Linksys BEFSR81 Cable/dsl Router with 8-PT Switch

Manufacturer:	Linksys
List price:	~~$149.99~~
Our price:	$84.54 that is 44% off!

Linksys BEFSR81 Cable/dsl Router with 8-PT Switch

Average rating: Stars

A must for Cable Modem users

This router serves excellently as a firewall, multiple computer user file transfer and simultaneous internet access. Be sure to use a v3 Linksys Cable modem as the v2 has problems. I highly recommend this unit. They stack nicely but get too hot that way.

Linksys BEFSR81 Cable/dsl Router with 8-PT Switch - Linksys

limited lifespan

Very Easy to set up!, A ok solution for a home router or maybe a small business where internet access is not a priority. Has Many features not available or not as well implemented on other router/switches.
Port Forwarding is limited but enough for most home users. DMZ feature is nice and mostly works but with all the port forwarding why you would want to use it is beyond me.
Log incoming/outgoing connections is good enough for most home uses. Quality of Service (QoS) to set priority level for different network traffic works ok; VOIP can be an issue.

As with all network equipment this device is a good candidate for your UPS.

The problem with besfr81 is I go through a new one every couple years. The older models seem to be more stable, and my first 4 port router is still in service, but I do not get that reliability with the newer models. I have had several of the 8 port DSL routers fail after a year or 3. As other reviews have mentioned these routers fail in many mysterious ways, you can drop connections, or only run 10MBS or suddenly can't run Full Duplex, one port may work fine one day then stop the next.

When the box fails, unless you have a back up router, you no longer can get to the internet, or even your own home network. the box is not very reliable over the long term.

Linksys - Linksys BEFSR81 Cable/dsl Router with 8-PT Switch

Maybe older is better.

I bought one of these units when they first came out. As a version one unit, it did have a few problems with mysterious disconnects and such. I downloaded the latest firmware at that time and it worked much better. I would check back regularly and upgrade the firmware whenever it became available. There were many times I would have my computer online for weeks at a time with fairly heavy traffic both ways without a hitch. Once in a while for some strange reason, certain websites became unavailable or file transfer across the local network became very slow. This could happen once a week but many times it was months without a problem. A power down and up would restore the connections. Transfer rates from the Internet would consistantly be at the max allowed by my ISP. (1500k down and 125k up - PPPOE ADSL) Port fowarding worked in the few applications that needed it, but I'm not a gamer so I can't comment on any problems there might have been in that area. I finally retired the unit last month (February 2005) after about 5 years of use. Several users here have complained about reliability of this unit but maybe the later versions were/are made cheaper or something as this one never quit. 1 star short of 5 here because there was still an occasional reset needed.

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