Cable/DSL Router/switch 4 port; Linksys BEFSR41, Barricade SMC7004BR , & Netgear RT314

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sjshaw

Member
Feb 5, 2001
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Thanks to all the rebates, I've got $.02 to throw in...

I have tried each of the routers mentioned in the thread. Between the SMC, NetGear, and Linksys, my favorite is by far the Linksys. True, it may lack some configurability (word?), but for the vast majority of users just looking to share a broadband connection, it works the best.

Of course, this assumes you know what winipcfg is and how to update firmware. I had tons of problems with Linksys' PPPoE support until I flashed the firmware. The latest version seems to have solved the problems. Of course, PPPoE blows, but you can't have everything....

The earlier posts about releasing and renewing via winipcfg are very pertinent as well.

This sort of thread is why I come here every day. Great information from knowledgable people.
 

racerx09

Junior Member
Dec 10, 2000
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for the router try here Ecost they have it for $89.38 plus 6 bux shipping. price comes out about the same, and you dont have to screw with the rebate. Also, I see alot of discussion about the router. you can go to AMIT and download the software for the barricade there.
They are the OEM for SMC. they also have available FAX Server software for the barricade. You want the firmware/software for the HIP400. All in all, I like the barricade best. I havent had a problem with it yet and it does all that I want it to do. I do hear that the print server doesn't support all printers, but every printer I hooked up to it works
(BJC-3000, Panasonic KX-P4410, Lexmark 1100)I tried all those at one time or another. If I have one complaint about the router, its that there is no way to secure it firmly out of site. Its a pain in the @ss to have it flopping about the desk
 

paradox0521

Member
Dec 19, 2000
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Just thought I'd add my $0.02 here...but I picked up the Netgear RT314 today for $129 at Fry's Electronics. I know - I know...Why Fry's...well, they are only like 5 miles from my house so what the hey. Anyhow, the sticker price on the box was $169, but it rang up at $129 (plus, I'll still get my $30 MIR) - so I guess if you want that router quick w/no shipping charges (but still tax)...goto Fry's (not that I recommend that store for anything anyhow)...oh well.
 

HawkeyeNJ

Platinum Member
Feb 2, 2001
2,417
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EXCELLANT POST ! WELL DONE ! And the hell with the repost bs. U took the time and effort to put it all together. Plus the BONUS of


"I've read all the reviews on these and they are about equal in performance.Navas Cable Modem/DSL Tuning GuideTM recommends the Netgear."

Thanks from a newbie to cable found the site most helpful !

And I will second the gentleman that posted !!!
Maverick319 - this is true if only more threads had this much info and no bickering, i love to learn about stuff such as CQuinn has pointed out and i wish more threads were like this!

here here
 

srxtreme

Member
Dec 5, 2000
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Buyers considering the NETGEAR RT-314 should read this before you buy!!
I Felt obligated to post/Share what I have read, I found the review below, reason enough to take the item off my consideration list.
The Netgear Received only a 3 star rating due to many issues.

Here are a couple of the some major issues I found, but be sure to check out the compete review .
[*]If you are a school or small business user, or someone who wants a configurable and secure option for their home environment, we simply cannot recommend this product :(

[*]Gaming:
We tried hosting Unreal Tournament and Quake 3 Arena games for others to join, but none were able to. We tried playing Half-Life over the Internet and more issues presented themselves. Some tech-savvy comrades chimed in with port forwarding advice and the like, but we were not able to properly correct the inconsistent behavior. The options available in the SUA / NAT section may have been of help, but we found very little detailed documentation on these features and found virtually nothing on the NETGEAR site or in their electronic manual about online gaming.
Internet gaming was more problematic :|

NETGEAR RT-314 full 7 page Review
Courtesy of ADRENALINE VAULT HARDWARE REVIEW by: Paul D. Sullivan Published: February 23, 2001 http://www.adrenalinevault.com/hardware/

AVAULT is also reviewing the D-Link DI-704 Cable/DSL Internet Gateway if anyone is interested. It recieves 4.5 stars.
NETGEAR RT-314 rates only 3.5 stars .

