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Linksys EtherFast Cable/DSL Router with 4-Port Switch BEFSR41
by kal_uk
The other opinions for the LinkSys Ethernet Cable/DSL router already give an accurate description of this zippy and easy to use piece of kit, so I won't dwell too much on that side of things! I'd been looking to share my broadband Telewest/Blueyonder connection with other computers in the house and had grown fed up with ... the Internet connection sharing software (just about all of them!) which had often proved tempermental and - of course - meant that the PC connected to the modem had to be 'always on'.
After reading articles in PC magazines about other routers, and difficulties in setting them up with Telewest accounts (especially when you have to 'spoof' a MAC address) I was a little reluctant to splash out - until I saw the LinkSys Ethernet Cable/DSL router on sale at just £85 for the four port version.
So I took a gamble, ordered it, it arrived the next day and had it installed in ten minutes and have never had to look back. It's fast, easy to set up (instructions for 'spoofing' your MAC address are given and will have to be followed if you use Blueyonder/Telewest) and at a price which isn't much more than some of the software sells for.
If you've several computers in your house and want to share your Blueyonder connection then this is the ideal way to do it!
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Linksys EtherFast Cable/DSL Router with 4-Port Switch BEFSR41
by Fcukfear2001
Having just imported a Linksys Etherfast Cable/DSL router with 4-port switch I have just overtaken all but the very latest NASA rocket hardware. Well maybe not, but nearly. Having orignally bought the product in the US (for £101), having returned to the UK (retail £140ish), I was told by the Linksys rep, that the US is a different build ... to the UK (9 volts instead of 5), and getting a transformer would be difficult. However he did suggest a couple of retailers.
Anyway, eventually the thing is up and running faster than Linford Christie. Alot easier to set up than a swedish flat-pack. And its running at lightning quick speeds, with full duplex connections to three PC's (200Mbps) With a 10Mbps capable WAN end, the router is unlikely to become old incapable in the foreseeable future, and to me is outstanding value for money. Using the IP address system to configure the router is as easy as pie, and for a novice to netwroking such as myself, I know feel an expert having read the User Guide which explains everything in some detail.
All RJ-45 sockets are plug-and-play as such, and the whole setup is easy to use. For such a little box of tricks, its amazing what it achieves, from a single 512kbps connection WAN side. So far, we havent had any major problems, and I will definitely consider buying more Linksys products if I ever need to in the future.
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Linksys EtherFast Cable/DSL Router with 4-Port Switch BEFSR41
by cswatt
This in my opinion is the best and easiest way to set up a home network and share a high speed cable or DSL connection. This is even a great solution for small to medium sized business as well. This router comes in 2 main versions, a single port version for using with just one computer, or combining with other hubs and ... switches, or a 4 port version which has a 4 port 10/100 switch built in.
This thing is very simple to set up.....to get going, you need not enter more than 3 lines of information in its very simple web-based configuration utility.
It can support up to 253 clients on the internal network, acting as a DHCP server assigning each computer an IP address and handing out internet to each one.
I myself have the single port version and have built a network of 7 computers in my home with this product. We even use this router at my place of work, administering to almost 20 computers.
The great thing about this router is that it comes with a built-in hardware firewall which uses NAT technology and TCP/IP port inspection leaving you impervious to all but the most ambitious of hackers.
Internet sharing software can often be mucky and troublesome, and adding more than one network card to a system can render it more unstable and slow to boot up. This router eliminates all need for that. Just one network card in each computer, and no sotware running in the background to slow things down.
I have found this to be a very reliable product as I have personally sold more than a dozen of these units, and the store I work for has sold literally hundreds and all but a very few have been extremely pleased with this router and its performance.
The only downside I have found is the price. The single port version sells for between 149 and 169 Canadian, and the four port sells for between 199 and 229 Canadian. I would still highly recommend this prodect to anyone serious about home networking.
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