Linksys EtherFast Cable/DSL Router with 4-Port 10/100 Switch (BEFSR41)

Product Description

A network router that let's you connect your network to your high-speed Cable or DSL modem / For Windows PC AC adapter included Includes - 60-day trial of Norton Internet Security 2003 (packaged by Linksys)

I give this product 5 stars because it works pretty well. I give it -4 stars because it took 2.5 weeks to get it to work. I read all of the mixed reviews before ordering the BEFSR41 router, but my coworker assured me that this was the one to get. I was told that you just plug it in and it works.
When I received the thing from Amazon, I inserted the CD that it says to insert before doing anything else, and I followed the onscreen instructions. At the last step, where I assume the software configures the router, it gave the error message, "router not found." So, I repeated the instructions more than once but with the same end result. I'm not a network guy, so I didn't know how to make this thing work off the top of my head. I consulted my coworker who gave me a convoluted set of instructions, and I read a few forum posts whose solutions were vaguely comparable. After trying all these ideas, and after all the aggravation and frustration, the router still didn't work.
In the end (two and a half weeks later), I found another article that suggested something I hadn't tried yet. What finally made this thing work was getting into the web-browser interface where you can adjust the settings for the router, and simply clicking on the "Clone the PC's MAC address" button. After saving the settings, the thing began working like a champ.
So, that's what worked for me. From what I read, it could be different for other people, depending on the setup. I have 2 PCs and an Xbox 360 plugged into the router and everything works fine now. I'm surprised that a big company like Cisco would market a product that's so hard to make work. There isn't even a paper manual for the router. You have to explore the installation CD for the pdf manual. Who wants to read or flip back and forth through a 70 page document on their laptop? Maybe it's my fault that I didn't call support, but I didn't feel like getting the runaround, and I didn't want to go changing a bunch of settings on the PC to make the thing work. Overall, 1/5 stars.


We owned one of these routers for 4 years, and it was perfect. The item was easy to set up and never failed. We stopped using it only when we acquired a new IP provider that sent us a router and modem, all-in-one. Which, by the way, is not as good.

Linksys really makes a great product.


Product was suppose to be in excellent shape but wasn't. Seller did refund payment, but had difficult time contacting seller and have contacted seller since refund, but still no reply. Cannot return item if no address known to return. Plus product was not as described, so I lose shipping amount if I do return.


I'm attempting to put a dent in the ratings and persuade others not to buy this product. I've had 2 of these, replaced the initial one a year ago after talking to Linksys and determining that it had malfunctioned. I purchased a D-link EBR-2310 a month ago and after installing it (5 minutes) I haven't touched it. The second Linksys I had to reboot every few days, sometimes twice a day. My fastest internet speed tests were plus 10Mb, and after a day or so my bandwidth would degrade and come to a crawl (300Kb). It was so frustrating.

The Linksys wave has crashed, get on a different one. I've gone through 2 Access Points, 2 Range Extenders and now 2 Routers by Linksys. I'm fed up with their products.


I needed a switch so I can use my xbox without paying [...] bucks a semester to have internet to it through the campus. I couldn't use a router but in the title it said switch. So just to let everyone know this is a router not a switch as described in the title


I bought a Linksys 4-port wired router (Befsr41ver4.1) at the beginning of 07. Setup was a breeze, just plug it in and go literally. The utility disc that was enclosed didn't even work properly. You could get up to the point where it asked you to log in to the router and that was it, it would not take the pre-configured username and password. Warning sign #1. After about a year my wife and I were playing FFXI one night and it crashed the connection we couldn't get back on for days. After getting that taken care of the PC would connect through the router but the PS2 would not. I try to get to the router set-up page through my web browser like it tells me to, no luck can't navigate to it at all. Warning #2. I call Linksys customer support and find out I need to port forward and to even garner that much info I had to pay for a warrenty extension $29.95 out the window.

