Date: May 25th 2002
Article by: Peer van Empelen (Founder & Hardware Reviewer)
Product was purchased from : J's ITsolutions
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COMPANY PROFILE

Linksys was founded in 1988 with a vision that networking products would become an affordable commodity, allowing anyone to share documents, files, mail, and most of all, ideas between people.


Over the past 13 years, Linksys has become THE leader in sales of wireless, routers, network cards and USB adapters to the Home and Small business user through retail and e-commerce channels. If you've visited an electronics or computer store or shopped online lately, you'll see why Linksys is the home and small/medium business networking leader, owning more than 30% of the Retail store market and leading in networking sales, through e-tailers. Linksys has also grown to become the fastest growing networking vendor in the distribution channel, which caters to small/medium businesses, corporate workgroups and enterprise environments through VARs and catalogs. So with the help of our product placements in more than 8,400 retail stores in the US and 1,100 internationally and through more than 1,000 VARs and distribution partners, we can quickly disseminate more than 150 different products tailored to meet any specific connectivity requirement.

PRODUCT INTRODUCTION

I started surfing the net four years ago and I was using some old modem then. It annoyed the shit out of me and so I got cable. After a while a got a roommate and he wanted to be on as well ... So I got myself an old computer and installed Freeso on it. Hooked up a hub and I was rolling. But the noise of the machine was agonizing. Trying to get some sleep while the hummmmm kept me awake. I was visiting one of my favorite hardware-dealers when he demonstrated to me the LinkSys Router. He plugged the machines in... started the one of the machines and demonstrated he's fast and WORKING connection. No configuring what so ever. I wanted one of those BAD !

Ain't it a beauty ?!

PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS

The LinkSys BEFSR81 is a well equipped router with some neat specs :

- Full DHCP & DNS routing
- 8 port switch ( 1 uplink )
- Webbased administration
- DMZ (put one machine outside the network for direct access like games and stuff)
- Port by Port or Port Range routing
- Supports both Cable and DSL
- Log (kept on router or other networknode)
- QoS (prioritizing certain ports and protocols)
- Mac Address cloning
- (optional) Built-in Firewall and virusscanner

PRODUCT COMPOSITION

What do I get with the purchase?

Ouch ... battered box ... All in one piece ?

• The BEFSR81 Router
• One AC Adapter and Power Cord
• One User Guide and Registration Card

When you pull the baby out of the box it looks good, but the round shape feels somewhat weird. I had my extra switch slide of numerous times. Oh well ... if it looks good ... ?

Now on with the setup !