Home > Consumer Reviews > Linksys FENSK05 EtherFast 10/100 Network in a Box

I cringed when reading the review from the guy who bought this, then went through the painful process of setting up Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) in Windows just to connect a second computer to his cable modem. There is A BETTER WAY, people! Instead of this, get yourself a Linksys BEFSR41 4-Port Etherfast Cable/DSL Router. It has ports for up to four computers to plug in and go, plus you don't have to mess with ICS; it handles the connection sharing on its own, independent of the types of computers you plug into it (Windows-based PCs, Macs, Linux boxes, whatever). Additionally, a router such as this also contains a hardware firewall to keep hackers out. You may think that firewalls are only for corporate networks, but consider this: any computer connected to the Internet full-time--as with a cable modem or DSL line--is terribly vulnerable to getting hacked! If you want to share your cable modem or DSL line between two or more computes, do yourself a favor and get one of these Linksys routers. You may also need an Ethernet card (also called a Network Interface Card), but they can be had for under $30. THIS IS THE WAY!

I bought this kit to connect my computers. I did research (of course) before choosing this kit... all signs seemed to point towards this one, so you can see why it was pretty easy to pick the right one for me.

When I got it, i opened it up, and was surprised to see the detailed manuals for easy installation. Wow... it couldn't have been easier. Installation went perfectly. Put the NICs in each Computer's PCI slot, and booted up. Drivers went in perfectly.

I'm now using my home LAN for small LAN parties, and for cable access among each computer. Its more than enough for what any home user would need. I would say that you could even get away w/ using it in a small office.

Oh, and if you plan on upgrading to win2k later on, rest assured... Linksys has beta-drivers for their etherfast 10/100 cards, and i've tried them out. They work, perfectly, haven't had a prob. But hey.. they're beta for a reason eh?

I have used the LinkSys Ethernet product to hook up two of my W98 computers. I have been very pleased with ease of setup and use. So far I have had no issues with Linksys products or services.

I recently purchased a network in a box kit. On the box it states it works with DSL and cable. I started out with a ME machine connecting to a 98 machine, after installation all worked fine. I upgraded the ME machine to win2000 and I now am having trouble configuring the 98 machines internet access, printer sharing works fine. I am sharing DSL internet access thru the 2000 machine. I have called tech support a couple of times but I always get a different answer, the last guy told me to buy a router without even asking what my configuration was. If he would have explained the reasoning for this he might have sold me. I had one guy tell me he didn't have time to help me configure this and he hung up on me. I am not happy with the customer service so far.... Maybe tech support should spend as much time with me as I do on hold and getting thru the phone system. If I have to buy a router I will, but I am not sure I would buy a product from them again.

Quick, easy. I agree with the previous review regarding the drivers. You kinda search around for the file location, but after that & a reboot, away we went. We're not doing anything fancy with it. Sharing a dial-up connection for Pete's sake, but it works great! I'd recommend this to anyone for their first network.