Rating: 
Summary: Problems with Verizon DSL
Review: This router has not worked with my Verizon DSL and the tech rep could only attribute it to "a defective WAN port" even though the connected light was illuminated. I am also running the latest version of the firmware (1.34). Anyone been able to fix it with verizon? E-mail me: kmichels9999@hotmail.com Thanks
Rating: 
Summary: Not A Good Experience
Review: Tried for several days to hook it up to my HP 8576 Pavilion and could not get it to work. Linksys was not available for guidance so I hired a consultant who also failed in the attempt. Good luck to those who purchase this product in the future!!
Rating: 
Summary: For What it Offers, it Delivers Very Well
Review: Don't expect a powerhouse or a routing/firewall solution as flexibile as some software solutions, but for what this device offers, it delivers well. It does have all of the standard routing/firewall options, such as port forwarding, but it is more limiting in the total possible ports forwarded, and other configuration items that are much more flexible with a software solution. However, for the price, it's hard to beat in the SOHO environment, especially if you don't have a computer to dedicate to the routing/firewall duties. The only serious drawbacks I've ever encountered with the product are the limit on ports forwarded and an annoying habit, every so often (once a week, it seems) for the unit to just up and die (requiring a power cycle). A firmware upgrade may solve that problem, however.
Rating: 
Summary: This is better than anything we have used so far...
Review: We've tried Linux firewall w/ ip-forwarding and all kinds of other stuff, but nothing beats this. You can even make it work for pptp Microsoft vpn protocol with one dmz server for authentication. I am also using this at home or @home cable modem connection so that my kids have access to internet while i am playing Diablo2. For less then $200 bucks u can't get better than this. Easy to configure through your browser. ip-masquerading is easy too...No more Linux's complicated ipchains to contend with, whew....
Rating: 
Summary: Great Product...I wish it was more reliable
Review: Everything about this product makes you want to likeit: 1. Excellent features; router/firewall + 4 port hub(100/10 Mbps) 2. Good configuration flexibility such as DHCP served or static IP's, port forwarding and filtering, DMZ facility for video conferencing and on-line work where NAT can really screw you up. 3. Really easy to configure via a web interface, just type http://192.168.1.1 plus username/password and you're in! 4. A great price point for what you get. THIS PRODUCT SHOULD BE A SOHO NETWORK ROUTER CATEGORY KILLER EXCEPT.....my machine regularly 'seizes up' and cannot access the Net. The MTBF is utterly predictable at ~48 hours and a quick power re-cycle clears the problem. I've had my machine for 6 weeks now, so there has been adequate time to confirm that this is a persistent fault. From reading many posts on Usenet and www.dslreports I *know* other BEFSR41 users have this problem too. In fact another reviewer on Amazon talks about it. I just sent Linksys support an email detailing the problem with an IP Monitor log from one of my machines. Yet to hear back. I take reliability very seriously, and these days equipment such as the BEFSR41 *should* be more reliable. Accordingly I cannot recommend it unless you are happy to live with the same situation that I currently have. It's a real pity, given the many positive attributes. P.S Amazon service is great. ...
Rating:
Summary: Better than Win98SE
Review: This is a fairly decent product for internet sharing. Although touted as a firewall-it isn't. However it is a better alternative to using Win98SE. First of all, not everyone has Win98SE. Secondly the workstation acting as the proxy server has to be ALWAYS on, plus you do need a second NIC for that computer. Thirdly, the proxy workstation now has a lot of extra overhead by being a proxy, so this machine WILL run slower. Forthly, there is absolutely NO security, so you are now vulnerable to the internet. The Linksys at least does NAT. If you have a business and want a real firewall with VPN capability I'd buy a SonicWall, but for a home user with no real security issues the Linksys is one of the better products out there. The DSL problems I was reading about here are probably issues with your Telco, not the Linksys (imho).
