Cisco-Linksys BEFSR81 Cable/dsl Router with 8-PT Switch Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Due to the increasing size of my home network, I decided toupgrade to the 8 port BEFSR81 from the 4 port BEFSR41. The two areidentical in size. A Cable/DSL router is a MUST HAVE for those whowish to share a broadband connection. 99 percent of DSL providersutilize what is known as Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet(PPoE). This works just like a normal dial up connection where youhave a username and a password. Normally, this PPoE is done viasoftware installed on your computer. This has many limitations. First,the host computer must always be on for others to utilze aconnection. In that sense, each computer is not independent of theother.
The Linksys has PPoE software built into it. Each computerplugged into the unit can access the internet independently of eachother. Better yet, you never have to see a username/password screenwhen connecting to the internet.
In addition to allowing one toshare a connection, the Linksys also acts as a hardward firewallpreventing hackers from accessing your computers. A must have! Youcannot be secure enough these days!
The unit is easy enough to useNovice to expert. While they're are many advanced features, it is notimperative to set or configure them. The html based interface of theunit is extremely intuitive and easy to figure out. The unit itselfleaves a very small footprint.
The linksys supports DMZ which isknown as a demilitarized zone. It basically allows one local user tobe exposed to outsiders. It is used for such tasks asvideoconferencing and internet gaming where constant two waycommunication is essential. In addition Quality of Service (QoS) isonly offered on this 8 port model. It allows you to prioritizeinternet tasks such as http, ftp, telnet, etc.... Not really thatimportant unless you have many users on at once.
Many cable modemproviders utilize a system where they "lock" your cablemodem service to either 1 modem, or 1 network card. This is to preventyou from sharing or using your connection with other suchcomputers. They're is a hardware number encoded onto your network cardand modem. This is known as a "MAC" address. To circumventthis, the Linksys cable/DSL router has a box where you enter in theMAC address of the item that the cable modem service is locked to andit will emulate it. Very clever and works very well!.
One thing theLinksys cannot help you with is running cables throughout your houseto different rooms! Right now I have managed to run ethernet cablesthrough 5 different areas of the house. I have networked our homeLaser printer (HP LaserJet 2100TN)and have added a WirelessLAN setupso now with a laptop I can surf via wireless broadband!

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A simple and inexpensive way to share your one IP address over yourentire network, the Linksys EtherFast cable/DSL router connects up to 253 PCs toa high-speed broadband Internet connection or to a Fast Ethernet or Ethernetbackbone. Configurable as a DHCP server or client, the EtherFast cable/DSLrouter acts as the only externally recognized Internet gateway on your localarea network (LAN). The router can be configured via SNMP to filter internalusers' access to the Internet and serve as an Internet firewall againstintruders.
The router features advanced functions such as dynamic and static port routing,DMZ hosting, filtering, forwarding, and quality-of-service capabilities. All ofthese functions can be easily configured through any networked computer's Webbrowser.
The Linksys BEFSR81 router comes with a one-year limited warranty.

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Linksys EtherFast Cable/DSL Router with 4-Port Switch BEFSR41 - Router + 4-port switch - Ethernet, Fast Ethernet - external Review

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(More customer reviews)works great once it is up and running. Took a long time for ISP to find it. Has a nice informative web access to give stats but is no way configurable on the user end.

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Cisco-Linksys BEFSR11 Cable/dsl Router with 1-PORT Review

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(More customer reviews)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.

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The Linksys BEFSR11 EtherFast cable/DSL router connects multiple PCs toa high-speed broadband Internet connection or to an Ethernet backbone.Configurable as a DHCP server, the EtherFast cable/DSL router acts as the onlyexternally recognized Internet device on your local area network (LAN). It alsofunctions as a firewall to shield your network from unauthorized users bymonitoring all incoming data packets. The router can also be configured tofilter internal users' access to the Internet. This product comes with a limitedone-year warranty.

