Get the whole family online the CHEAP way

Author's Rating:

Pros: Easy set up; best high quality-cheap price router; Features galore

Cons: Port 1 gets disabled for using Uplink port

The Bottom Line: 
Broadband connection: $40 a month. Router: $54. Being able to connect 4 computers in 1 house with ease: priceless.

Author's Review
We all know you can buy several internet IP addresses to use for every computer in the house. Because more and more households are demanding more than 1 computer in the house, they are also demanding internet access for each one. Why would anyone pay the ISP for more than 1 account a month if you can share that access for a one time price of around $60? I don't know, and that is why I purchased one of the highly rated Linksys routers for my house. It lets me, my brother, my mom and dad, and my PS2 to go online at the same time. The 21st century has hit, and life just keeps getting better.

This router is truly a good deal if you know the computer industry. Netgear, Linksys's # 1 competitor, makes similar routers for a similar price, but not in similar quality. The difference between the two companies isn't the most clear, but I myself like to call myself a loyal Linksys user. I purchased a wireless router and 3 previous LAN cards from them, and all have worked wonders for me. The BEFSR41 has 4 ports for sharing internet access, and 2 other ports for your incoming internet access and another for uplinking to other routers or hubs. The router also has basic power conections and one of the most informative LED displays I've even seen on a router of this caliber.

The case this router comes in is very Linksys esque, with a blue box and 4 rubber pads for support. It has a shape that allows it to be stacked with other Linksys products, and will make those that but similar Linksys routers and hubs happy. The set up with using this router is also easy: one ethernet cable goes from your cable/dsl modem to the incoming access port, one ethernet cable from your computer to the router, and a basic power connection. The rest is done by the software that comes with the router, and if you have never connected a router before, this one will teach you how very easily. The web-based set up screen is a remarkable feature that few routers have these days. You simply call up http://192.168.1.1 in the Internet Explorer address line and the web-based setup screen pops up.

Security is built right into the BEFSR41, with a NAT firewall that acts likes a pretender that "tells" hackers your computer is asleep when it is truly on. Not only is the free and built in, it works like a charm and doesn't require you to install a program like ZoneAlarm on your computer, which will save you money and hard disk space. After I installed this router, I checked my incoming port checks by hackers for one 1 month on ZoneAlarm. End result? 0. Nothing, absolutely nothing got by my router. I am a very happy camper.

You don't need to be any IT tech to be able to successfully use the BEFSR41. I have been using this router to split 4 my cable access to 4 different computers in the house without a hitch. If you're thinking about another company like Netgear or D-Link, think again. If unbiased user experience doesn't sway you, I'm not sure what will.