Rating: 
Summary: Great Router, Simple, Easy set-up, nice styling, PLUS CISCO!
Review: I bought my BEFSR41 a LONG time ago (and not on Amazon - sorry! I don't think Amazon was even really selling Linksys then!) And my router still works okey dokey. The router is really quite easy to set up. You plug it into whatever your WAN connection is and whammo you're up. The web administration tool is quite easy to use. If you are unfamiliar with all of this stuff - the help files at linksys.com are quite easy to use. I highly recommend you upgrade the firmware for the latest protections... Two things, however, I think everyone should know: a) You absolutely HAVE to change the password for the admin. The linksys passwords are well documented and known (for the default ones). If you don't change the password, you're as good as exposed. b) You absolutely HAVE to still run a firewall. While the NAT and the security settings are quite robust, Cisco has not yet built a decent firewall into this router. It is not a big issue, as there are many programs that are good (Zone Alarm, Norton's, etc.) but Linksys' firewall is easily hacked by a skilled hacker. That means they will get inside your network or at least "flip the router" and make it unusable. It would be nice if Cisco built a better firewall on the new models... Otherwise, for the money and the ease of set-up, this is a great router... and it lasts (evidenced by my 2.5 year old router!) Good luck.
Rating:
Summary: Linksys Saved My Sanity
Review: For months my cable connection was going down several times a day with monotonous regularity and I was on the phone with my cable company more than I was online. As a last resort, I decided to replace my (non Linksys) router with this one and I couldn't be more pleased. From the moment that I installed it--which was a snap--it has functioned flawlessly and seamlessly. I just wonder why I waited so long.
Rating:
Summary: It doesn't get any simpler than this.
Review: I have had this gadget sitting under my desk for several weeks now, just waiting for Christmas so that I could give my wife her present: a new 17-inch flat-screen iMac, so that she would have her own toy with which to get on the Internet. Since I was already on-line, with my Apple Titanium G4 PowerBook by way of cable modem, we obviously needed a "solution" for our home-office local area network so that she could do the same. Before I actually hooked everything up, I was slightly apprehensive. The outer-box graphics for this Linksys Model BESFR41 Cable/DSL Router didn't say anything about Macintosh compatibility. And, when I unpacked it, there was this 20-page foldout full of instructions on how to install the router for Windoze PC users, with three (!) separate sets of instructions for different Windoze OS's and five (!!) pages of help for these poor souls, should anything go wrong or simply not work. And not a word about Macintosh hook-up! I even inserted the CD-ROM in my PowerBook, only to find not a single Macintosh file! Well, apprehension be danged! I powered down my PowerBook and cable modem, followed the simple cabling instructions, and then simply powered everything back up (including the new iMac for its first time). Immediately, my PowerBook was back on-line with no perceptible loss of speed. More to the point, my wife's new iMac required not a bit of configuration. I simply launched both of her browsers (Internet Explorer and Apple's Safari), and there she was, on the 'net without a single configuration step required by me; everything was configured automatically. Now, THAT'S the way operating systems SHOULD work! With both Macs on-line and surfing, neither of us could detect any loss of speed. I suppose this is attributable to, as the product description says, "...the full-duplex speed of its built-in EtherFast 10/100 four-port switch." A very impressive device indeed! And, while it's a shame that not a mention of Apple is made anywhere in the printed material or on the CD-ROM, this oversight is of little consequence to Macintosh users who - like me - EXPECT that things will work properly, first time out. Two side benefits: (1.) Software firewall protection now seems unnecessary. Since installing the router, I've checked my Norton Personal Firewall access history, and have noted that not a single access attempt has gotten past the router. (2.) The size of the router perfectly solves another problem for me. With the same physical height as my external Syquest FireWire drive that sits on the opposite side of my PowerBook, I now have matching "stands" on which to put my new Cambridge MegaWorks 210D self-powered speakers. Now, if you'll pardon me, I'll go review the 17-inch flat-screen iMac and the Cambridge MegaWorks self-powered speakers. My wife and I really spoiled each other this year. :-) Windoze users have my sympathy. And the very first Windoze user who e-mails me can have the CD-ROM. AND the 20-page fold-out full of silly instructions. Totally free. I'll even pay the postage. You can never tell when you might need these two items.
