Rating: Summary: Want to share your cable/dsl connection? Look no further. Review: I'll keep this short and simple: Don't bother with ICS anymore, this is the answer. It's easy to set up, but has some advanced features too. The port forwarding is great if you want to do a web/ftp server. It has PPPoe setup so you don't have to bother with that on your computers. It acts as a firewall to keep out people who probe open ports. I have two Win2000 computers plus one Linux box on my LAN, and each is connected to the internet through my DSL connection. It works like a charm.
Rating: Summary: garbage Review: I do not know why this thing got all those great ratings; unfortunately I bought this on the strength of those reviews. It seems great when you set it up, but you will find it has the most annoying habit of losing the connection VERY frequently. If you have an always on broadband connection, don't get this unless you just miss the old days of dialup and waiting to reconnect every time you want to get onto the Internet. It's certainly the cheapest thing out there; spend more and get something else! Furthermore, Linksys tech support is non-existent; they do not respond. I had decided to return this, only to find that my wife had just thrown away the box the day before and now I am stuck with it. I will wind up paying twice to replace this peice of trash. By the way, the next model up (BEFSR14-4port) has the same problem (from what I have read of other reviews). If you still want to take a chance, just save the box and the receipt!
Rating: Summary: Simply works and does its job. Even a newbie can use Review: I work in technology and have for the last 10 years. There are two products that I have that really impressed me.... 1. TIVO 2. Linksys router/switch What it takes for me to actually be impressed by a technology product it has to be simple, (plug and play simple) the right price or better and be 99.999% reliable or better. This product is simple, just plug the darn thing in and it works. You only need to configure it if you want to do something a little non-standard. It has yet to fail me and I have had it for quite some time. If you need to share a high speed internet connection like DSL or cable this product is the best I have seen. Also in it;'s latest incarnation it supports PPPoE so it will work with any DSL provider out there without having to install the crummy ISP software on your actual workstation. Oh yeah and don't forget it supports NAT (Network Address Translation) so it basically acts as a firewall as well.
Rating: Summary: Highly recommended... but don't forget the hub! Review: This is a great product. it's easy to setup, configure, and manage. But since this is the one-port version, don't forget to pick up a hub or switch, because if you don't, it makes this product pretty useless. My only gripe is the lack of suppose from Linksys. I wish they'd have a faq on commonly used apps like ICQ or YIM... it's a pain sometimes to not be able to read a step by step manual. But you DO learn that way. :)
Rating: Summary: Good for price Review: it was a good price. I had a little of a tough time configuring through Internet Explorer, but I think it was related to my settings. Once I got past that, everything was fine. Make sure that you download the firmware update from Linksys' web site, especially if you are a DSL user (I have cable modem).
Rating: Summary: Worst Customer Service EVER Review: I purchased one of this company's products and I have NEVER encountered worse customer service. The 800 number rings and rings and when it finally answers you are on hold forever. When you finally get through to the tech support department, there is an operator who takes a message under the guise that someone will actually return the call. When someone finally called me back (after I repeatedly called them to check the status of the callback), the person could not have been in a bigger hurry to get me off the line. When I followed his instructions, my computer locked up and then he said he could'nt wait for me to fix my computer so he hung up. He actually hung up on me! I could'nt believe it. When I called this company to find out the name of the President, the person answering the phone was reluctant to provide it. When I asked for the President's e-mail address and address so that I could send a letter, this person refused to provide it and also hung up on me. If you are stupid enough to purchase this product after my experiences, all I can say is that you better know what the hell you are doing because Linksys certainly will not help you.
Rating: Summary: Defective routers Review: During the past two days I have worked with two of these routers in succession and spent approximately 3 hours on the phone with (or mostly waiting for) the company's technical support representatives. After exhausting other possibilities, the tech reps concluded that both routers are defective and I am returning them. (I bought the routers from a local retailer rather than Amazon.) Nearly as frustrating as the product defects was the company's lack of support for Macintosh. Although the router is capable of operating in a Mac Ethernet network, the setup instructions, both in the documentation and on the company's web site, have critical gaps for Mac users. To its credit, the company has 24-hour tech support. The tech reps are helpful but are not knowledgable about Macintosh. Bottom line: Might be okay for Windows users if you can find one that's defect-free.
Rating: Summary: Great Solution Review: I have a small 100MB home network with four computers. When I was using a dialup connection I used WinProxy on one system to allow all of the computers to access the internet. It worked but was sloooowww! When I decided to upgrade to Cable Modem I was concerned with security (none on Windows 98!) and was investigating software firewalls. But by installing the Linksys router I was able to use its firewall capabilities and only have to pay ATT for a single IP address while all the home computers can access the internet simultaneous. And the internet apps seem to work fine (e.g. the kids using AIM, etc.)
Rating: Summary: Simply a joy to install and use Review: This thing is da bomb! Talk about easy to install and set up, wow. No software to install, just a VERY easy to follow instruction manual. It was plug and play for me. No slowdown in internet performance either.
Rating: Summary: great product Review: I wanted this product because of the firewall protection. It is certainly that and more. You basically take out of the box and follow the instructions in the manual to plug in, the accept all defaults. I only have two complaints. One is that it doesn't come with a network cable and two there is a misleading comment on the top of the filter screen about disabling DHCP. If you ignore that, you'll be fine.
|