I send repeated E-mails to Square-Enix for the port numbers I need to configure, 16 days later and an all nighter to catch a live tech support rep becaues SE dont answer e-mails obviously. I get my numbers get on the phone with the support from Linksys, give them my case number and find out I have to pay an ADDITIONAL 29.95, extended warrenty only good for 15 days, they failed to mention that tidbit of important information.
6 hours later with the tech support and I get my router back online and all is right with the world.

That was 5 monthes ago as I'm writing this I am direct connect to my DSL modem that router fouled out again. I still cannot access the set-up page through my browser window. I call linksys and they want another 29.95 or I'm out of luck, I tell them to shov^ it. I will not reccomend this thing to anybody even though it lasted a over a year-ish its been nothing but trouble.


Extremely easy to set up. I had used a wireless router previously, but found I was sensitive to the radio waves (sounded like high-pitched buzzing) and bought this all-wired router instead. When I tried to unplug and replug the new router to further cut down on EMFs during the night, it had trouble reinitializing, but Linksys Tech Support was very helpful in setting up some custom, manual settings to prevent that problem. We are using it with one PC and two Macs, and have no issues with it now.


This product was a great price. Very easy to set-up and get going. Great purchase!!


The router was easy enough to set up. However, contacting a knowledgeable technical support rep when setting up my network with the Xbox 360 & LIVE services was not. The technical support dept. obviously has varrying degree's of knowledgeable personnel. After the THIRD time calling I had a rep who knew what to do to open the proper ports for use with Xbox LIVE services. Good product, but a crap shoot when you call for technical support.


I bought this wireless router for use with my RoadRunner cable services. I work from home and run a variety of network intensive tasks, throw in a wife and a Wii and this router has taken care of everything with only a minor quirk or two all year.

At home my network consists of CentOS 5.2 servers, a Windows Vista Home Premium Desktop, two Vista laptops (Business and Home Premium), a MacBook, a Windows XP machine, and Virtual Machines up the wazoo. The 4 ports are full, everything else is run through the wifi including the new Wii. I port forward HTTP, FTP, SSH, Oracle, and Terminal Services through to statically assigned IP addresses and everything else is making use of the routers DHCP services. In short -- I think it is getting a pretty good test!

Setup was a breeze, but that is standard for Linksys routers I have found. The instructions were clear and would allow an absolute idiot to set this up although I didn't need them being familiar with their other routers.

I live in a largish apartment, and rather than being in a central location the router is squirreled away in the corner office on top of a desktop and below my TV - not ideal I know but the coverage throughout the apartment is always at maximum strength, is as fast as can be expected and I am happy. I often play online games in my living room on the opposing side of the apartment without problems of laggyness.

I first turned on the router in July 2007. It is now November 2008 and it has been reset maybe four or five times during that period. Wi-Fi services disappeared forcing me to power off and on again however considering that this is a router based on home usage rather than a fully fledged commercial enterprise I can handle that. So yes, I don't get my 99.9999% uptime, but I think the five minutes this router has cost me over the last 16 months is rather trivial.

About Linksys EtherFast Cable/DSL Router with 4-Port 10/100 Switch (BEFSR41) detail

• Amazon Sales Rank: #653 in Consumer Electronics
• Brand: Linksys
• Model: BEFSR41 R2
• Platforms: Windows 2000 Server, Mac OS X, Mac OS 9 and below, Windows, Windows XP, Windows Me, PowerMac, Windows NT 5, Windows NT 4, Windows NT 3.5, Windows 2000, Windows 98, Macintosh, Windows NT
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: 2.75" h x 9.75" w x 11.25" l, 2.69 pounds
• CPU: PowerPC G4 2.1 GHz
• Memory: 2000MB SDRAM
• Hard Disk: 1GB
• Processors: 1

Features

• Weight - 11.04 oz.
• Warranty - 1 year
• Standards - IEEE 802.3, IEEE 802.3u

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