Can the NETGEAR RT-314 Fast Internet Access Gateway Router effectively preserve your precious broadband-sharing connection speeds? Paul Sullivan explores this question in his review.

[*]Conclusion
Overall: The DHCP server issues are significant. Does the product support 32 clients, 64 clients or 253? All three are claimed by various documentation for the RT-314. We finally were able to get in contact with NETGEAR and they stated that the system is indeed limited to 32 clients at this point, and they were not able to explain the inconsistencies in the documentation, the web interface and the telnet configuration options.

[*]Security is very poor: The NAT based security system was very weak on the RT-314. During extended use of the product, Zone Alarm still warned us of direct attacks on each system, even though they were supposedly protected by the RT-314's firewall. After talking to the folks at NETGEAR, and a couple of others involved in the security business, it appears that this product is very easy to get past. Without Zone Alarm, any system behind the RT-314 is still open to easy attack from the outside.

[*]This product is very inflexible: We were not able to get NetMeeting or Internet games to work with the RT-314. There is no DMZ (Demilitarized Zone), though competing products have this feature, and there is no easy way to configure the router to fit even mildly complex needs. Other specific concerns:

[*]The documentation includes a 125 page electronic manual in Adobe Acrobat format but the documentation is inconsistent and incomplete, particularly for a product said to be targeted at the home user.
They do not mention any details about cross-over cables possibly being needed for proper modem connections even though the product literature repeatedly states that every cable you need is included in the package. That may be the case with their other model, the 311, but not with this one.
[*]They do not provide any level of hand-holding for those wanting to setup game servers on their systems, a key reason that many would want to obtain this item in the first place.
[*]Parents may want to block outgoing access to protect their children from harmful materials, but there are no helpful instructions on how to achieve this.
[*]Administration of this router can be a handful thanks to the disparate control interfaces. We would love to see NETGEAR roll all the functions of the telnet command menus into the browser where it will be more accessible to home users. We would appreciate the inclusion of context sensitive help within that browser interface as well. It would not involve that much effort and could pay huge dividends in terms of tech support reduction and customer satisfaction.

[*]We are not trying to slam this product -- only highlighting its weak spots. NETGEAR could correct many of these issues if they wished via firmware and documentation updates, but the product has been out for some time and no such changes seem to be in the works. Competitors like Linksys have been very successful at adding features and upgrades to their router products via firmware patches, and we hope that NETGEAR follows suit.

Though the product box states it is designed for home, school and small business, the NETGEAR representative we spoke to indicated that this product is specifically tailored for the home user and is not recommended for school or small businesses at this time.

If you are a home user who wants a broadband Internet sharing solution without the hassles of configuration, then the RT-314 is a decent choice and merits a three star (average) rating. We do emphatically recommend you obtain and install the free Zone Alarm software firewall on each machine connected to the router, however.

 

Jeraden

Platinum Member
Oct 9, 1999
2,518
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I went to order from Ecost, they add a $6 shipping charge and a $6 handling charge, which brings the total to 101.28. Through Outpost its 94.95 - 5.75 from ebates, so like 89.25, over $10 cheaper through outpost, though you gotta wait for a $20 rebate.
 

Schmo

Senior member
Oct 9, 1999
538
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srxtreme,

Wow, I can't believe this thread is still going on. ;-) I personally settled with the LinkSys and love it. I have a 3Mbps connection for downloads and it does not seem to limit me in the least. It forwards ports correctly for my web and FTP server and shares my VPN connection to work great.

