Rating: 
Summary: Powerful, simple and easy to manage - Excellent Buy
Review: The Linksys BEFSR41 Etherfast 4-Port Cable/DSL Router is one of the best broadband routers out there. This router/hub allows you to share your single internet connection provided by cable modem or DSL to multiple computers. Using the uplink port, you can stick in a hub and theoretically support up to 253 computers.This box contains 4 auto-sensing 10/100 ports. Installation is a snap and no software is needed. You plug in Internet provider's network cable (RJ45) into the WAN port and power it up. The box acts as a DHCP client and gets an IP address. Once that's done, you can plug in your other computers into the Linksys box and share the same connection. The router supports DHCP and acts as a DHCP server to your computer. It also uses NAT (Network Address Translation) that essentially makes up IP addresses internally and hides all of your computers behind the router. All your computers going out to the Internet appear as they are using the same IP address. This box also acts as a firewall blocking out all of your ports. The box even has a DMZ host option that allows one PC on your network to be exposed to the Internet, providing unrestricted two-way communication between a machine and an Internet service. You probably don't want to do that, but it's there if you need to. In a nutshell, the Etherfast Cable/DSL router is very simple to operate yet powerful and easy to manage using the web based admin app. A must buy if you need to share your Internet connection. I like the 4 port version so much, I just upgraded to the 8 port version. Great job Linksys.
Rating:
Summary: I LOVE stuff that installs super easy and works great!!!
Review: I've been putting off hooking up a router to get my son and wife's PC on the internet because I dreaded having to slog through getting information from my ISP (Verizon), configuring network cards and generally mucking around in places I wasn't comfortable mucking around in.
Well, there was absolutely no reason to wait at all. From plunking the unopened box onto my desk to surfing the internet through the new router took about 10 minutes (and there was a bathroom break included in that time)! Super easy to setup on my existing PC and absolutely painless on my wife's new PC (running XP all I had to do was plug the network cable in and it did the rest).
I must've [made a mistake] ... setting up my DSL originally on my WinME computer, but after installing this router, my internet connection is MUCH faster. I'm kicking myself for waiting so long to do this!!
Great product, highly recommend.
Rating:
Summary: Great Router!
Review: Just hooked this up to my DSL Gateway two days ago. Both household laptops can surf the web at the same time, and both have the DSL! It's great, you connect your RJ45 cables from your computers to the router, connect the router to your cable modem/gateway, and you're hooked up. It's nice, like getting up to 4 DSL connections for one :)
Rating: 
Summary: Poor Product Performance / Worse Customer Service
Review: I read another review on this site which was quite favorable and decided to buy this product. After installing, it wasn't quite as easy to configure as some would have you beleive. I called customer support and was on hold for 45 minutes before I was forced to leave my name and number. Two days later, Linksys returned my call. After 30 minutes of changing parameters, the product finally started working. The next day I noticed that my broadband connection to the web was very slow and I could not receive some e-mail. When I disconnected from the linksys product and just connected the cable modem directly to my computer, everything worked fine and blazingly fast. So I called Tech Support again and could not get thru. I then tried to leave a message, but guess what - the mail box was full. Unless your a glutton for punishment, I would avoid this product.
Rating:
Summary: A great router with OUTSTANDING tech. support!
Review: I was amazed by how easy this router was to set up. I had never set one up before and with a quick phone call the Linksys's incredible tech support number I was up and running and feeling like a pro! If you are at all concerned with getting good tech. support and a good product just look for the Linksys name and you are there...
Rating: 
Summary: Good Start - Bad Finish
Review: I was off to a good start with the product. The Internet configuration worked well. The documentation was not so great but I worked through it. It has a handy feature set for firewall configuration and an amazing price..but.. I decided to build another computer to use with the unit. I spent countless hours troubleshooting problems with basic LAN connectivity with the unit that I was sure were related to the PC side of things. I did everything..changing network cards..cables..PCs..(as I had a couple extras)..operating systems (Linux and Windows NT) and sadly diagnosed my problems to flaky "hub" functionality of the Linksys router. It appears that it had intermittent problems with LAN speed arbitration and link establishment. It was ugly. There are no diagnostics to run on the router and minimial support on the web site. The crowning blow was to call tech support and report my experience. I was promised that they would email me an RMA number to replace the router, but, unless I wanted to wait three weeks I would have to pay special shipping. I agreed but a week later I still have no RMA number and still have the flaky router. I must conclude that it is a great idea with a great price but (poor) workmanship (quality). I'm looking elsewhere for a replacement. (...)
Rating: 
Summary: No time set-up
Review: This is the second router I bought to share a cable modem/dsl connection. The first was the SMC. After spending hours on the phone with SMC tech support, they recommended I take the box out and shoot it. I returned it and bought the Linksys. Connected a PC and mac in half an hour. Works great. Couldn't tell you how tech support was because I didn't need it.
Rating:
Summary: Worst Customer Service
Review: When it works, it is a joy. About once a week it jams. I have had 2 boxes in 1 year and gave up on getting a new one. Customer service promised to send one and they didn't. Try getting them on the phone and you will wait an hour. Or they will call you back in 5 hours (usually while you walk the dog) So I went and purchased another and burned the old one. (took the advise from another helpful rater below)
Rating:
Summary: Smitty in Germany
Review: Received it in 5 days to Germany. Took it out of the box, plugged it in, connected to my DSL modem, configured on the http address, done! If less than 5 minutes I had a desktop and a notebook connected DSL to my ISP. The footprint is smaller than I thought, but it fits better on my home office desk. The configuration is very easy, documentation includes a quick setup guide which is perfect. The user's guide even teaches you a little about DHCP and TCPIP - although probably not necessary. Power constraints in Germany require that I use a step down transformer - not a problem, but would have been better to have an AC adapter that would work with additional power requirements. If you need to connect 2 or more computers in the house or office, or even if you just want to just say "I own a router.", then buy it. For (...), this is a very good deal.
Rating:
Summary: Good - eight port is better
Review: I purchased the 4-port model over a year ago because an 8-port was not available yet. Since then I've configured Linksys routers for friends, and they are all satisfied. Now that the newer 8-port model is available I've been able to configure it also: it is a better product. The four stars is a good rating. This is not equivalent to what we use in large offices mind you, but for consumer electronics it is quite reasonable. There will it seems always be a want list for products like this. The set up instructions would be better if they were written by someone who knew little or nothing about electronics. Mind you, configuring it is easy, but some ISPs make what you INDIVIDUALLY need a little confusing. Be sure to download the current firmware from Linksys to gain all the performance you can. IT WILL NOT CONFIGURE IF YOU HAVE A PROXY ENABLED: look in your browser settings and deselect any proxy to configure the router, then reselect the proxy. That said, I've seen several computers with corporate control software for the office work just fine at home without changing anything using this router. If you don't know what you need, this is a good choice to start a small network in a home or small office. (The 8-port is better). Be sure to change the router password. :)
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