| Linksys BEFW11S4 Wireless-B Cable/DSL Router |
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Model: BEFW11S4
Brand: Linksys
Manufacturer: Linksys
Average Rating: 
(submit your review here)
Total Reviews: 1079
Platforms: Windows NT, Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows NT 3.5, Windows NT 4, Windows NT 5, Windows Me, Windows XP, Windows 2000 Server, Windows
Operating system: None
Form factor: External
Hardware platform: PC
Data link protocol: Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, IEEE 802.11b
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| Features: |
Connects to a broadband modem, a 10/100 Ethernet backbone, or wireless network
Long wireless operating range supports 300 feet indoors and 1,500 feet outdoors
Provides roaming, best access-point selection, load balancing, and network traffic filtering
Configurable through your networked PC's Web browser
Can act as a DHCP server for your existing network |
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| Description: |
| The Linksys BEFW11S4 is your all-in-one networking device This wireless router features support for the 802.11b protocol, which lets you wirelessly access your network and the Internet from up to 800 feet (outside), or 300 feet (inside) away |
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| User Reviews (1079 total): |
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easy setup. works great and good range., August 28, 2003
By user
I have had no problems with this router. the setup was easy and the wireless signal and range are good. the documentation could have been a litter better but it was adequate. I have my notebook using a microsoft wireless network card and was able to easily find my linksys wireless network. I've seen some bad reviews about this product. some are valid, some are not. in the previous year I have had 3 routers. 1st - wired d-link which worked great. 2nd- microsoft wireless router which worked great for 3 months and then died. 3rd - current linksys router which has worked great.
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BEFW11S4 v4 STILL has problems, August 27, 2003
By user (Glen Ellyn, IL USA)
I'd been very happy with my Linksys BEFRS41 router, and thought this would be an excellent upgrade to add a Wireless Access Point. I was wrong. The 'v4' version of BEFW11S4 has major flaws, and should NOT have been released to the market. Prior versions (2, 3, 3.2, etc) MAY be OK. The 'v4' refers to the actual hardware version, NOT the rewritable firmware. My unit came with firmware 1.45.1, and not only did I experience the same lockup and instability problems other reviews have reported, I was never able to get wireless to operate from a laptop only 3 feet away! Some functions, such as firewall logging, worked fine. When I upgraded the firmware to 1.45.3 (7/1/2003), the lockup problems seemed to go away, but the LOGging function broke -- no more tracking of intrusion attempts! Still couldn't get the wireless to work. After I corresponded and spoke to Linksys Technical Support, they denied that the LOG function was supposed to work in the manner it HAD been working with both 1.45.1 and my older BEFSR41! Net-net, it's going back to the dealer or Linksys. I've already gotten a Belkin F5D6231-4, and wireless worked perfectly the first time (so the problem wasn't my 802.11b PC-Card).
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Solid Performance and Good Tech Support, August 23, 2003
By user (Laguna Niguel, CA United States)
I recently added a laptop to my home network of two PCs and needed a wireless access point to support this third PC. The router includes four wired Ethernet ports along with the wireless support and these wired ports worked right out of the box.However, due to a corrupted Windows installation, I had a lot of trouble getting Windows XP File & Print Sharing to work. Over a period of a week I sent several emails to Linksys tech support and each time received a reply within a day. Eventually, their support guy hit on the solution and now my wireless connection is working solidly throughout my home. This is my second Linksys router and I'm happy with both of them. One nice thing about the new one is that the old one takes about a minute to boot up after power on but this new one takes only a few seconds. I must also say I was very disappointed with the complete lack of tech support from Sony (the laptop manufacturer). They refused to provide any support for this wireless networking problem because of the "third-party hardware."
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works on the odd days... not even, August 23, 2003
By user (vegas area, rural)
This is the most fickel piece for computer equiptement on the market. We have 3 computers in our home and this system is connected to all. It only works when it wants too! If the weather is blowing the right way and on the odd days of the week. If your one of these people that likes to fix and fidget with things, this is for you! For the rest of you, wait until the tecnology advances some and improved systems are available. We spent alot and keep spending more... the computer store guy practically lives at our house...fixing and running this system. PS it R E A L L Y doesn't like to work if you have stucco walls.. it has a hard time getting reception no matter how well you put it by windows and interior walls.
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A++++, August 19, 2003
By user
I Love this router
works all over the house without any problemsusing WUSB11 cards....
WARNING:i am running W2k Pro and im not having any problems
but WinXP users avoid the WUSB11 card =won't work with XP=
tried it on my downstairs cpu **NO LUCK**
Like Allways W2K will allways be the best OS
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Terrible tech support, August 18, 2003
By user (Pittsburgh, PA USA)
Having used Linksys products with success for several years, I have been dissappointed with their tech service recently. Expect long waits and technicians that don't know that they are doing and just want to get you off the phone. E-mail support is not any better. I suspect that the drop off in the quality of their support may be the result of their acquisition by Cisco.
