Linksys Wireless Access Point Router with 4-Port Switch review: Linksys Wireless Access Point Router with 4-Port Switch

If you want to share a broadband cable or DSL connection across a home- or small-office network with cabled Ethernet and wireless 802.11b segments, the Linksys EtherFast wireless router does a solid job. It combines a four-port hub with an 802.11b wireless access point, a cable/DSL router, and a firewall. Although the package has some shortcomings in documentation and security, it still provides convenience and speed, replacing several pieces of equipment that would cost much more. If you want to share a broadband cable or DSL connection across a home- or small-office network with cabled Ethernet and wireless 802.11b segments, the Linksys EtherFast wireless router does a solid job. It combines a four-port hub with an 802.11b wireless access point, a cable/DSL router, and a firewall. Although the package has some shortcomings in documentation and security, it still provides convenience and speed, replacing several pieces of equipment that would cost much more.

A multifunction network device
Linksys includes everything you need to set up your home network in one easy-to-install package. The $229 EtherFast wireless router basically combines a wireless 802.11b access point with Linksys's hot-selling four-port cable/DSL router. The unobtrusive design has four sturdy legs supporting a rounded, rectangular black-and-purple case. Should you wish to connect two or more routers via the uplink port, recesses on top simplify stacking. The wireless access point acts as a DHCP server and assigns IP addresses to PCs on the network. It also supports WEP encryption and claims a top operating range of 300 feet (91 meters) indoors and 1,500 feet (457 meters) outdoors.

The Ethernet switch operates at 10Mbps or 100Mbps and has four LAN ports, plus a WAN jack for the modem. Front LEDs indicate power status, as well as broadband, wireless, and cable activity. A Reset button on the back lets you restore the router to its default factory settings. In addition to the EtherFast wireless router, the kit includes a power adapter, a CD-ROM with software and documentation, and a printed user guide.

Simply plug it all together
Installing the EtherFast wireless router was relatively painless. We came across some confusing sections in the 1-page quick-installation guide, but fortunately, the excellent and well-detailed 60-page user guide answered all of our questions. To get started, connect the router to its power source, the cable/DSL modem to the WAN port on the back of the router, and the installation PC to one of the LAN ports. Finally, set the TCP/IP settings for the installation PC's network card to obtain an IP address automatically, then reboot. Once you've successfully installed the router on your network, you can configure it using your Web browser. Simply type the provided IP address and password to launch the router's setup page.

Watch your network take off
Performance was great when it came to throughput, notching 92.5Mbps on the Ethernet connection and 4.2Mbps wirelessly in CNET Labs' tests. Wi-Fi compatibility was also seamless. The EtherFast wireless router worked as well with an Orinoco 802.11b wireless PC Card as it did with Linksys's own cards. Range was about as good as we've seen: with 75 feet and several walls separating the EtherFast wireless router and the wireless clients, signal strength fell marginally, but most messages passed at the top 11Mbps rate, and dropped information was minimal.

As a router, the Linksys offers support for IPSec pass-through, PPTP (point-to-point tunneling protocol), PPPoE (point-to-point protocol over Ethernet), and DMZ (demilitarized zone) mapping. You can set up the router to filter Internet access (handy for family home networks), allow remote administration, keep a log of all Internet sites visited, and more. Unfortunately, unlike the D-Link DI-714 wireless broadband router with four-port switch, the Linksys EtherFast doesn't include stateful packet inspection among its security features, which would have provided an added level of security to the existing NAT and TCP/IP inspection.

The Linksys EtherFast comes with a one-year warranty. Although the warranty may be standard, the router's phone support is above average. Toll-free phone support is available 24/7, excluding major holidays, for the life of the product. The Linksys Web site offers firmware updates, a searchable knowledge base, user guides, and FAQs.

The Linksys EtherFast wireless router could have done a better job with its setup documentation and offered more complete security features. Nevertheless, for the price, it still is a good solution for SOHO users looking to combine wireless and cabled network segments with broadband Internet access.