Linksys Cable / DSL Router (12/22/00)

Review

by Kingpin

 

LONG READ AND LOT'S OF PICS = LONG DOWNLOAD!

Please stand by!

OK boys and girls here we go... This is going to be a lesson on Cable and DSL lines. (Not really but what the hey!) As well all know Cable and DSL lines rock! (at least when they work (Thanks Shaw... Doh!!! I mean Rodgers!)) but the drawback is that you are only allowed one connection unless you want to pay the extra green to get a second IP address. What you say?! I have to pay! Well yes. If you read the fine print on you contract agreement you will notice that you are not allowed many things, one of which includes multiple computers on your connection. Wait wait wait.... I have heard a friend of mine (like you don't do it) hook his cable modem to a hub and then plug all the computers into the hub and PRESTO you all can get on the net.....

Problem.... you see SHODGERS (thats Shaw and Rodgers for you slow types) know how many Cable modems they have and they know how many IP's are being assigned (you see 1 cable modem = 1 IP) but if there are 500 cable modem and there are 1000 IP's they know something is up... they then poll all the modem and ask them "Modem .... How many IP's are you giving out?" "why I'm assigning 2 Shodgers." approx. 2 hours pass.... Ring ring (your phone) "Hi this is shodgers calling... we will be by tomorrow to pick up our modem and your service is CANCELED!" "AHHHHHHHHHH! WHAT! No Internet..... How will I survive!?!?!" But wait Kingpin you say I have DSL! You my friend are screw even more! You see with DSL you could plug it in to a hub hook up a 1000 computers but you will only get 1 IP! (this goes for some of the newer Cable modem as well) Kingpin please help you cry!

DUN dun da! Linksys to the rescue!

This is where the BEFSR series of products comes in.

I won't bore you with the details on the BEFSR11 and the BEFSR81 as they are basically all the same except for the number of ports they have! I will go into detail on the BEFSR41 as that's the unit I got to review.

There are several to choose from. First there is the BEFSR11 pictured above. This unit requires that you already have a working hub and LAN setup. Due to that fact is is the least expensive @ approx. $199 - $249 CDN depending on where you get it.

OK so the BEFSR81 is on the LAMB... just close your eyes and picture the above unit with 8 ports. Good good!! Now picture them being 10/100 switched ports. Excellent! There you just pictured the BESFR81.

But now on the the good stuff!

What you see above in all it's LAN goodness is the BESFR41 unit. As you can plainly see this is the 4 port version. OK you say but how will this help me get around the Shodgers police probing... well sit right back and you'll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful trip (whoa Flashback there!!?!?!)

Right then this is how it works. Your Cable/DSL modem goes into the WAN port you see above in the picture, all of the other computers go into the numbered ports unless you want to cascade to another hub in which case you would use the uplink and the #1 port becomes dead. But Kingpin...You said that if you plug the modem into a hub it will give an IP from Shodgers and they can trace that! WRONG! This is where the unit takes over and take over it will!

on to the next page!