Rating: 
Summary: Works just fine with Macintosh
Review: Thanks to the other Mac owners for their reviews. I would have given five stars except for the usual bs of not even mentioning Apple or Linux setup. I was up and running in five minutes without it - but it would be nice to at least mention us. There is no info provided specific to Mac setup - but it was not too difficult to figure out. Like most products that hook up to the Mac you can toss the cd! No ugly wintel "compatible" software is needed! Here are a few tips for those with a static IP using OSX (my config is via wireless antenna with a static ip): 1. Hook up your mac to the befsr41 without your cable modem or other outside world connections.
2. Open System Prefs>Network Prefs>Built In Ethernet, and click the TCP/IP tab.
3. Select DHCP (the befsr41 will be your dhcp!).
4. Connect to the befsr41 using the IP in your Safari browser window (http://www.192.168.1.1)
5. Set the following in the router configuration window:
a. Select static ip and type in your ip address (the one you were using on your Mac)
b. Subnet mask as provided by your isp
c. Default gateway (this is probably the old router ip address provided by your isp)
d. DNS primary and secondary
e. Local DHCP ENABLED
f. Local ip (default should be fine)
g. Mask (default should be fine)
h. Set the number of dhcp clients to the max number of computers you expect to use
i. Other defaults should be fine 6. Plug in your cable modem or "wireless" connection Should be good to go - check that you have your firewall enabled on your Mac! Find this in:System Prefs>Sharing>Firewall. Enjoy!
Rating: 
Summary: it's cheap for a reason
Review: Bought this router on a recommendation from a friend. That was a mistake. It works, mostly. It was certainly easy to set up, but I had to reboot the connection every 10 minutes or so. It's a good router for minor usage, but for two college kids who have to be online a good deal of the time, it's almost more trouble than it's worth. If you just want to be online for short periods of time, then this is a good router for you. But for anyone else, spend that bit more money on something more reliable.
Rating: 
Summary: It's good when it works !!!
Review: Good product, responsive customer service representatives, but this router needs resetting almost every day. It just stops working without evident reason. I upgraded the firmware with the latest version without results. The problem might be somwhere else but it is not- to my best knowledge, and the employees from Linksys could not give me a satisfactory anser to that problem after several calls of mine either. Maybe it will work better with a different setup but is this normal? Maybe it needs a newer firmware? I Don't recommend this product anyway.
Rating: 
Summary: Pain in the ***
Review: Wonder why this is so cheap? Well...I guess this may work out fine for anyone who uses the internet for no more than 15 minutes at a time or they don't mind unhooking all connections and bebooting every few minutes. Every once in awhile you may get lucky and stay connected for an hour. Do yourself a favor and pay a little more for something that works. I wound up buying a SMC Barricade and no more problems. The Linksus really deserves a -five stars.
Rating:
Summary: Easy to Setup
Review: Very easy setup connecting an iMac G4 and Powermac G4, each running OS 10.2.8, an iMac G3 running OS 9.1, and an IBM laptop running Windows 2000. Simple launch of web browser on each machine with one setting to the router and everything worked great, basically on first try. Sharing my cable modem connection could not be easier.
Rating:
Summary: Months of Headaches gone in a single purchase...
Review: I am a Cox customer and I currently have several computers. Previously I paid for 2 additional IP addresses (for an additional $6.00 a month per IP) and connected directly to the internet via hub. If you haven't ever had a setup like this let me tell you its more headache than its worth. First of all you are constantly losing connection to the internet on one or another computer. When this happens you have to turn all computers off ant unplug/reset the modem. If that doesn't work then it's a 45 min phone troubleshooting session with Cox. This system is a hassle and it's not worth it. On advice from the tech. at Cox one day I bought a router. I chose the Linksys befsr41 because it has universal plug and play (UPnP) and that means messenger voice and video conversations etc. work after a simple firmware upgrade available on the Linksys website. As soon as I finished the setup (15 min max) all computers connected to the internet without trouble and are browsing/conversing without snag. Had I known before that this was available I could have saved a lot of headaches and lowered my Cox bill $12 a month. Thanks Linksys! Two thumbs up!
Rating:
Summary: Reliability problems
Review: Setup easy, performance fine, but died in a few months. Same problem with BEFCMU10 Cable Modem. This seems more than just coincidence; previously used Linksys and they were good products. Now they are substandard from reliability standpoint. Am replacing all network products with Netgear; will not buy any further Linksys products.
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