For only 80 bucks or so, it was a steal. (I have the 4 port version).
 

srxtreme

Member
Dec 5, 2000
34
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Yea I cant believe it either, hopfully it's a indicator than Broadband is beginning to reach the majority of the masses. One 2 way satelite kicks in that will come even the rural areas. Dialip are becoming a thing of the past. [*]Unfortunaly I'm still waiting for my 15 Dec 2000 DSL install :|
 

flungster

Member
Jan 9, 2001
123
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Well here are my 2 cents on the RT314. I've had this router for over 6 months now and I have never had any issues with hacking etc. Now of course that doesn't mean people haven't tried breaking in etc (I am also running a s/w firewall to watch everything from my desktops) but I can vouch that performance wise, it's been hard to beat the 314. Yes Half life does have issues with the 314 but there's a beta patch of the firmware out to address this. In any case, if you try and compare this router to the current generation of routers, it doesn't have all the new features such as built in print svrs etc.. but it does offer rock solid performance and great reliability (Current uptime has been 4+ months now).
With that being said, I'm considering upgrading to the SMC SMC7004WBR Wireless barricade if only to cut down one less power adaptor (I currently own the Orinoco RG-1000). The best price so far has been on: http://www.computers4sure.com/product.asp?productid=110341&affid=2163&adid=2163 and then use the 20 dollar coupon to bring it down even further to 259.99 before shipping. (posted around here before I believe). Enjoy.

 

cheuyungphat

Member
Aug 12, 2000
166
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I certainly appreciate all of the technical insight in this thread!!! Thanks everyone...I do have a question though. Everyone has discussed the merrits of using one of the various hub/switch/router boxes that are available. I too have been doing some research as I am also very interested. In the meantime I am currently using a barebones system (my old Asus P2b and Celeron 300 @ 450 - geeze what memories!) as a Linux DHCP server as my internet gateway for 3 other systems. I am a "newbie" with respects to Linux, and was wondering if anyone has any feeling towards which is more secure...the hub/switch/router or my Linux box. I realize there is the possibility for hacking into the Linux box, but other than this are there any benefits/pros/cons for the hub/switch/router vs. my Linux gateway? Thanks in advance!
 

PassatVR6

Senior member
Feb 14, 2001
264
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I almost purchased a Linksys BEFSR41 last night at fry's for 99 dollars. I am probably going back tomorrow to get it. I have setup many Windows networks before for gaming/filetransfers, etc, but I have never used a router/switch before. (used a regular hub in the past)
I have a few questions:

I am on ATT@home cable with one IP address. If I get this router and hook up my other computer into it to share the Cable access, will I need to pay an extra 5 dollars a month for an extra IP address? Or will this Router negate the need for that?

Also I do like to play online games once in awhile, has anyone tried this on the BEFSR41 and how did it perform? Has anyone actually tried it out here? Also again, am I going to need to pay for an extra IP address?

Thanks, this post has been very informative.
 
Aug 10, 2000
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Extra IP address payments - No, the outside net will think you still only have one address, the router converts the addressing..

 

xkenny013

Senior member
Jul 13, 2000
239
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I've got a single-IP cable modem set-up (and had a similar DSL set-up running a month ago) on a Linksys BEFSR41, which is in turn connected to ~3 computers.

Never played any net-games through the Linksys router, but it functions beautifully allowing me to run my FTP server from behind the firewall, while blocking all the other ports. You have to use static IP addresses in this case though, no DHCP.

Overall, the firmware was very easy to configure, and updates are regularly available on their website.
 

Muffy

Member
Jan 11, 2001
159
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0
I have the netgear rt314 and before I got it my norton security had so many attempted hacks all day every day, and since I got the router I have had 0 security alerts in my norton security and none of the hacks are reaching any of my computers on the network.
 

AU Tiger

Diamond Member
Dec 26, 1999
4,280
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76
I tried two of the Linksys routers and had problems with both. The PC light on my Toshiba PCX1100 modem either flashed or was not lit when I had the router connected. No problem when I hooked the cable modem directly to my PC. Tried different network cables with no luck. After trying two different units I have decided to try SMC or Netgear.

Outpost now has the SMC for $84.95 after rebate.

NOTE: Issue could be a problem between PCX1100 and Linksys as Linksys works fine with PCX1000.
 

jaybittle

Senior member
Jan 23, 2001
550
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Passat,

I have the BEFSR41, and play CS all the time with it.. pretty fast, no lag intoduced behind one of these suckers..

