Linksys BEFSR11 Cable/dsl Router with 1-PORT

List Price: $75.00 Discount Price: $44.49

Features:

• Equipped with an internal, single-port 10/100 Fast Ethernet switch
• Connects all your PCs to the Internet using a single IP address
• Includes a firewall
• Configurable via Web browser

Accessories:
Belkin A3L850-07-S FastCat 5 Snagless Patch Cable (7 ft)	Linksys WRT600N Linksys Ultra RangePlus Dual-Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router with Storage Link	Netgear FA-310TX 10/100Mbps Fast Ethernet PCI Card	Belkin A3L791-S 3-Foot RJ45 CAT 5e Snagless Molded Patch Cable (Blue)	Belkin A3L791-S 50-Foot RJ45 CAT 5e Snagless Molded Patch Cable (Blue)

Customer Reviews:

Easy to use router/gateway [Posted on 2004-06-04]
Strengths:

Price. Reliability. Ease of use/installation.

Weaknesses:

No command-line interface.

Summary:

I bought the Linksys versus any other brand of DSL/cable router both for it's past performance as well as for the price.

This is actually the second one of these I've purchased. I installed the first in my home network and then purchased an additional one for my brother. The router has performed well and yet to have an issue.

I still install a software firewall behind the router on each of my workstations as the NAT that the router performs is still not enough to block eberything out.

Piece of garbage [Posted on 2005-02-04]
This router is a piece of garbage. I've known several people who have these (or the 4 port version) and they all have problems with it locking up, and there is no way to fix it besides pulling the plug. There ought to be a class action lawsuit against Linksys for making a product this poor - there is simply no excuse. Didn't they do any testing at all before releasing it to the public???

Their ethernet cards are total garbage too - they cause your computer to spontaneously reboot under heavy network traffic. Do yourself a favour, and don't buy Linksys.

password problem [Posted on 2006-10-30]
I've been using this model for two months. I can still connect to the internet through it, but I can't change any settings because even when I power it down, hit the reset, do both at once etc. it will not reset the password. It may be fixable by updating firmware, but that's a pain. Also remember it only has one port, If I bought a router today I'd get the standard a standard multiport.

Junk [Posted on 2007-01-13]
This thing is a piece of garbage. I had one sitting in a drawer that I quit using a while back (replace with something better). I pulled it out the other day for a different application, and now I remember why it was in the drawer. The thing BARELY works, it locks up, linksys' support is a joke, their latest firmware still doesn't help. You'd think in 3 years they could fix the bugs.. the problem is they don't care..

It's now in the garbage, as the cheap flimsy case isn't even useful as a door stop...

Locks up under heavier traffic. Avoid [Posted on 2007-03-07]
I've owned this router for several years. At first, I was just doing some light surfing and e-mail, and it almost seemed to be working. Every now and then, I'd encounter a lock-up, and I'd just reset everything (modem, computer & the router) to get it working again. I initially figured it was the cable company, the modem or something with my computer. But those initial assumptions were wrong.

After deeper investigation, I tracked down the problem to the router. With a heavier traffic load (such as downloading large files, online gaming, etc), the router will lock up. When this occurs, there is no way to clear it besides powering it off (such as by pulling the cord). Allow it to stay off for about 10 seconds, and then power it back up. After this it usually begins working again...at least until the next time it locks up...minutes, hours or days later depending on how much internet traffic you're producing. Eventually, I bought a DLink router and it works flawlessly. The horror story of the BEFSR11 could end there, but sadly it does not...

Recently, I moved to a new house and my new cable company has a much higher download speed (7.5 M vs. the 1.5M I had). My trusty D-Link router is still back at the other house where my wife is living and working until we complete the final move to our new house. In the meantime, I tried using this Linksys router again, (hoping for a miracle I guess), but with the heavier traffic volume I'm able to produce with the 5x speed improvement, the router now locks up almost immediately. This lock-up failure is easily repeated and reproduced.

I've tried all versions of the firmware, and none of them fix the problem. In fact some of the versions are worse, causing the unit to lock up during even light internet activity like e-mail. Other people I've met with this series of router have had the exact same problems, and all the evidence points to a severe design flaw with the BEFSR11 itself.

Even if you can get one for free, avoid this router. It's simply not worth the frustration.

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