Note: All Linksys routers now include a special edition of Norton Internet Security! Claim your free CD-ROM by calling (800) 814-0180, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Pacific, seven days a week.

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Cisco-Linksys BEFVP41 EtherFast Cable/DSL VPN Router with 4-Port 10/100 Switch Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The router/switch/NAT features of this little box work just like the other Linksys products in this line -- and just as well. What's new is the IPSec VPN support. You can set up secure tunnels over the Internet between two or more LANs using one of these boxes in front of each LAN. Alternatively (or in addition) you can set up a tunnel between a standalone remote PC and a LAN that has one of these routers *IF* the remote PC supports IPSec. Windows 2000 and XP support IPSec but Windows 9x/Me/NT do *NOT*. (If you want a Windows 9x/Me/NT PC to connect into an IPSec VPN, you will need a 3rd party IPSec driver, or just buy another one of these boxes to put in front of the PC.)
Configuring IPSec on a Windows 2000 or XP PC is not exactly easy either -- Linksys' how-to document is SIXTEEN PAGES long! But the difficulty is not Linksys' fault -- rather it's due to Microsoft's tortured GUI for the IPSec configuration.
But setting up a tunnel between two of these boxes is easy. It's only the standalone PC to LAN tunnel that is daunting.
I want to give this product 5 stars. It works very well, and the price is almost too good to be true -- it compares quite favorably with other products costing 5-10 times more. But I have to take a point off because Linksys does not give enough emphasis to the Windows 2000/XP limitation of the standalone PC VPN client in its marketing copy, and there is not one word about how to configure the standalone client in the manual that comes with the router -- you have to hunt for it on Linksys' Web site. From what I see on the discussion boards, there are a lot of people who are lost without better information on these points. So if you plan to use a standalone VPN client, be prepared for a struggle, but hang in there -- it DOES work!

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The Instant Broadband EtherFast Cable/DSL VPN Router from Linksys is the ideal solution for remotely accessing a network securely over the Internet using cutting edge encryption and authentication methods.Built from the popular standard Linksys 4Port Router Model BEFSR41, the VPN Router expands its functionality and security features by utilizing 56bit DES and 168bit 3DES encryption, and Internet Key Exchange (IKE). A built-in IPSec coprocessor from Hifn allows for complete data privacy for the access and exchange of your most sensitive data from your home to your corporate network or between remote branch offices without the additional cost of IPSec VPN client software for each computer. Mobile workers can also connect to a corporate network using an IPSec based VPN client software solution.

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TRENDnet 4-Port Gigabit Firewall Router TWG-BRF114 (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)At first install, speeds were capped well below my ISP's capacity. After upgrading the firmware (which can ONLY be done using I.E. since their code is not compatible with Firefox yeah, major yellow flag!) to v1.0 Revision 04 the speeds were acceptable, however the router disconnects if idle and for some reason you cannot turn that feature off. It also does not return ping requests, there is a serious bug in the firmware that tech support could not overcome after over an hour on the phone and 3 different techs.
Also there is no way to save the original Revision 02 firmware, and they don't host it on their site so it can't be downloaded. Once you upgrade the firmware (as their tech support insists!) there is no way to go back! Their top tier tech support never called back like they said they would. 24/7 tech support my A$$!
The NAT implementation is horrible, it does let you open port ranges manually but cannot forward them to a specific host on your network without jumping through hoops and creating a "virtual server" why can't they just do like everybody else does?
Also you cannot delete or edit "default services" that they bind to certain ports, what if you want to use that port for another application?
Overall, save yourself the trouble and jog on over to Radio Shack and get something that works, something you can take back within a few minutes rather than have to get an RMA, ship the item, wait for credit, yada yada.

