use and very visual. The only thing I wish they have is a 256 encryption instead of the 64 or 128 key encription.... but still using the 256 key encryption allow me to "lock-out" any causal "visitors" from my home networks. Also, I wish they have allowed a firmware upgrade to accomodate the newer 80211.a protocol ... The other wish list is that this router have to place to table. I wanted to hang this puppy on the wall (less table space) but doesn't look like there is anything I can do about it (unless I drill some holes in this box).
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Worked right out of the box., October 25, 2002
By Charlie M (Pittsburgh, PA United States)
The bottom line is this...I bought this wireless router and their USB network adapter for a desktop computer on a different floor of my house. Before I did anything I read the quick install instructions and then followed them. The USB adapter took less than 5 minutes to install and the Router took less than 5 minutes to install, too. It worked right away. The performance seems great. Enough said.
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Up and running with 4 computers in 20 minutes..., October 25, 2002
By gold standard (New York, NY USA)
This might be my favorite piece of hardware in the house...It took me less then 20 minutes to connect my three computers and notebook up to this slick and quite powerful router/switch. I as going to buy a straight router with a Wireless Access Point, but I prefer the integration for cleanliness and simplicity. I tested the notebook through 4 walls and it was working from about 150 feet away. Beware of neighbors or hackers knocking into your wireless network.
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The Blue Cable, October 24, 2002
By Gail Lee (Los Altos, CA United States)
Sometwhere in these reviews I had read of a problem with the blue cables. After an hour of trying to set up my router, I remembered that I hooked up using the BLUE CABLE from my wired router! I hadn't realized that there was a difference in the types of cables. Thank you for the info...it saved me a lot of time! gl
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LinkSYS Wireless 4-port Cable/DSL Router, October 24, 2002
By Derek Holt (Murfreesboro, Tennessee United States)
Excellent little machine. Practically just plug and go, and if you want to set up wireless connectivity, the interface is very simple and easy to understand. This router also has advanced features like port tunneling (forwarding) and DMZ hosting which make it an invaluable asset to those wanting to use VPNs to the office.
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REALLY GREAT - ONCE IT'S ACTUALLY INSTALLED, October 24, 2002
By stormi_d (NY, NY)
I did a lot of research before purchasing a wireless router and this seemed to be the best option for me. It sounded simple to install and I don't have a complicated system: One desktop and one labtop with compatible OS, one multi-function printer and one cable modem.Well, I'm not a techie, but I'm by no means a novice. AND, this was just impossible for me to install. It ws impossible for my boyfriend to install. The manual, CD and web site did not help. Linksys' Customer Service was appalling. They passed the buck on to any/every other source (ISP, hardware vendor, etc.), who passed it on in return. We finally had to have a friend who works in IT come and install it, and even HE had issues. We finally got it set up and ironed out the (MANY!) kinks that developed when we installed the free firewall. Now, I have to say that it's fantastic. I can take the laptop upstairs, outside, etc. and the internet/printing connection is still really fast. My system is virtually "invisible" to outside sources thanks to a great firewall. It's great to be able to share files. It's a lot cheaper and much more convenient than other options I'd investigated. Bottom-line, I'd recommend this product IF you know what you're doing (or can pay/cajole someone with IT experience to set it up for you). If you don't, I'd look elsewhere.
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top notch!!, October 24, 2002
By dixie hoosier (Tega Cay, SC)
One of the few products I've purchased that worked seamlessly with WindowsXP.
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Up and (net) working in 15 minutes, October 23, 2002
By unknown
I don't know why I've read so many negative reviews regarding this product, but I had it and the supporting PC card configured and working in 15 minutes, including the time it took to get it out of the box. The Linksys Wireless router (ver 2) and PC card (ver 3) on a Dell Notebook with Windows 2000 Professional is working just fine and all over my three story house.
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I tried it, and then found one with excellent range., October 23, 2002
By Stephen Bruce (Edina, MN United States)
In a prior review I wrote that the Linksys wireless router was a nice addition to my notebook computer after I adjusted to the range and speed being less than 1/2 of the published performance specifcations. At that time I hadn't noticed that the unit was running very hot and smelling badly of burning circuit boards. After reading user-reviews on several sites, I returned it and order a Lucent Orinoco BG2000 and Orinoco Silver PC Card. What an improvement. The range is actually what the Linksys specs said theirs should be. 100 feet indoors and it reaches to all our needed outdoor locations. There is no comparison in performance. Setup was easier because XP had the drivers on-board and there was no need to download and install firmware upgrades. The only negative is that the LAN side of the router has only one port so you will still need another switch if you have multiple PC's on your wired netework. This was the first Linksys product of several that I have purchased that was substantially inferior to the competition.
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Agony., October 22, 2002
By unknown
I have, at last, installed the linksys wireless system including the router plus the wireless USB card. I have spent upwards of four hours with support personnel, who were unfailingly courteous and anxious to be helpful. The problems are multiple: despite assurances to the contrary there are issues in configuring the system to work with Windows 98 first edition. The signal is weak, despite the fact that the router is only 10' vertically and 20' laterally from the receiving computer. I now have intermittent access to the internet at speeds that are slower than dialup. The whole enterprise has been a black hole for my time and endlessly frustrating. You may well be more fortunate, but if you buy it and it does not function with very little effort, my advice is cut your losses and return it immediately. I wish I had.
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