Home > Consumer Reviews > Linksys BEFSR11 Cable/dsl Router with 1-PORT

This lil' linky does wonders for it's price. I got it up and going in about 15 minutes. First I connected my cable modem [provided by roadrunner] directly to the WAN port and out from the LAN port I connected my already existing HUB with both my computers already connected, and in about 2 - 3 steps and one restart both my computers were prtected by a firewall. It couldn't get any easier. I was prepared by downloading the latest version of the firmware before i even got it in the mail and before anything i upgraded and everything worked perfect.

I recommend this product for anyone with a Cable/DSL connection and more than one computer. That includes beginners and advanced users. A definate plus to anyones home office.

It takes more time to reconfigure applications like napster, webcam32, and ICQ than it does to setup the router. And don't forget a 3' CAT 5, because it doesn't come with the product.

This is without a doubt one of the best purchases I have ever made. I mean it. This device is everything it is advertised to be and more.

I had a ADSL line installed into my home in August. Since that time I have attempted to get multi-computer access to the Internet via a multitude of methods. I have attempted to setup a proxy server. This method works but was difficult to setup and never seemed to work with all Internet based services. I also spent 2 months trying to get a Cisco 675 router to work with ZERO success. My frustration level continued to grow and I ordered the Linksys BEFSR11 out of desperation.

The Linksys unit worked right out of the box, almost literally. It took me only an hour from unboxing to having multiple PC's on the Internet. The majority of the time was spent researching my DSL providers PPOE settings. I have the modem running to the router and then running with a regular category 5 cable to a dumb hub and then each PC is connected to the hub. The router assigns valid Internet IP's to each PC and all my interne applications work great. Napster, ICQ, Newsgroups, and IRC all work wonderfully. Another great side affect of going to the router is that my overall access speed is about twenty percent faster then it was connecting directly from the computer to the modem.

This is a wonderful device and I have recommended it to all my friends and family who are know entering the broadband world via cable or DSL. Thanks Linksys!

If you are looking to connect your existing (or new) home- or small business network to the Internet, this router is your best choice.

Within an hour, my small home/business network was connected to the Internet through this router and a cable modem. That includes a few minutes looking for a misplaced patch cord and available outlet.

Because my ISP will think only one computer is connected to the Internet, I save additional monthly charges. This should pay for the router within a few months!

Before I purchased this item, I read other reviews and made sure I was prepared for any of the possible noted problems. However, none really occured in my situation. As for the manual, I received the full manual available from www.linksys.com, so they may have listened to our requests.

If you're not too keen on networking, beware of the following:

This router does not come with a cable to connect it to your Hub or Switch. You'll need to purchase it seperately. These cables are called 'Patch Cords' (details: RJ45 connector, CAT 5).

Some ISPs have set your browser to connect using a proxy. Be sure to temporarily disable the proxy settings when configuring your router. In MS Internet Explorer 5+, select the "Tools" menu, click "Internet Options", click the "Connections" tab and click "Lan Settings" - deselect the checkbox for "Use Proxy" to disable the proxy and vice versa to re-enable it.

I found that it's easier to set your LAN configuration to "automatically assign IP address/DNS server" before you start installing this router - however, this depends on your network configuration.

Lastly, before I started installing my router, I made sure I had the latest Firmware update from www.linksys.com. Once the router was installed and responded to the browser (for configuration), I updated my router's firmware before configuring it any further. This saved me the hassle of configuring, updating and re-configuring.

After all my research on this router versus Netgear, I chose the Linksys due to price and assuming it might be more compatible with my existing 10/100 5 port Linksys hub and cards.

After hooking it up to my Com21 cable modem, it interfaced wonderfully with my system. No problems using it with Comcast@Home service. If you follow the instructions, it installs flawlessly. Of course I didn't follow them, being in network support, and I had to fiddle a bit. Nonetheless, I imagine anyone with little to no experience can have this up and running in no time. Top it all off with free shipping, and it was a no-brainer.

Being a geek, I would have liked a command line interface like that in the NetGear for tweaking; but the advanced features GUI in the Linksys is probably enough for home use. DHCP client and server work great. I've backed up the router firewall with ZoneAlarmPro on individual PCs. I have noticed far fewer hacker intrusions, but ZoneAlarm has still found an occasional one trying to get through.

If you want a quick and easy NAT solution this is it. Had the thing up and going in about 3 minutes. Connected it to the cable modem and my hub and away I went. The hardest part was releasing my previous IP address. I've tried all kinds of sofware solutions as well as Linux and this is it. Not quite as fun to set up as a Linux box but a heck of a lot quicker.