Rating:
Summary: Win98se and win2000 pro Does not share connection after RR..
Review: I will try to keep this simple for non technical people. I would just like to add to this review section a correction to a false review posted by : Charles R. VIau from Braintree, MA USA. In win98se and win2000 pro yes, there is internet connection sharing built right in, and now the hitch. Installing Road Runner software nessary for you to connect to the Internet via Windows PC, disables your internet connection sharing function (at least on Cox RR that is). The only way around that is to get a switch and hook all computers on the local up to the switch and the Cable modem up to the uplink port. Or do this correctly and Purchase a Router to set all the nessary funtions you might want to use. Another word of advice for broadband users looking to share a connection, I suggest staying away from anything that is not technically a switch (don't use hubs), and since the linksys has a built in Switch (they are calling it a hub here but it does not work like a hub it works as a switch), Its good to go. The reason for shying away from hubs is this. Heavy Network Trafic (media apps, gaming or big file tranfers), on a hub tends to be messy with many packet collisions Equalling Currupted data. I have seen this happen many many times. Person A is watching Broadband content at 300k and person B is playing an online game and person C is doing an ICQ file tranfer or something of the like, and more often than not when using a hub the media slows and gets choppy for person A while the file that just got transferred to person C is corrupted and cant be opened or used properly. So with that said just purchase a true switch/router like the linksys and share your Internet connection 24/7 and you wont have to worry about Damaged files due to heavy network traffic on the local and you will thank yourself in the end for a little extra $$ spent up front! And remeber Low pingers live longer, choppy media is bad, and damaged files can make you pull your hair out! PUCHASE THE LINKSYS or an = :)
Rating:
Summary: Beware - Firmware Glitches
Review: One the surface of it, this looks like a great device - and in some respects it is. But beware. If you do large downloads, ftp transfers, use Connected on-line backup or Xdrive service, you will find that this router actually creates bad TCP/IP packets with unrecoverable CRC errors and the above mentioned services will fail. I spent days (literally) working to resolve this issues with LinkSys tech support. It took me 11 calls to them, and about 18 hours of telephone haggling to get to a senior tech support rep who casually said "Oh yea, the CRC error stuff - we know about that. There is something wrong in our Firmware, but we don't have a fix for it. Keep checking at our web site for new Firmware releases." So I kept checking, and ultimately downloaded three successive new versions of Firmware over the coming 4 weeks, none of which resolved the problem. By the time I decided to give up and return the device, I was past the 30 day liberty period for returns. So I donated it to the thing to the trash heap. It takes a minimum of 60 minutes to get through to a qualified tech support rep at LinkSys, and they don't keep detailed history records of previous calls on the same issue, so you get to start from scratch with each new support call. Beware! The most frustrating part of this is that LinkSys knew there was an issue and didn't post something on their web site about the limitation. Stick with a brand you can trust - like Cisco.
Rating:
Summary: Singapore - cable modern users
Review: its true .5 mins was all it took to set up this router and i was surfing . i didn't even bothered to read the installation manual and went ahead setting up the router to my two PCs. Cool
Rating:
Summary: Great device - but some caveats
Review: Up until a few months ago, I had relied on dual NIC cards and proxy software to get both of my machines to use my cable modem. Worked OK, but there were a lot of problems, specifically with apps that needed to open ports (like Realplayer), or secure Java apps. I bought the Linksys router on the advice of a friend, and never looked back. Setting up was a breeze - ten minutes from box to surf! Suddenly Realplayer worked fine, and no more Java security errors. The device also lets you forward ports for specific IPs, so apps like Napster also work well. The downside - certain apps will not work with the router. Particularly, certain types of VPN software (like Cisco VPN). This is not due to a bug in the router, but is a side-effect of the way that VPN works. Bottom line - for 99% of your networking needs, this little device delivers it all at a price that can't be beat. But if you intend to do some really esoteric stuff like VPN, you may run into glitches.
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