Rating: 
Summary: Couldn't be better!
Review: I just bought and set up my Linksys router with three computers, one hard-wired desktop and two wireless notebooks, one with Windows Me and one on Windows 2000. Setup was difficult and was impossible for me to figure out myself without having to spend hours on the computer. I called support and they were able to help me out and I was up and running after a few minutes. The range is pretty good considering the access point and the laptop are on opposite sides of the house and the speed is fast for the internet. It is a great product (or at least it is so far) and it is a nice thing to have.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic
Review: I puchased this product after a great review in PC Magazine. I had recently signed up with RoadRunner cable broadband; during the install I asked about using a cable router and they said no problem. I also sent e-mail to tech support at RoadRunner and they said no problem as well. Well guess what? They were right! I powered down all the hardware, removed the ethernet patch cord from my PC and plugged it into the router. I ran new patch cords from the router to my two PCs (both already had NICs installed) and turned everything back on. When I fired up IE on my main box to configure the router, my defalt home page at MSN flashed on the screen instantly. Same for the second machine. This thing just worked perfectly. The only thing I really had to do was configure the router for a wireless PC connection in another room. And that went exactly as advertised as well (although there is some softwre required for that machine). Don't hesitate!
Rating: 
Summary: no range, no support
Review: Forget anything they say about range. Essentially, non existent. Could not get any signal at all from a distance of about 60 feet through a wall. Worked just fine a distance of four feet computer next to unit), but unable to get any signal for other two computers that are upstairs. Support is less than spotty. Long waits, poor english, poor attitude, non existent ability. They did not have a clue. My cable company solved the initial problem in getting the computer next to the unit to work. Problem is with recognizing the MAC number of the router. Five phone calls and not one of the support people suggested this as problem. You get an operator who says someone will call you back. Do not hold your breathe or have anywhere else to go. Finally told by level two support person that range is not what advertised and I could add an access point and maybe it will work, but it will definitely not work at the distance I need (60 feet through one wall)
Rating: 
Summary: Piece of s
Review: It is a good looking router, to say the least ... but it just goes downhill from there. I just wrote a 2 page letter to LinkSys stating my disappointment. I would *never* usually do something like that, but had such a bad experience with their tech support. Setting up a router, no problem. Troubleshooting it when @Home keeps knocking you off? Well, let's just say their tech support said "...I would go out and buy another" after we couldn't get the firmware upgrade to stick. Sad, but true. I'm taking that guy's advice. I suggest you do, too.
Rating:
Summary: Not for Macintosh Users
Review: I do not recommend the Linksys BEFW11S4 Wireless 4-Port Cable/DSL Router(WC/D router) for Macintosh users for the following reasons. 1. The WC/D router comes with a CD that contains instructions and video to help the user install the product. The CD didn't work on a Mac. 2. The manual contains details for the configuration of Windows networking, but no instructions for the configuration of the Macintosh TCP/IP control panel. 3. Firmware upgrades are only provided as Windows executables. When I contacted Linksys to tell them how disappointed I was in their Macintosh support, I received no reply.
Rating:
Summary: Freezes on me, features don't work
Review: What a pos this proved to be. I left it running overnight next day the whole system froze. Had to re-boot all the PCs and power-down the router. I tried using the port fwd'ing feature and it caused all my wired PCs to stop resolving DNS names (can't connect out). Wireless PC strangely kept on working with port-fwd'ing on!! DMZ mode seems to work instead of port fwd'ing though. But then I end up exposing all ports on that PC to outside world! Wireless connectivity as other people note is pretty bad. Less than 20 feet for 80% signal stength. Dropped to 25% signal strength when I went to the downstairs living room (60 ft away) You hit the Continue button after re-configuring it too fast and the CGI script in the router hangs and then you have to re-boot ur PC!! Horrible device. You truly get what u pay for.
Rating: 
Summary: Wireless is wonderful, and this router isn't bad either!
Review: Wireless DSL is amazing and may really change your Internet habits. I haven't touched my trusty desktop in weeks. Wandering with a wireless laptop at DSL speeds is such a convenience. The Linksys BEFW11S4 is easy to set up and works very, very well. The built-in 4 port hub allows greater flexability and economy in that you can keep an existing hard wired network working while branching out with wireless nodes. This is the answer for homes where it would be costly, unsightly or just-plain-too-hard to run CAT 6 networking cable. Nodes will cost more to set up (compare a [amt] NIC to a [amt] wireless PC Card or USB adapter), but the ability to get rid of cable mess and freedom of movement makes the expenditure well worth it. I'm running six nodes off the unit (with as many as four in use at one time), and we are all happy as clams. My only reservation about this unit is that, as with walkie-talkies and cordless phones, the ranges promised are never achieved. The touted 300 foot indoor range is an ad man's fantasy. Perhaps YOU can get true 300 foot range in doors (maybe in Bill Gate's powder room), but in my 40'x 50' two story house, reception is shaky at the perimeter when the router is centrally located on the first floor and I'm not positioned just so. Our walls aren't made of lead or reinforced with steel, just the usual gypsum board and wood. If you can stay within fifty feet or so, you'll get a pretty robust, stable connection and be quite content with this product. It is compatible with other manufacturers' 802.11B products, so mix and match if you get a better deal on wireless NICs.
Rating: 
Summary: A relatively easy and good value..with the right firmware
Review: I bought the Linksys BEFW11S4 wireless router after helping one of my friends with their non wireless version. Been using it for two months now and I think it is good unit, even if had to improve its firmware. This is the main reason I rate 4 stars instead of five. I am using the version 1.37.9b Jun 21 2001 firmware for the router and version v0.2c6 for the wireless access part, and I am extremely happy with both. As indicated in other reviews, some previous versions have lacked features or created problems. The current level supports most of the common features of wireless connectivity (WEP, MAC filtering, choice of authentication types, etc.) as well as solid IPSEC tunneling. I use this router (connected to a cable modem) with a Cisco 340 Aironet card with a Thinkpad T20 dual boot windows 2000 / Redhat Linux 7.0 partions, and it works well with both. The web enabled setup is easy to use and comes with help that mostly reflects the features that are included in the current firmware levels. I have used it outside through cinder block walls at about 50 feet and it has done just fine. With the current level of firmware this is a good product and was worth the money.
Rating:
Summary: Only one nasty bug
Review: I beat my head against a rather obscure bug for about 3 weeks before calling Linksys support. I have two machines hooked to the switch and was using a Linksys wireless PC card and all was fine. I had heard Lucent Orinoco cards had better range and switched to the Lucent only to experience some really strange behavior. Turns out that one of the two machines I had on the switch was using a DEC 21140 Ethernet controller chip which I was told was incompatable. I could not believe it! Why were things working fine with the Linksys wireless card and not the Orinoco? Incredulous, I swapped out the card in my other machine. It suddenly started working! The strange thing was that the card with the DEC chip was made by Linksys!! Other than that bit of weirdness, the product is great.
Rating:
Summary: Great Product!!
Review: I have been involved with PCs since the mid 70's and always have my eye out for great new products. I purchased and set up (with help from the best technical service department I have ever called) a Wireless AP + Cable \ DSL Router and 3 wireless PC cards for 3 IBM laptops. To my amazement, once the initial connection was made the other two laptops connected almost by themselves. All three laptops now have full access to 1 cable modem throughout my apartment. Bulletproof performance is an understatement. My cordless phone and cell phone work intermittently but I have never lost the cable signal from the Linksys router no matter where I go in the three bedroom condominium. I am so amazed at the simplicity of setup and the great performance that I am telling everyone I know. Great Product!!
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