| 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: 1078
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 (1078 total): |
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[Firmware] BEFW11S4 - Filed BBB complaint - Linksys sucks, January 21, 2005
By Jeffnusa (Williamstown, NJ (Wishing I was in NV))
[Firmware] BEFW11S4 - Filed BBB complaint - Linksys sucks
I'm done, put a fork in me. I have been running the BEFW11S4 sucessfully for months on firmware version 1.47.x which I downloaded from dslreports.com. I have started to use MSN Messenger to stay in touch with my the family and it is flaky at best because this old firmware does not contain the fixes I need. I contacted support today and was told, I have tried everything, sorry. Well #$%$#$ Linksys. I will never buy another LINKSYS product as long as I live. I filed a complaint on the better business bureaus website, and I encourage everyone to do the same. www.bbb.org Let your complaints be heard. I am also considering a class action lawsuit against Linksys, anyone interested? Here is my message from their helpdesk:
Enriquez, Clarenz: i think you already tried everything to make it work. Enriquez, Clarenz: i'm really sorry about that.
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Frustrating waste of time and money., January 21, 2005
By WillfromSF (San Francisco, CA USA)
Purchased from Gateway along with the notebook PC so you would think they'd be a good match. Think again. Nothing but problems. Installation and documentation so-so for the wireless network novice - doesn't explain why things are done, coupled with Windows XP settings ends up being very hit and miss, not intuitive. Post-installation, usually unable to get wireless link with our home network although less trouble getting PC to link with undesired wireless networks. Went through at least three calls to Linksys support, which I will admit was quick enough, but nobody had a solution. Finally they bought off by telling me to upgrade the wireless PC card's driver. Problem was I couldn't completely download the driver file (40mb) on the Intertnet while plugged into the router from either PC on network, even when wired. Circumvented the router and voila - downloaded the file fine. So the router impedes throughput and also some slow down even with wired connections. Installed the drivers - made no difference, as I suspected. I give up.
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Don't bother with this router, January 20, 2005
By Log
Not all that easy to set up. Once I got it setup properly, it still dropped connections often on the wireless link, even though my Linksys wireless card showed a strong and high quality signal. After about six months, the router started crashing or locking up about once per day. I have to power it down and reboot it. Would not recommend this router to anyone.
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Hit or Miss, January 19, 2005
By Jared Miller
I got this router (v. 4) free with Verizon DSL. In the first few days of owning it have had multiple problems with dropped connections, just like many others have had.
The problem seems to come down to two things: buggy WEP and buggy DHCP. My tenant has a D-link wireless card and WEP was crappy for him, though it worked fine for me (Orinoco Mini PCI). DHCP has been problematic for both of us. It'll work fine for a day or so and then inexplicably crap out--I finally added an alternate manual config and am thinking about just switching to static IPs. It may coincide with the DSL modem dropping the PPPoE connection and getting a new IP, but I'm not sure. Various resets fix it, but it's annoying to have to do it almost daily.
I have done a bit of research on the net trying to fix these problems, and so far haven't turned up much--except *hundreds* of similar complaints. The troubleshooting section in the manual is skimpy ("Is your router plugged in and powered on?" - Duh!), as is Linksys's online knowledgebase.
Bottom line: spend your money elsewhere. You might get a non-lemon, but is it worth the gamble?
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This router is complete garbage!, January 17, 2005
By D. Hippert (Sparks, NV USA)
I have owned this router for two months and it has crashed at least twice per week. Each time I have to reset the entire system and start from scratch. Linksys support has failed to identify or correct the problem after months of trying, yet they won't send me a different router. This is the second time I have written this review because it crashed in the middle of the first one!!! Read all of the reviews; I'm not the only one! Buy something else!
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The worst money can buy...., January 17, 2005
By Antonio Azevedo (Oporto, PORTUGAL)
I have this linksys router and it really crashes once a weak... So, I thought: "let's get the latest firmware from the web". On the European Linksys download site I found the upgrade (I live in Portugal-Europe). Now it takes about 6 hours to crash, much quicker. And now I can only access to it in the next day... maybe about 6 to 10 hours crashed, anyone can send me the old European firmware. Notice that even if I reset the router it doesn't give me access to the setup... because it doesn't give an IP to the computer... With the manual IP configured on the PC and the DCHP server off I still can't access, even to the setup, until next day...
In either case, if I don't reset, in the next day it works perfectly for about the same time.
I've read the forums around the web and I really think Linksys should worry... I got so demoralized that I'm considering seriously throwing it in the garbage and buying a new one, away from CISCO systems. All I could read is that their support is rubbish and that owners with the same problem on this equipment have spent their time and money on the phone for many hours and never got the problem solved. Shall I do the same... maybe I get lucky... maybe not...