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Fantastic, August 16, 2003
By user (From the hood and misunderstood)
I love our Linksys products, especially this one. I would give it 5 stars if it didn't break the connection when I used my Uniden 2.4GHz Digital Phone. They don't seem compatable and I have to reset the switch after I am done with the phone to get the connection back. Other than that I have had no problems with this at all.
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Plug & Play is Possible! I-M-N-Awe, August 15, 2003
By user (Somerville, MA United States)
After thoroughly researching wireless routers for my home, I came to the conclusion that no company has emerged as the industry standard for this hardware. Despite horror stories about poor customer service, I purchased the Linksys as well as the signal booster because I only needed one PC and one laptop connected, and I'm not concerned about security--that is, I wanted a simple unit. I would say that I am experienced with software, semi-experienced with hardware, and darn near clueless with networking. But following the fold-out manual, I plugged everything in, and almost immediately, everything was working. I didn't have to do any reconfiguration on my connected PC or my wireless laptop. My laptop immediately recognized the signal and with two clicks of the mouse I was wireless. I am running XP on a Dell desktop and laptop, and it works like it was meant for this machine. Moreover, with the signal booster, the reception is incredible. I live in a huge house, and the signal travels through two cinder-block walls and one drywall, and only loses a little bit of strength. I can be on the other side of the house and barely miss a beat. If you're as unsure as I was, this is a good risk to take. Perhaps this is the new industry standard I was looking for.
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Not as Good as You Might Think, August 14, 2003
By user (Moosic, PA USA)
The product works well unless your setup includes having the router get a DHCP address from your provider. It would seem that every time the DHCP address expires, the process of obtaining a new address fails. This results in you having to reset the router and since its wireless, there's a pretty good chance you're not in the same room as the router. Their tech support will only give you the next revision of the firmware if its available, which they sware will fix it but never does. I gave up on them. But its not an expensive router, so I guess you get what you pay for.
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v4 firmware upgrade now available, August 13, 2003
By user (Raleigh, NC)
I've had intermittent connectivity problems with my BEFW11S4 v4. As at 10-AUG-2003, the firmware was still in beta.
It's now in Production. After upgrading my router, my connectivity problems have gone away. Highly recommended.I've provided a 3 star rating only because I haven't gone wireless as yet.
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Best wireless router I have tried., August 12, 2003
By user (Modesto, Ca USA)
Ever since I have had DSL I have had one these routers. I must say that it has outperformed any of the other ones I have tried. The installation is straightforward and easy to understand, and the configuration is almost non existent. The price is just unbeatable witch make it a great buy. And also the range is great. I must also say that it has worked flawlessly with wireless cards from several other makers and even worked with my Airport card on a notebook.
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Easy set-up, runs perfect, August 9, 2003
By user (Dallas, TX United States)
I got this to replace my wired dsl router. Use this for a laptop and two desk tops. All run fine and have seen no problems. The house is 1800 sq.ft. ranch style and there are no drop off spots. Easy to install and all computers were running off the new system in under 20 mins. I highly reccommend this product. And I ain't no computer wiz!!
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Upgrade the Firmware and it'll work., August 9, 2003
By user (Colorado Springs, CO United States)
My trusty D-Link suffered mightily at the hands of God (lightning hit the cable, zapping the modem and my router). This gave me an opportunity to rectify the signal loss problem I had with my D-Link DI-713P. I read a lot of reviews and comments on many different sites before deciding on the Linksys. I was a bit skeptical given that previous reviews suggested that only WHEN the Linksys router worked, did it work great. But I took a chance.Initially, I saw problems similar to those described in previous reviews, specifically, repeated loss of connection and slowing connection speeds. I listen to internet radio and it would only stay up for about 10 seconds through the Linksys router. The Linksys website offered the firmware upgrade and instructions, though I had to dig to find the instructions. Not a very well designed site, but the instructions were OK. (I'm a usability specialist and can't help but look at these kinds of things.) If this didn't work, I was going to return it. I didn't want to subject myself to undue frustration, given the horror stories of their tech support service. BTW, I had dealt with D-Link tech support a few times, and they were VERY helpful and responsive, so unless I got that kind of support from Linksys (which was not what I read from others), I was going to return the router. But I didn't need to call tech support since upgrading the firmware. The signal strength on the wireless machines is much better than it was with the D-Link router. I've been listening to Live365 radio all day without a single interruption. Moreover, my connection speed seems to be holding at 620 kbps. Set up was a breeze, and now, it seems to work fine. So, I recommend this router. I just don't like having to correct a problem that should have been fixed before the router ever left the plant. Hence only 4 stars.
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Worth the money, August 8, 2003
By user (Sunnyvale, CA)
I took this one for granted until I bought the Netgear MR814v2 for my office. I've used the Linksys at home for about 10 months now, no problems!!I have 4 systems which use this router. I telecommute from home very often and love having the flexibility of being wireless. Also, the Linksys router provides incredibly reliable connections when I compare it with the Netgear which seems to drop connections every 5 mins (after going through every possible configuration and an inept tech support). Recommended!
