I took a chance and am I glad I did! Plug and play it took me maybe 10 minutes from the time I took it out of the box to being up and running. No interference problems. Works great with laptop anywhere in the house accessing wirelessly.

A month later, I surf the site, download the XP drivers that they said would work. They didn't. Called support. On hold for 30 minutes. Support said, "Ok, we'll send you the new drivers". I asked if they were different from the drivers that I had downloaded. Gave them the version number that was posted. "Yeah, those are different. We have new ones". Ok. They email me the "new" drivers. You guessed it, they were the same drivers that didn't work the first time. After another 3 calls to support (each with minimum 30 minutes hold time), I got the problem fixed and the router configured.

A year goes by with few issues. Router working well. Fair wireless connection throughout the house (though the "through-the-walls" range is NOT what is what Link-Sys purports it to be). For all intents, fair to good performance.

Then, I went on a business trip. I pulled out my wireless card from my laptop and left it at home. On my trip, I used dial-up. I didn't connect to another network or anything of the like.

I returned home, plugged the card in, and fired up the machine...Nothing.
I recycled the router...Nothing.
I recycled the router and re-booted...Nothing.
I recycled the DSL modem...Nothing.
I recycled all three...Nothing.
I reset the router settings, recycled, and re-booted...Nothing.

I called Link-Sys support...45 minute hold. After a lengthy conversation with the support rep and at least 20 different "fixes", still doesn't work. The rep says, "Well, I don't know how else we can help you." Yes. I guess not.

I tested the card at a friend's house, worked like a charm. Wasn't the card. Wasn't the DSL connection (which I tested also). So, the router took a permanent vacation.

After several hours of my life waiting on hold, I had had enough. I went and bought a D-Link router. Set it up one time through. The directions were a little screwy, so I called D-Link support. On hold for less than 5 minutes, problem solved in less than 10.

Though the Link-Sys router, apparently, took a vacation after a year worth of reasonable use, the service and support at Link-Sys is absolutely HORRID.

Remember, when you buy technology, it is more than just the hardware. Most people must consider the service and support. This router, when it worked, worked well; however, with regard to service and support, Link-Sys fails miserably.

The only problem is that this router is 2.4Ghz, and so is my cordless phone. I've noticed that whenever I get a phone call, it sometimes interferes with the DSL. I changed the channel on the router, hoping this would do something, and I haven't had any problems since. I'm not positive that this was the actual fix for the problem but it's working for me!

My overall assessment is: Go for it!

**Although it says you need a PC, you can very well set this up with a Mac, too, which is what I did.**

Well, there's always hope for the next firmware release.

The setup was easy and the router performs very well. My only real complaint is the router has had some serious problems with overheating. At first I couldn't figure out why it would work then suddenly stop working and I would have to turn it off for a while to get it working again. Then I felt the bottom of the router and noticed it was hot (not burning hot but like something that'd been sitting in the summer sun for a little while). I tried moving it to a more open space but that wasn't enough. I had to place a fan blowing directly on it before I could get rid of the overheating. I would have preferred the router come with a built-in fan or at least a warning but I'm easy to please and since it has worked flawlessly ever since I placed the fan in front of it, I can't really complain. I could have done without the headache it caused that first few days though. I can't say the range on the router is amazing but it does manage to reach my laptop almost anywhere in this two story house and for a short distance outside of it (currently my laptop gets a "Very Good" connection through the floor and a wall). I'd recommend the router to anyone on a budget that needs a flexable network solution.

The problems I have had with it are on some of the more advanced features. The built-in NAT server can be a little flaky and, most importantly, the ASCII input for encryption keys does not work (the router will convert ASCII to the Hexadecimal and the hex will work just fine).

All in all, even with its problems, the router is an excellent buy and, for the price, I have not seen anything better out there.

I used the web gui to setup the WAP/router.

It was definetly cheaper than an Airport Base Station. I love it.

What is a big deal though and my biggest problem is it's high frequency pitch. I can't ignore it, it's driving me crazy.

Other than that it's a good product. I had a netgear before this that I had to reset every few days. This I haven't reset since I configured it (2 weeks).

Possibly the best telephone service center I have ever encountered and for that reason, I would recommend Linksys as a wireless gateway for your home.

Add to that the benefit of being able to use your cable ISP on two or more computers as well as sharing printers and files and I wonder how I ever lived without it.

WONDERFUL!

I won't buy linksys anymore!

I understand there's now a BEFSR41 v2, and I'm hoping that the
new version is better.

My wife wanted to be able to use her laptop from her job, with our broadband connection at home, so I started shopping around. The problem I was coming across though, was that wireless routers made by other companies only accepted wireless connections. Which meant I would have to buy a wireless PCI card for our desktop computer, in order to still receive the high speed connection it already had. In addition to the wireless card for the laptop, and the router.

Linksys has the answer though, the BEFW11S4 is capable of connecting up to four computers through RJ45 cables, in addition to sharing a wireless signal. Everything you need comes in the box. There is an RJ45 cable to connect the Router to your computer, and the current RJ45 you are using can connect the modem to the Router. The instructions are very easy to follow with photos to show you exactly what to do.

Be careful not to make the same mistake as I did though, and instead of jumping in, read the instructions fully before you start. There are two things that you will need to do to make installation speedy and simple. The first is to contact your ISP before starting on the installation, just to make sure you have all the relevant information you need. The Fast Start guide includes a list of the questions you should ask, and what information you should have before you start. I just wish my ISP had been as helpful at giving me the required information as the guide for the Router was.

Secondly you need to make sure that you start running the installation CD before you connect the router to anything. This way the setup program will start gathering the information about your current settings that your computer is currently using, so that it can transfer it to the router later on when you connect it.

Configuring the Router was an extremely easy task. The instructions are fool proof so it was nearly impossible to go wrong with them, with detailed screenshots showing you what to do. There are also seperate instructions for each Operating System, with screenshots showing exactly what to expect during installation. I had the router up and running within 15 minutes and had I read the instructions first and gathered all the information I need first, I have no doubt that I could repeat the process in even less time.

I have not had any problems with the Router at all and it was definitely money well spent as far as I am concerned. I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a way to share a high speed internet connection between computers with wired ethernet connections and wireless connections.

We also used a Netgear MA401 802.11b Wireless PC card for the laptop, just because some of the reviews for the Linksys equivalent gave me the impression that installation was going to be a pain. There hasn't been any problems with compatability and we're now enjoying a broadband connection on two computers in our home.

This is a great buy for anyone looking for a user-friendly way to set up their home network.