Linksys Etherfast 4-Port Cable/DSL Router
Model # BEFSR41
by: Anonymous (so the cable company does not charge me extra)
Co: Linksys
www.linksys.com
Price $199
System Req: A Ethernet Network Interface Card in your computer, Cable or DSL modem, high speed - Broadband internet connection, the installation sheet from your ISP.
Summary: A hardware device which is installed between your computer and the Cable/DSL modem which acts as a firewall and allows multiple computers to connect to the same modem.

The Internet is getting more and more demanding of high speed access like DSL or a Cable Modem. All those graphics, moving animations, Flash and RealPlayer movies and Internet Radio are making a 28.8K or slower modem obsolete and pushing even a 56K to the limit. To really enjoy the web, you need speed, and with the prices of high speed access dropping to almost reasonable levels, (around $40/month vs $22/month plus another phone line for dial-up) more and more people are moving over. A simultaneous event: as computers are getting less expensive, people are upgrading and giving the older box to another family member. Unfortunately, they both usually want to share the resources (Internet, printer, scanner) at the same time.

A Local Area Network (LAN) is an inexpensive and relatively easy way to connect and share these resources.

After installing the Ethernet Network Interface Card (NIC) or setting up a USB connection, Windows will guide you through the connection protocols. If you connect more than two computers in a “Peer-to-Peer” network, you will probably be getting an inexpensive device called a Hub to create a “Star” network with the connections all going through the hub via a NIC installed in each one.

Enter the Broadband connection with its expensive modem and the fears of someone on the Internet hacking into your always-on connection and you see the virtue of a router like the Linksys Etherfast 4-Port Cable/DSL Router. While I already own a simple Linksys hub which I could have used with the $150 Linksys 1-Port Cable/DSL Router, I elected to go with the 4 port model to eliminate one of the ever-growing number of devices on my overcrowded desk. (I also found this model on sale at CompUSA for only $160 so there was no real price advantage to the less capable unit.) There is also an 8-Port unit, but I considered that overkill for anything but a small-office-home-office (SOHO). In a “normal” LAN, each computer has a preassigned I/P address and is a member of “Workgroup.” This allows other computers in the workgroup to share files, printers, etc. When you go Broadband, like the @Home cable system in our area, the Cable company- ISP assigns these numbers to the ONE computer that must be used to log into the system. If you want to hook up a second computer, you pay an extra monthly fee for a second I/P address. The seven email addresses you get with your @home account must all be on the same computer according to the fine print buried in the contract. (It is possible to avoid the extra expense if you figure out how to get around this with internet sharing - but the main computer must be on.) A Router is an intelligent Hub where you can load the ISP supplied information so the outside world sees only that device and not your computer. The router can then dynamically assign an I/P address to each computer as it logs on (similar to a dial-up connection) so the network set-up is actually easier. Because there are no disk drives in the router and you can name your own Workgroup and don’t have to use the one supplied by the ISP. This is very effective in mitigating exposure to internet hackers. This built-in Network Address Translation (NAT) technology acts as a firewall protecting your internal network. Configurable as a DHCP server, the EtherFast Cable/DSL Router acts as the only externally-recognized Internet device on your LAN.

Illustration #1

You will need the installation sheet the company should have given you with all of those mysterious numbers on it like DSN Server, DSN Name, and Gateways, etc. If you are using Comcast @Home in the South Jersey area, these are the numbers on the bottom of the Installation Form. Just follow the easy directions on the Quick installation guide and make all of the connections. You then load your Internet Browser (Netscape or IE 5) and type in the address of the router in the Address (IE5) or Location (Netscape) bar area. The address is in the instructions and will change with the manufacturer and model number. After you type the supplied password, a Setup screen will appear like the one in illustration #1 below. (Note: These are not my real numbers.)