I haven't had all my nodes playing at the same time, but I have had one node downloading lots from newsgroups and a second playing games with minimal lag at all (5-10 ms tops..)

So, go get one -- for all the features that it comes with, and the full time firewall protection, it is worth it.

cheers,
--jb
 

JD

Member
Nov 13, 1999
174
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Check out comments from actual users (noting, too, a pattern of reported Linksys router failures after a few months, even if it works initially):

("Total Reviews Submitted" numbers were as of 3/14)

67% Negative Reviews of Allied Telesyn AT-AR220 (...but Only 3 Total Reviews Submitted)
Inexpensive, but you get what you pay for. 40% Negative Reviews for "twin" Addtron ADR-E200P...only 18 Total Reviews Submitted)

39% Negative Reviews of D-Link DI-701 (36 Total Reviews Submitted)
Fast, but very basic and has security hole. [ D-Link DI-704 = "Different package, but TWIN to SMC Barricade & Asante FriendlyNet" ("twin"...yet, 31% Negative Reviews of 29 Total Submitted, vs 10% & 7% for SMC(211) & Asante(43) respectively...same OEM, different support)]

21% Negative reviews of Linksys BEFSR41 ( 1151 Total Reviews Submitted )
Very popular, fast router, but with ongoing firmware problems for many users

10% Negative Reviews of the SMC7004BR (211 Total Reviews Submitted)
Fast router with optional built-in Win printserver and ability to use with Dialup modem or ISDN TA. Different package, but clone of Asante FriendlyNET FR3400 (7% Negative Reviews of 43 Total submitted). (OEM is AMIT)

10% Negative Reviews of the Netgear RT314 ( 283 Total Reviews Submitted)
Very fast 4 port 10/100 switched router, but with admin interface only a propeller-head could love. - Twin with ZyXEL Prestige 314.

(Italicized comments from Practically Networked Hardware Router Comparison Chart)

SMC Barricade (Best Router: SMC's Barricade 12/25/00 Byte.com) and Netgear personal routers seem more reliable than Linksys' (which seems a crapshoot for "survivability down the road after some months").
 

Flaredair

Golden Member
Mar 8, 2001
1,414
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Thanks guys, great thread. For your information I just ordered the SMC from buy.com. Price was $ 99.95 with free shipping. Oh yea, the $20.00 rebate is still good through April, so final price is 79.99 after MIR.
 

Nightwatch

Senior member
Jul 4, 2000
484
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I have the Toshiba PCX1100 and the Linksys Router and they work fine together. As far as the SMC, it was going cheap from AllBusiness. Like $87 before rebate.

EDIT AllBusiness jacked price up to $102.79. Not so hot from there anymore.
 

psteng19

Diamond Member
Dec 9, 2000
5,953
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Picked up both SMC and Linksys, decided to open only the SMC. Had it setup and running in 15 minutes. Now a question about gaming with it. Has anyone had problems with the SMC and CS with more than 1 computer IN THE SAME SERVER? I can't seem to get it to work. Thanks.
 

Cherrypez

Member
Jan 10, 2001
168
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0
The Linksys BEFSR41 - EtherFast 4-Port Cable/DSL Router is a very good router solution. Mine does everything I could want it to. It keeps 4 power-users very happy sharing a cable connection. It took about 2 minutes to set up too.

Steve Gibson(of GRC.com not shugashack:)) agrees and calls it his "absolute favorite solution for personal and small office NAT routing". Check this link Shields UP! link it's about halfway down the page. This guy is smart and if he likes it and I like it, it's gotta be a good product! ;)
 

Flaredair

Golden Member
Mar 8, 2001
1,414
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Hey Terry/srxtreme, great thread you got going here, lots of valuable information.

Would you kindly provide more info on where to obtain the free Zone Alarm firewall software for each machine connected to the network".
Perhaps a link??

Thanx, BigDaddyPig