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Belkin F5D5231-4 4-Port Cable/DSL Router Review

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(More customer reviews)I originally purchased a Linksys DSL/Cable router because of a clerk's recommendation. It never worked even after I took it back and got a replacement. I then purchased a Netgear ProSafe router which sort of worked with the BellSouth DSL modem but still had all sorts of packet losses. I went back to the store and purchased the Belkin Cable/DSL router and it worked flawlessly right out of the box! I ran the set-up cd-rom, attached the cables, and I was on-line in 3 minutes. I then hooked in my wife's computer and laptop and they too worked after booting. If you have BellSouth DSL or any other "finicky" ISP, this router is the one to get, it saved the day!!

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Compatible with both Macintosh and PC computers, (and computers using Linux or Unix OS) this Belkin router lets you share your cable or DSL connection with up to four computers via a wired connection. It also provides top-level security and an NAT firewall, so you can restrict access to any or all of the computers on the network by others and/or configure its VPN (Virtual Private Networking) to allow remote access to the network by authorized users. The router includes an "Easy Install Wizard" so getting your other computers online is easy, and it uses its built-in switch to share files and peripherals and let you play accelerated multiplayer gaming. The router features a life time warranty and free 24 hour technical support.

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Cisco RVS4000 4-port Gigabit Security Router - VPN Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I purchased the RVS4000 primarily due to its gigabit WAN port; very few wired firewalls have a gigabit WAN port. Not having a gigabit WAN port is a reasonable design because WAN ports in many SOHO firewall applications will likely connect to T1 (1.5 Mbps) or T3 lines (45 Mbps) at most. Since these data rates are lower than that of an ordinary 100 Mbps ethernet port, a gigabit WAN port is more than what is required of a WAN interface.
However, I wanted to use a firewall/router on the network inside of my primary NAT/SPI firewall which is primarily a gigabit network. So, a gigabit WAN port was an important feature because it needs to connect to a gigabit switch (not a WAN link).
Before my purchase, I read many customer reviews that complained about slow data rates through the WAN port. These reviews were very discouraging since the Linksys had a gigabit WAN interface. This was until I found a benchmark test that explained the negative reviews. The RVS4000 (primarily due to its industrial-grade security features) has a WAN to LAN data rate of 15.9 Mbps; very slow for a gigabit interface. However, this can be improved upon by configuring (turning off) the security features of the firewall. Unless you configure the firewall as a non-gateway device, don't expect orders of magnitude improvement in speed.
Here's the good news. The benchmark clocked the RVS4000 LAN to WAN data rate at 530 Mbps. Since many disk drive interfaces do not have a sustained data rate this high; you will not see this number when transfering files. I have a couple NAS RAID boxes with gigabit interfaces that top out at around 100-150 Mbps (individually). I can get higher network utilization numbers when doing several files transfers between different network endpoints simultaneously. Network file transfers tend to be very CPU intensive, even when using SCSI hard drives. The CPU intensive part comes from having to package up the data into IP packets and managing the data transfer.
The bottom line is that I am very satisfied with this firewall and its gigabit WAN port. But understand that it needs to be configured properly to optimize its performance and functionality. You don't need to be an engineer or rocket scientist to do this; however, you will need a bit of understanding about IP networking. If you use the RVS4000 as a primary firewall (configuring all of its security features), I suspect it will do that job rather well also.


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As broadband speeds increase most 10/100 gateways do not have the power to support those higher data rates, and thus become the bottleneck in the network. The RVS4000 10/100/1000 4-Port VPN Router works at Gigabit speeds to meet the demands of todays networks. It features Linksys proven SPI Firewall with an integrated Intrusion Detection and Prevent System (IDS/IPS). Its built-in 4-port full-duplex 10/100/1000 Ethernet switch can connect up four PCs directly, or additional hubs and switches. The QoS features provide consistent voice and video quality throughout your business. In addition the RVS4000 features a Virtual Private Network (VPN) security engine that creates encrypted IPSec tunnels through the Internet. The IPSec VPN tunnels enable remote users from at home, or on the road to easily, and securely connect to the office network through a typical wired or wireless broadband connection. When used with another RVS4000 or other Linksys VPN router, branch-to-branch connections can be established allowing users in a remote office to connect to the corporate network.

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