Type in the information carefully or it will not make a connection. I reversed two of the numbers initially and even a very patient person at Linksys’s Tech support could not help me. The Router Name is your DSN Name. I had to add the Subdomain Address after the DSN Name because it is needed in my local area. (I need it in my e-mail program’s SMTP server name so that was a big hint.) My host name looks something like cx12345- a.adubn1.nj.home.com. You may not need all of this but it could not hurt. The Domain Name is @home. The WAN IP Address area gets a check in the Specify an IP Address and type your information. The Subnet Mask is your Netmask Address. Everything else is the same name. I selected Disable PPoE and did not fill in a user name or password as these are handled by my e-mail program. Click on Apply and close the browser.

Illustration #2

Illustration #3

Now right click on Network Neighborhood (or My Network Places in Win ME) and Select Properties. Highlight your TCP/IP network card and select Properties. (Illustration #2)

Make sure the Obtain IP Address Automatically is selected (Illustration #3) and click OK all the way back to the desktop. This allows the router to assign the addresses.

After you finish installing the router and inserting your numbers, you reboot and then click the Start button and select RUN. Type winipcfg and click OK. Click on Release and then Renew All. One final reboot of everything and you are set.

The instructions are clear and do contain most of this information with screen shots, but I had trouble because of the @Home connection. (Another brand router I saw actually contained a special @Home appendix in the instructions.)

I should also mention there are several other settings like DMZ and Port-Forwarding (useful if you run your own Web-server) and filtering (to limit Internet activity from a specific computer) but these are features only the advanced user will use so I will not go over them here. For those interested in the technical information here it is from the box:

Features

• Connects to a Broadband Modem (Cable or DSL) or to An Ethernet Backbone
• Equipped with full duplex 4-port 10/100 Switch (connection ports for 4 computers)
• Expands up to 253 users
• Connects All of Your PCs to the Internet With Only One Purchased IP Address
• Supports Dynamic and Static IP Addresses
• Supports PPPoE (Point to Point Protocol over Ethernet - used in dial-up and some Broadband systems)
• Creates a Firewall to Protect Your PCs From Outside Intruders
• Configurable Through Any Networked PC's Web Browser
• The 100MB speed, speeds up your gaming and multimedia connections
• Can Act as Either a DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) Server or Client
• Compatible with All Standard Internet Applications
• Administrators Can Block Specific Interior Users Internet Access

• Technical Support - 24 Hours a Day, 7 Days a Week
• Full 1-Year Warranty

Specs:

Ports:

• 4 10BaseT/100BaseTX RJ-45 Ports
• One 10BaseT Broadband WAN Port
• One 10BaseT/100BaseTX RJ-45
• Uplink Port

Cabling Type:

• 10BaseT: UTP/STP Category 3 or 5
• 100BaseTX: UTP/STP Category 5 or Better
• Topology: Star

Speed:

• WAN Router: 10Mbps (10BaseT Ethernet)
• LAN: 10Mbps (10BaseT Ethernet) or 100Mbps (100BaseTX Fast Ethernet)
• LEDs: Power, Ready/Test, Link and Activity for both WAN and LAN port(s),
• Partition and Collision for LAN ports

Any downside? Yes. You must open the computer box to install the NIC but that is easy to do. The only other shortcoming is I wish the Router had one or two printer ports on it also. (Linksys does sell a Printer equivalent which hooks into the network with two parallel printer ports, but that is an additional $150 dollars, so perhaps after the holidays if I win the lottery.) We tested another brand which had one printer port, but while the router worked well, we could not get the printer to install on the router’s printer port so that unit was returned. Why would you want a printer port on the router or the network? I have a Laser and a Color Inkjet printer and use both according to the job requirements. Right now, each one is connected to its own host computer. (Unfortunately, most computers only have one printer port.) To print on the printer attached to the other computer, both computers must be on which is a nuisance. A print server would be nice. Linksys also offers a wireless network router, which I would love to have so I didn’t have to string wire upstairs, but again, I have to win the Lottery first.

The bottom line: it is a convenient way to allow multiple computers to share the Internet at full speed without requiring the “master” computer to be on. You also get firewall protection and have the full benefit of a high speed 100Mbps LAN with file and print sharing. I am very happy with this unit and have convinced three other people to purchase it. Is that recommendation enough!