What I want to declare is: purchase something else... if you're not damned already.
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Great Router - Easy Install, January 9, 2005
By Butch (Illinois)
I have no idea why others are slamming the BEFW11S4, I have 2 desktops and an X-Box running through mine and everythng works great. I brought it home and hooked everything up and it was running fine out of the box. Sure there were some settings I had to change in the configuration, BIG DEAL. It took 2 minutes out of my life to set it up. This router is running flawlessly. This was definately a good buy.
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Decent But Buggy Router, January 7, 2005
By Strahd98
This is the 2nd Linksys router my family has used over the years. This router does work well out of the box and supports wireless, which works pretty much out of the box as well. However, I have to take 2 stars off for lack of stability, ESPECIALLY with recent firmware upgrades. With the last 2 upgrades, this router has been prone to locking up randomly at least 2-3 times a week. I have yet to find a solution presented by Linksys for the lock-ups.
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Worst computer add on that I have ever bought. JUNK!!!!!!!!!, January 5, 2005
By sprtlscott
This is the worst product for the computer routers that you can buy. This router crashes on you all the time. When you call for technical support the people that you are talking to you cant understand because they are from India and also they do not know how to help you anyway because they are idiots. You can never talk to a supervicior or someone from in the United States. I called once and the person asked me for my address, home phone, and social security number. Why is the social needed? I did not give them that and when I said that they could not have that they would not help more they just said that they do not have follow the US laws becuase they are not in the US. I finally got someone in the US after thretening with the BBB. The router that I have is a replacement already and it is just CRAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I hope that this review is helpful and that you will make the wise decision. (don't buy it!!!!!!!!)
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Not bad, if you happen to get one that works!, January 3, 2005
By Jeffrey Custer
I've now owned two of these, and neither worked properly. The first worked great, as long as you were within 20 feet and direct line-of-sight to the device. To Linksys' credit, their tech support line worked well with me to diagnose that the device was bad and issue a merchandise credit. The second one I owned worked fine for about a month before the wireless capability stopped working altogether. I suppose I could work Linksys again and get another merchandise credit (and cross my fingers it will work), but I think I'll just buy a NetGear device instead.
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so-so performance, December 15, 2004
By chosen 1 (CA USA)
i get disconnected at least 3 or 4 times a day using these linksys wireless routers. Do your research and buy something like netgear or dlink.
At best, each time i get disconnected i have to restart my pc and the router and wait 10 minutes to get back online again. if you're doing something important, forget it!
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Easy, small and fast, December 5, 2004
By A. M. (Iowa)
i got this router with a USB adapter from the same brand...
it took me more to open the box than to configure the router with my cable internet and the USB adapter...
i have the computer in the basement and the router is located in the third floor....and the Signal Strengh s excellent...
its a really good product...easy set-up interfase (WEB)...a lot of characteristics....
but i recommend you to download the lastest Firware...i'll work better!
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Mixed Views, December 1, 2004
By Joaquin Menchaca (San Jos, CA USA)
One one side, I used swear by Linksys, as they are easy to use and configure, even if one doesn't understand routing terminology. On the other side, now that I am starting to understand this stuff, I am finding many bugs that are frustrating.
I had the box actually crash a few times. It crashed a few times when configuring using the port forwarding feature, where one would map an incoming port like http or port 80 to one computer inside the house. The box wouldn't take the port, and eventaully crashed. I had to reset the device, erasing the setup.
Another problem I found, is that you are forced to use Linksys's limited DHCP. Let's say you crafty enough to setup a DHCP on your LAN with something like Linux or Windows Server. This DHCP will not work for wireless, only the LAN. :'( This makes wireless limited, especially when adding a little security by controlling who gets what IP address.
For wireless, I couldn't find ways to secure this other than through the limited and crackable WEP feature, which doesn't work BTW for some Wi-Fi cards. There's also no filtering in of particular laptops within your home (using permitted MAC addresses). Maybe future versions will fix this...
Now shifting gears to the stuff I do like. It has a simple web interface, which is intuitive and easy to use. The password sent over the wire is insecure in clear-text, but should be safe for non-wireless users. It has some logging features that can help in discerning if the network is being attacked (usually quite often not surprisingly), and for advanced features it supports filters (good for filtering out ports used by potential worms/viruses for doing damage on the Internet), port forwarding with a limit of 10 forwards (good for most basic of needs), static/dynamic routing features, MAC address cloning, and DMZ.
On a last note, I really like the industrial design of the case, esepcially for stacking other Linksys products like switches on top of it.
