Linksys EtherFast® BEFSR41 Router

As soon as I ordered my new G4 iMac, I knew I wanted to get a router and network it with my G3 Blue and White Mac. Truthfully, I'd never actually seen a router and didn't really understand how they worked, but I knew I wanted access to our AppleTalk laser printer and the Internet and everything I read told me this was the way to do it.

As usual, when I don't have a clue what to look for, I do a search on the MacWorld web page. It looked like Linksys was getting the most nods, so that's what I chose. They had several options to chose from, so I went with what looked like the best, the Linksys EtherFast Cable/DSL Router with 4-Port Switch.

Just so you know, I'm not the only clueless one in our household. After I ordered the Linksys for Amazon I had this conversation with my husband:

Me: "Honey, guess what, I just ordered a new router to use with our iMac!"

Him: "Huh?I didn't know you needed a computer to operate a router. Anyway, it should come in handy for our remodel. I have a lot of things to cut out."

Needless to say, he was disappointed it wasn't THAT kind of router.

Features of This Router

For those who are as clueless as I was (and my husband still is), a router is used to network multiple computers and other Ethernet devices. It allows all of your computers to access the Internet via one DSL or cable modem. In fact, it can allow up to 253 users to network and share Internet access. It also includes a NAT firewall to protect your network from outsider intruders. The router itself is the only externally recognized Internet device in your internal network of computers.

As the name implies, this router has 4 ports which means you can network up to 4 computers/Ethernet devices without any additional external hub or switch since it serves as its own switch. In fact, it made my 3Com HomeConnect hub unnecessary so I'll probably be selling that on eBay. I made use of all 4 ports by connecting my G4 iMac, my Blue and White G3 and my older iMac as well as my Laser Printer.

The router functions as a DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) server for your network, automatically assigning new IP addresses to your computers and saving you the trouble of having to manually assign them. The Linksys comes with the DHCP enabled by default. It can be disabled if you have another DHCP server running on your network.

You can even set up an IP filter to block one or more of the devices on your network from connecting to the Internet. This could come in handy if a computer is in a child's room and you want them to be able to access a shared printer without being able to surf unsupervised. The router can also be accessed through a remote location via the Internet. IPSec Pass Through and PPYP Pass Through can be enabled on this router.

The rear panel of the Linksys 4-port router actually has 6 ports for RJ-45 connectors. The first port is labeled "WAN" which stands for Wide Area Network. This port connects your router to your DSL or cable modem. The next 4 ports are LAN (Local Area Network) ports for connecting network devices and computers. The last port is labeled "Uplink" and is used to expand the network by connecting it to another hub or switch (Port 1 won't work in the Uplink port is being used). Finally, there is a power port to connect to the power adapter (comes included).

The front panel has a series of LED lights that I found rather overwhelming when I first looked at it. The green power light is pretty self-explanatory. After that are three rows and five columns of lights. The top row, labeled "Link/Act" also lights up green. A continuous light indicates that the network device corresponding to that port (1 to 4) is successfully connected to the router. These lights flicker when the router is sending or receiving data over that port. The next row, labeled "Full/Col" indicates whether the connections are running in Full Duplex mode (continuous green light). A flickering LED means that the connection is experiencing collisions. The last row, labeled "100" lights up orange when a 100 Mbps connection is successfully made through the corresponding ports. No light indicates that the connection speed is 10 Mbps. The fifth column is for the WAN port. The first two indicators are about the same as the LAN indicators, but the last one, labeled "Diag" turns orange when the Linksys goes through a self-diagnosis during boot-up and whenever you make changes to the router's utility program.

What Comes in the Package and What Else is Needed?

Along with this instant broadband router, the Linksys comes with a Tech Helper CD-ROM, a power adapter, a quick installation guide, and one user guide. In addition to this, you need a RJ-45 broadband Internet connection with an external cable or DSL modem, at least one computer with a 10/100 Mbps Ethernet card or adapter installed, a TCP/IP network protocol on each computer, UTP CAT 5 network cables with RJ-45 connectors, and Internet Explorer 4.0 or higher or Netscape Navigator 4.0 or higher. The Linksys is compatible with PCs and Macintosh computers.

Dr_Steph Doesn't Do Windows, But Does She Do Routers?

Once my new G4 iMac arrived and my husband finally strung up the CAT 5 cables, I eagerly opened up my new Linksys router, full of confidence that I could tackle the installation. I didn't have any trouble actually connecting the cables, but my confidence faltered after that, once I realized that the entire manual was written for PC users. As far as I could tell, there wasn't a single reference to Macintosh anywhere in the user guide. I then scanned the box for some indicator of Mac compatibility and found none. Now I was in a panic. Did I order the wrong router? I could have sworn that the web site said it was Mac compatible. Not only that, but MacWorld wouldn't recommend it if it wasn't. Still, I had serious doubts. I knew that if anyone could screw up in ordering the wrong product, it would be me.

Finally, I called a Mac tech support guru from campus and begged him to come over and help me out. He arrived with another tech guru and they proceeded to move rapidly back and forth between the three computers and the router, plugging and unplugging cables, uttering terms that sounded like a foreign language to me (I've since learned most of them) and generally looking very knowledgeable (which made me feel stupider). Unfortunately, they ran into a problem and couldn't get the computers to connect to the Internet. I stayed out of their way for about an hour while they tried various things. Finally they confessed that they had exhausted their strategies and had to give up for the day. I asked them to wait while I turned my G3 back on, accessed the web utility page for the modem in my bookmarks and clicked on "Connect." Suddenly everything was up and running! Now I don't feel quite as stupid anymore (though I think they felt a bit sheepish that a techno-idiot Psychology professor two decades their senior could solve the unsolvable problem).

Since then, I checked out the Linksys web site and saw a link for Macintosh installation instructions. Well, that could have saved me some trouble! I clicked on it and it took me to an online article in MacWorld about connecting broadband routers (with nothing specific to the Linksys, though). This just confirmed that MacWorld is the resource I need when I'm entering into uncharted Mac territory.

In the end, the Linksys EtherFast Cable/DSL Router with 4-Port Switch works like a dream. Now we can have three of us surfing the net at the same time, all in different rooms. Before long I'll have to send my 6 year-old son an email, telling him it's time for dinner or time to go to bed. Isn't great how technology enhances one's ability to communicate?