After getting the Packard Bell system set up, the MA 301/401 would not link up with the Linksys router. I called Netgear tech support and discovered that the SSID on the card must be identical to the SSID on the router. I discovered that the Linksys SSID was "linksys" and the SSID on the card was "Linksys." When I changed the "L" to an "l", the card connected to the router immediately and I was in business.

The Packard Bell machine is on the 2nd floor of my townhouse and the Linksys router is in the basement. The signal, therefore, is passing thru 2 floors and 2 walls. The link quality and signal strength are consistently in the "good" category and sometimes they are "excellent." These are qualitative measures reported by the Netgear card's software.

As for performance, I downloaded a 19MB file off Microsoft's web site and it took less than 5 minutes via the wireless connection.

I have to admit that I was a bit apprehensive about buying the Linksys router. The reviews are mixed and some people have totally trashed it. I decided to give it a try, figuring that I would return it if it didn't work well. The same thing for the MA301/401 card; some loved it and some hated it. I was also concerned that having a router and card from different manufacturers would cause problems. It turns out that I didn't need to be concerned at all because both pieces are working perfectly.

Contrary to what others have said, my connection has not been lost and it takes only a few seconds to establish the wireless connection on startup. I have found that the documentation provided with both items was adequate. However, I wish each of them would have mentioned the importance of having the same SSID on the router and the card. I have not talked with Linksys tech support, but the two calls to Netgear went well.

Things to watch out for: 1)The Netgear MA 301, which is the PCI card that plugs into the desktop computer must be used with the Netgear MA 401 wireless PC card. This PC card will also fit in a laptop. 2) As I mentioned, the SSID must be the same on both pieces of hardware. 3)I have not activated the WEP encryption so I have no idea how it will affect performance.

The bottom line: I highly recommend the Linksys BEFW11S4 V.2 router and the Netgear MA 301/401 interface card.

I am an engineer for Cisco Systems and I use this product in my home.

Fair enough? I still have to deduct a star though because I would feel more comfortable with slightly more advanced security features, but then it might not be user friendly enough for less advanced folks (and perhaps more $$$ as well). There are also known issues with WEP, but let's be realistic here folks... How many people are trying to crack your home network from your front yard? Just remember to change your WEP key every so often and be on the lookout for suspicious looking individuals hanging out around your home with a PC.

For those of you sitting on the fence because you think it will be a pain to set up: read the instructions before you start. The set up is not that hard, just go slow. The worst that will happen is you wasted a few hours and you return it.

The router is instantly configured out of the box. I didnt have to do anything. Anyone who says they are having problems, is describing a problem of their own creation. I have two Apple desktops, one Gateway, one apple airport Tibook, and two Sony VAIO laptops connected to this thing without a glitch. The wireless is being accessed from a combination of Linksys, Orinoco, and Farallon PCCards without any setup issues. The only minor issure was knowning that I needed to change one setting on the router to allow airport access.

If you are looking for a router, this is THE one to get. If you have a huge house, or have to place the router in a corner., consider getting two and sticking one at each end of the house for full overlapping coverage. You'll never look back.

It was so simple to setup... Plug the network cable into the router from the Cable/DSL modem, plug the network cable into the computer from the router... Throw the disk in the computer... BAM! You're done! This was all done with the Windows 2000 Pro machine STILL RUNNING. Everything has run flawlessly. I live in a 1200 sq. ft. home, and I can go anywhere with this router hooked up.

Why I gave it four stars... I run a web page off of my computer, and it's been hell trying to figure out how to get that up and running. I found out I need to shut DHCP off, but when I do that, I loose the laptop when I restart it. (Any help out there?)

This has truly got to be what anyone wanting to go wireless needs! It's better than paying another company to set it up. It's just so simple!

Okay... Update! On 6/28/02 (a month since I bought it), it stopped working. I tried everything in the book to get it working again, nothing. Today (7/19/02) I finally called Linksys, tried everything they said, and now the cable modem can't even see it. They have to send me a new one, we'll see how that works out. They do have very nice customer support, though, and they do everything to make you happy. In being on the phone for less than 7 minutes, they set me up to have the new one mailed to me... Just make sure to keep your receipt!

The Linksys Version 2, however, went the distance (pun intended). I tried the Version 1 and was happy with that, but V2 had even better range. What I DO NOT like about the Linksys is it's lack of basic security features. Though there is support for WEP, the type of MAC filtering available isn't really helpful for keeping OUT computers. We all know that 802.11B is a security hole waiting to be exploited. I just assume put as many locks on as possible, weak or not. If you do a search for wireless network security, some basic things are always listed. Not only are these not really supported by the Linksys, but in my experience Linksys tech support was fairly clueless about how to secure the router from Wardriving. I have read that a recent firmware release for the V2 is available to address some of these issues, but I have read mixed reviews. I'll wait a bit and see how it matures. For what it's worth I run it wired and wireless on an Orinoco Gold mostly for sharing a PPPoE DSL connection and rarely do much file and print sharing.

...

I have since upgraded to the most recent official firmware and am pleased that the security features that I have been looking for have now been included. The MAC filtering that I was waiting for is a little hard to find, as it is in the ADVANCED/WIRELESS area under the title "Station MAC Filter". And at the time of my install there were no instructions available for the new features. I'm not sure if there are now.

I installed the router in about 5 minutes and it worked like a charm on my direct wired PC (Win 98). I started to get excited because my network performance actually improved with the router installed (I have AT&T broadband). Next on the list was my laptop. I bought the least expensive Linksys PCMCIA card and once again had no problems with the install (10 minutes) on Win ME. And guess what, it worked the first time and I was surfing at 86% of 11MB from the recliner in my living room.

So let's add this up. 5 minutes for the router + 10 minutes for the PCMCIA = both machines networked and running great for only [a price]. Let's be serious, this is just about the best thing you can do with [money] for your computers. As soon as I can I am going to get this setup for my laptop at work (then I can also use it on my LAN at home).

PROS
*Can use inexpensive ISP service to a single computer to give internet and network access to multiple computers.
*Can offer both wireless and wired (up to 4 computers wirelessly) connectivity.
*Maintains speed up to 50 feet away through 3 6-inch walls filled with concrete and rebar.
*Easy to set up.
*Great configuration/setup utility which is accessable through a web browser (firmware is also upgradable by downloading an update from the website.)

CONS
*It does show a loss in speed or even in connectivity in certain "dead spots" in the house. (To fix this, you just scoot over like 3 feet in either direction and it goes from 0% to 50%).
*Poor customer support over the phone.

I bought a second one based on my experience with the first one. As I discover more and more about what this unit is capable of doing, it makes me more and more willing to recommend it. So that's what I'm doing: "I recommend that you get this router/WAP."