Overall this box is great for home users with basic needs, and for this would give it 4 stars. It would lose a star because the wireless doesn't offer enough in a way of security, so a big negative there. Though, for advanced users, there are a lot of unecessary limitations, bugs, and crashes (DHCP, only 10 port forwarding entries, security, etc.), this would be a 2 stars. Thus, this averages in the middle.
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Does the job -- sometimes, December 1, 2004
By Vishal Jangla (Santa Clara, CA USA)
I have had this router for over a year and it still seems to do the job. It wasn't too hard to configure or install. However, occasionally, I would have wireless connectivity issues. I couldn't diagnose whether it was an issue with the laptops(s) or the router. Either way, one laptop is still unable to connect with this router.
Otherwise, it has plenty of options to configure it depending on your Internet setup.
I would give it 3 stars due to its unreliability.
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hard to use, November 25, 2004
By skywalker CN
I could not set up a secure wireless network with this router. It is hard to use.
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disposable router, November 23, 2004
By filero fish
I bought this model for my home network. It completely died and I can't get any decent service from Linksys.com. When I call them on the phone, all you get is some unintelligible operator with a heavy foreign accent who was obviously given that job to keep decent folk with legitimate complaints at bay. Unless you are into disposable routers, stay away from all things Linksys! Otherwise, I have a used one that I would like to sell.
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Linksys router and card are not up to its reputation, November 13, 2004
By Winston T. Hooker Sr. (St. Charles, MO USA)
I bought this router and a Linksys wireless card 1-1/2 years ago. The router crapped out at the end of its 1-year warranty and they sent me a replacement. It lasted 6 months and crapped out, but since my total warranty period was 1-year, I have to buy a new router. The wireless card lasted until a month ago and I replaced it with a Belkin card with a "lifetime" warranty. Linksys Tech support was exported to India and they try but the language problem is there. I will not buy Linksys products again.
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Why you should buy Wireless-B instead of Wireless-G, November 9, 2004
By K. N. Gunn (Carrboro, NC United States)
This is a great product and a greal value. I heartily recommend it in lieu of the various Wireless-G offerings for anyone not trying to play high-end games between wirelessly-networked computers in their home. Why? Simple: cable modems typically have a maximum speed of 3 Mb/sec. DSL is similar, but usually lower (1.5Mb/sec). A Wireless-B router is 11 Mb/sec and is therefore capable of sustained transfer speeds much greater than your connection to the internet anyway. Wireless-G is even faster at 54Mb/sec. However, ANYTHING OVER THE SPEED OF YOUR INTERNET CONNECTION IS WASTED. Again, the exception is when you have multiple computers in your house which need to attach to EACH OTHER at high speeds. The extra money you spend on Wireless-G is wasted. Oh, and a Wireless-G laptop WILL work with a Wireless-B router. Do yourself a favor: save some money and get this product!
Oh, I'm a computer systems specialist at a major university in NC, so I do have some idea what I'm saying!
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Install SP2 - helps alot!, October 3, 2004
By jayg99 (Corpus Christi, TX United States)
Initially I didn't like that this router much, even though it was easy to set-up. With basic operation it worked fairly well, as long as I didn't add WEP encryption. However, when WEP was enabled this router continually dropped out and needed to be reconnected, continually. This made even web surfing frustrating and downloading almost impossible.
However, once I installed the XP Service Pack 2 - this router works like a dream. WEP is enabled and the router never drops out anywhere in my house. Reception is 2-3 bars at it's worse.
I'm very happy and impressed now - it just took 3 months to get there! At times I thought this thing was a piece of junk, it's definately not!
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Router is good. Linksys support is awful., September 23, 2004
By ChrisWN (Santa Cruz, CA)
When I bought this router, I used Linksys' support # to configure it. I am on a Mac & was able to call Linksys' support, get through easily, talk to someone in the US who was familiar w/ OSX and connect via my DSL modem without a hitch. I recently upgraded to the WRT54 & tried calling because I couldn't access my router's settings via IE. To my dismay, the person on the other end was not a native English speaker & I had a very difficult time understanding him (I had to ask him to repeat every instruction at least twice). I was uncomfortable sending out my details (phone#, service provider & IP address) to him because of this. As it turns out, he was in India. He also said he knew nothing about OSX & that I should call Apple to find out how to configure my Linksys router. Well that's helpful. While the new router is considerably cheaper than Apple's base station, I am considering sending it back & paying the difference for Apple's base station because I am so annoyed that Linksys has outsourced its technical support to India, even though my BEFW11S4 has worked fine (as long as i don't have to change settings).
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