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Worked great at first, August 7, 2003
By user (Duncan, SC USA)
Received my router - followed the instructions - plugged the cable modem to the router, router to the computer and....everything worked great for 3 weeks. Since that time I have had trouble accessing the internet through the router. The helpline took an hour to sort out the problem out and it still isn't sorted to my satisfaction. If I leave the computer turned on for more than 24 hours I need to turn off the modem and router to allow the IP addresses to reset (or something like this !). It appears to be linked to static and dynamic IP address problems, but the literature that came with it didn't explain this. I had to download the book from the internet. It's getting way too technical for my level of computer knowledge. If you are going to buy this product make sure you are knowledgeable enough about IP addresses, DHCP setting etc
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Great Product, August 6, 2003
By user (Lexington, KY USA)
I have two systems that use this router so far. One wireless laptop and one laptop with a direct connection. Both seem to access the internet at the same time with no apparent slowdowns. Installation couldn't have been easier. I was up and running with the first laptop in no time -- and the second (wireless) in under 15 minutes. Linksys really does a great job of making this easy. The only trouble I have had is that in connecting to the cable modem, if I turn of the router and then the cable modem -- sometimes I have to reset them in order (modem then router)in order to make the connection to the internet.
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Centrino users watch out!, August 5, 2003
By user
Not up to speed with Centrino computers - requires endless tweaking to make a reliable wireless connection. Newest firmware upgrades are still unstable. Linksys tech support is excellent and always available - they just can't solve the problem, though!
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Excellent plug-and-play product but still with some puzzles, August 4, 2003
By user
I thoroughly recommend the BEFW11S4 except for some minor reservations with the instruction manual. I just finished installing the unit at home for my DSL connection. It really is pretty much a plug-and-play unit and the web browser utility makes configuring the unit a breeze. Even with all the advanced options available the manual helps guide you through them and you can make changes that make sense and at whatever level of detail you are comfortable. I also installed the Linksys WPC11 wireless PC card in my laptop which was equally simple. My biggest surprise with the instructions for the BEFW11S4 is that it makes little mention of when or how to install wireless receivers in your computer. The instructions describe an installation with a direct ethernet cable connection between the unit and each PC. As the wireless feature was one of the reasons I purchased this unit I found the omission disconcerting but not a major stumbling block. I only had one major problem to get everything to work which was to figure out that my ISP uses PPPoE. This had me stumped for a while with the unit set up, the PC card in my laptop working and receiving signal but no access to the internet. So it helps if you understand more about the world of ISP connections. The manual is a little vague on this point but understandably so when the number of possible ISP are considered. Once I read the manual more and investigated my usual DSL connection set up in more detail the solution became clear and was a simple thing to fix and now I'm enjoying the flexibility and freedom of a wireless connection.
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Have it Love It ITS AWESOME !, August 4, 2003
By user (Locust Valley NY)
When I first saw this offering from Linksys, I said to myself how lazy could I be to need to walk around and be wireless.Now that I have the system, I LOVE IT ! I walk all over my house with my laptop and my wireless card with live video feeds, checking email. Nothing more fun then stepping outside into the backyard and lounging on my favorite garden furniture and playing on line ! I don't know how I ever got along without this wonderful device ! It also has a configuration to set up a desk top in a room with any connection, so you can put your other desktops in the kids room or den and it does not have to be teathered to the wall or near an outlet or phone. THANKS LINKSYS ! Best Regards to All, MC - TheStickRules.Com
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Amazing Range, Somewhat Difficult Set-up, August 3, 2003
By user (Los Alamos, NM United States)
I've been using this router for about a week now. Having no previous experience with wireless networks, and limited experience with networks in general, I was a bit apprehensive about setting this up. Setting up was even harder than I thought it would be - but that's not to say it was impossible. This biggest problem with this router is the model numbers - the BEFW11S4 is completely different than the BEFW11S4 v2, or the v4 (which I have). I almost killed my router permanantly by flashing the wrong firmware, since the version difference is not made obvious. In the end, I got the network up and running using the provided documentation, and the online knowledge base, which helped me with a minor conflict it had with my particular DSL modem (not a linksys). Once set up, however, this router works great. I am more than pleased with it. It works with my laptop that has an internal Intel/Dell 2100 wireless card $$$ at dell.com). The range is well more than the advertised 70 feet, the signal is full strength anywhere inside my 6 bedroom house, and it stays viable even beyond my neighbor's yard. With this kind of range, the built-in security is a must-have, and it also works great. Now that I know what I'm doing, setting it up for different networks is easy (I've tested it out several places, at work, at my friend's house who has a non-wireless linksys network).In the end, this gets 4/5, losing one point because the 6-hour headache of a set-up it gave me. I would not recommend this for people new to networking, but if you know what you are doing and are looking to give wireless a go, this is a great router to use.
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