Review on Cisco-Linksys BEFW11S4 Wireless-B Cable/DSL Router: Stable and Fast Internet Connectivity by Charles Russell

I am very happy with my home network and it exceeds my expectations. I wanted to set up a small home network for two computers in a two-story condominium. High speed access is via a cable modem and I have an HP Officejet K80 connected to a USB port on a Windows 98 desktop PC. My other computer is a Dell laptop running Windows 2000. After reading numerous Revain customer reviews of wireless routers and adapters, I settled on the following: Router - Linksys Wireless 4-Port Cable/DSL Router (BEFW11S4 v.2) Wireless Network Adapter - Netgear MA401 802.11b Wireless PC Card 10/100 Lan Card - Linksys LNE100TX 10/100 Lan card Total cost - about $210 I chose a router because Linksys had fewer problems than other brands. I chose the Netgear PCMCIA Wireless Adapter because users have reported excellent signal strength over a range of distances and the adapter had a built-in antenna. I also didn't want to use my only USB port on the laptop for the network adapter. The Linksys 10/100 LAN card was just a great buy for less than $20. Setup was relatively easy. I first installed a 10/100 LAN card in my desktop PC and then plugged it into my cable modem just to make sure the card was working properly. Next, I followed the brief instructions to connect the router to a cable modem and to a desktop PC. I then used the setup wizard on the CD to set up the router. At some point during router setup, I had to cycle my cable modem before the router found the internet. Once that happened, it automatically got the information it needed to set up the router with the addresses assigned by my ISP. Note. The network connection cable that came with your Linksys router is only about 12 inches long, so you may need a longer cable. My laptop is Dell. Again, I just followed the setup instructions and it connected to the router with no issues. I put my laptop on the first floor of my apartment and the Netgear utility showed a signal strength and connection quality of 100% or excellent. The router is on the second floor about 10 meters and about 3 feet off the ground. After setting up file and printer sharing on my desktop PC, I was able to print from my laptop to an HP Officejet K80 connected to my desktop with no problems. . The only problem is that the desktop PC must be turned on for remote printing to work. I can invest in a Linksys Etherfast Wireless USB Print Server (about $80) if it gets too inconvenient. The last thing I did was read the router's user guide to set up WEP security for 64-bit encryption. I used the passphrase for both the Linksys router and the Netgear wireless adapter and everything worked with no problems. I also changed the default router web utility password for added security. Overall, I found it easy to set up and didn't have to speak to the tech support staff. Every product I've bought matches the reviews I've read, so I hope this review helps someone as well.