This version 4 works absolutely great with no interruption in connections, stronger signal than Netgear, and less than 5 min to reach their tech support.
Although the appearance of the system is much less attractgive than that of Netgear, as long as I can go on-line smoothly from my laptop, I think I can live with that.

I am not saying Netgear makes bad products. It didn't work for me, but Linksys does.

That was solved by upgrading the firmware to 1.45.3 (July 1 version I think). That was a painless process that took about two minutes. However, this firmware version is explicitly called a beta release and is not supported by the company. So, if you want your wireless router to work, you have to pretty much give up any hope of future tech support. To me, that's reprehensible. Linksys is knowingly selling a broken product and requiring customers to take a chance on making it work on their own.

My advice: don't buy this until a new firmware is officially released *and* you start seeing consistently positive reviews of this product.

After much incantation with a networking specialist I decided on the Linksys BEFW11S4. With for Ethernet ports it could take over for my existing hub, and the portable already had wireless built in, making this the ultimate in low cost networking. And the cable/dsl connection fell right into my connectivity improvement plans. So in short order I was sitting on the floor of the 'computer room' with the router in one hand and the quick start instructions in the other.

Much to my amazement, everything worked. The existing Ethernet connections never even blinked, and in no time the portable was talking to the router's handy, HTML-based setup and administration pages and to the other machines on the net. Since then I've added a cable modem and a wireless printer server. Each time, whatever problems I had were never due to the router missing a beat.

The router's manuals are adequate, but reticent about the more complex built in facilities. Perhaps rightly so, since an innocent playing with low level network protocols is an invitation to disaster. They do spend some time on setting up security, and this is important - an unprotected wireless network is vulnerable to any machine that knows its internal name. Plan on installing a firewall on every machine in the net, and lock down shared drives with passwords.

I'm not a veteran router wizard, so I can't tell you that the Linksys BEFW11S4 is better than everything else on the market, but it has left me completely satisfied. Now that the availability of the new 'superfast' routers has driven the price of these down there really is no excuse not to start out wireless right from the beginning.

The D-Link DI-614+ has since worked like a charm. Easy to setup. No dropped connections. Seems like it works fine with my Centrino.

Finaly... Don't buy this thing!!

I then replaced it with Netgear MR814-version 2 (upgraded to firmware 5.01), and the Web site access problem went away. This newest "version 2" was apparently much redesigned (smaller, less noisy, SPI-level firewall security added). Netgear has a much better designed config interface then Linksys, better doc, and MUCH better support -- the rep was thinking logically and not simply reading notes. Re: better interface: in Linksys, to implement MAC security filtering, I had to first determine MAC IDs of PCs by viewing connected PCs thru one screen, hand-noting their MAC IDs, then I had to enter them manually on another screen. Couldn't even cut/paste. Netgear displays the attached PCs on the add screen so I simply had to checkmark the ones I wanted added to the MAC list and hit apply (optionally can enter non-connected MAC IDs). I can cut/paste settings from the Netgear config screens to document, not so with Linksys. I can also send logs to my email in Netgear, whereas with Linksys I needed to have a PC with a static port to do so (not great when standard is for router to dynamically assign PCs). And unlike Linksys, explanations of each feature are right on the Netgear config screens (but not in the way). Very user friendly doc, not just explaining what a feature is, but why one would use it. I kept my Linksys wireless cards which work fine -- wireless access appears to be similar with both routers, tho' slightly better with Netgear. HIGHLY recommend the latest Netgear over Linksys router. (NOTE: If you switch, before to refresh/renew the IP address of the router on all machines since there's a one digit different between the two.)

Many of the reviews here describe typical problems inherent in the TCP/IP networking protocols everyone has to use, or in radio interference problems inherent in wireless connecting. There are numerous different possible networking situations requiring different combinations of settings; using the correct ones takes only a few mouseclicks, but can be terminally frustrating if you don't know what you're doing and what to look for. After my hopeful first efforts failed, as happened to some of the other reviewers on this site, I took my own advice and found some more information. A little more knowledge and a few changed settings produced quick success.

The product information (including CD-ROM) in the package was some help, but was not enough for my needs until I learned some more basics first. (Your local DSL or Internet cable service representative may be a good alternative choice here, sepecially if they're coming in to install your Internet access line at the same time.)

Networking protocols were designed for network administrators, whose job you're volunteering for when you try to do it yourself at home or in a small office. This stuff is definitely not PlugNPlay (or Pray), and there is no software program to make all the suitable setting choices for you automatically. I didn't try contacting the manufacturer; all hardware and software companies skimp on support because it is a cost center rather than a revenue center for them, and more people are gradually becoming savvy enough to know how to navigate this technology on their own.

This is a good hardware product, if you or someone helping you knows the basics first. (Otherwise, prepare to be humbled.)

This Summer, I spent the extra $20 (over Netgear's product) to get the Linksys BEFW11S4 Version 4 WiFi Router and had a hellish time for the first 3 weeks. I had the original firmware from April and the router locked up whenever any new computer connected to the network. I got a replacment via RMA and had the same issues. I knew it had to be firmware related.

Luckily, on July 1 2003, Linksys updated their firmware to 1.45.3 and my router hasn't had as much as a pause for well over 10 days. The dual antennae make for a very long range on this system.

Linksys' 24-7 free 800 number phone support was very helpful and their RMA process, if you ever need to use it, worked flawlessly. This product is highly recommended!! It can only get better as they perfect their product firmware.

I would avoid this product until Linksys releases non-Beta firmware (and the firmware works, based on user reviews), and then I would buy it only if you are adept at firmware upgrades. I'm surprised that Linksys (now owned by Cisco) would let a product out the door like this. Their tech support was no help on this issue.

I fell in love with this product when I first bought it and installed it in my home. Setup was easy and uptime was great. Being able to access the Internet from my couch in my living room or sitting out on my deck was absolutely amazing.

However, when I bought the exact same product for my office, I quickly fell out of love with the product. I run a Microsoft network with XP machines through a DSL connection and this router constantly (maybe 5 or 6 times a day) loses the connection to the Internet. The only way to fix it is to walk down the hallway to the router and unplug it and then replug it.

Tech support was pretty much useless in helping to solve the problem. I downloaded the latest firmware and it didn't solve the problem. Their only other suggestion was to swap out the product for a new one, which I will probably do even though it's a bit of a pain. Still, despite their being tons of complaints all over the Internet from BEFW11S4 owners that they are losing their connections all the time, and having to unplug and replug in the router to reconnect, Linksys doesn't seem to acknowledge that there is a real problem still outstanding. If they would just say, there's a known problem and we are working to isolate it and fix it, I'd have a lot more respect for them.

My recommendation to anyone who is looking at buying this product is this. Buy it. Install it. The moment you lose your connection, return it for a full refund and go buy a competing product (unless you want a new exercise program that entails doing a lot of standing up and walking over to your router). Because when this router works, it's really good -- but the problem is that it often doesn't work and nobody seems to know exactly why.