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Should I buy Linksys?

  • Yes! :D

    Votes: 13 50.0%
  • No! :mad:

    Votes: 6 23.1%
  • It's your call. :rolleyes:

    Votes: 7 26.9%
  • I don't know anything about Linksys products, so I couldn't tell ya. Sorry. :(

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • What is Linksys? :confused:

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    26

Shrek

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jul 23, 2002
1,118
0
Nashville, Tennessee USA
Is Linksys a good brand? I have noticed that their network products are much cheaper than other brand name companies' products, but does that mean that their not as high quality; I've heard rumors that Linksys products are not as secure as other brand names. I really don't want to spend the extra money if I don't have to.

I was looking at one Linksys product in particular: the Instant Wireless USB Network Adapter - Version 2.6. How well would this work on an Airport network when connected to a PC? :rolleyes:
 

bousozoku

Moderator emeritus
Jun 25, 2002
15,603
1,761
Lard
I've had good luck with my Ethernet hub, but I believe that Dukestreet has had the opposite with his DSL/Cable router.

I would rather buy from BayNetworks--I forget their retail brand name. I think they're using orange and purple boxes now. They've been reliable in professional situations.
 

awrc

macrumors regular
Apr 20, 2002
215
1
Milwaukee, WI
Almost all the consumer-level networking stuff out there is much of a muchness. Usually the same chipsets and board designs, usually the same firmware used as a starting point and customized to add the particular manufacturer's logo and so forth.

The differences seem to come in two places - design/materials for the enclosures and support (and by that I mean both customer support and upgrades to firmware). So which brand to go with depends on what you place most importance on.

Netgear's stuff is well made - almost everything comes in a nice blue painted metal case. It's got a solid feel. However, their tech support is virtually non-existent and they're usually last of all of the manufacturers to upgrade their firmware. This might change now that Netgear is entirely on their own (they were part owned by Bay Networks, or Nortel, or both, but bought them out) but it holds true at the moment.

Linksys stuff is, IMHO, generally cheap and plasticky in appearance. I also think much of it looks weird :D I'd imagine the cost differences between metal cases and injection molded plastic would be one obvious place they sell for less. However, I also get the impression that their support is better. I don't know about customer support, but I *do* know that they've always been good about updating firmware to add new features in a timely manner.

When I move from 802.11b to .11g or .11a or telepathy or whatever the next thing is, I'll be ditching the Netgear stuff. There's nothing wrong with it - it works well - but the firmware for the ME102 AP hasn't been updated since January, even though there's been a more recent version available since late last year. Linksys' equivalent product has the most recent version of the firmware, and they've gone on to make their own improved version of the product with their own (superior) firmware.

Another way to find out - go to dslreports.com and look at the hardware specific forums for Linksys and the others. They usually give you a pretty good idea of what to expect.
 

cleo

macrumors 65816
Jan 21, 2002
1,186
0
Tampa Bay Area, FL, USA
Well...

I had absolute terrible luck with the Linksys wireless router (just do a search for "cleo" and "linksys"). I usually tell people to stay as far away as possible from their stuff. However, we have the USB wireless thingamajigger on a Gateway on our Airport network, and it works just great. :D
 

edesignuk

Moderator emeritus
Mar 25, 2002
19,232
2
London, England
I have loads of linksys gear...
  • 2 x 8 Port 10/100 Hubs
  • Cable/DSL Router w/4 Port 10/100 Switch
  • Wireless Access Point
  • PCMCIA Wireless Network Card (for StinkPad)
And I have never had any problems with them, I love the web interface control panal for the router that offers so, so many easy to configure options. IMHO they are a great product that make home networking a sinch.
 

beez7777

macrumors 6502a
Aug 5, 2002
758
0
Notre Dame
i would recommend netgear. i just bought a netgear router after a horrible experience with speedstream. my netgear was up and running very quickly, but im not sure how their tech support is, as i haven't called yet. ill take awrc's word for it about it being non-existant. but the router seems well made:)
 

awrc

macrumors regular
Apr 20, 2002
215
1
Milwaukee, WI
Originally posted by beez7777
i would recommend netgear. i just bought a netgear router after a horrible experience with speedstream.

As the owner/victim of an Efficient Networks Speedstream 5861, I feel your pain. I've managed to get the thing screwed up so thoroughly while attempting a firmware upgrade I thought that I'd have to buy a new one. Fortunately I stumbled across the "Factory Reset" incantation before I actually forked out $$$ for anything.

my netgear was up and running very quickly, but im not sure how their tech support is, as i haven't called yet. ill take awrc's word for it about it being non-existant. but the router seems well made:)

If you never have to contact their tech support and it works, you've got nothing to worry about. My old RT314 never gave me any trouble, my current MA314 likewise. I still keep a stack of FA310TX network cards for emergencies, my laptop's FA501 is great as is its MA401 wireless card. My main switch is an FS318 and it's trouble-free and nice-looking too due to numerous blinkenlights (three per port on the front, one per port on the back).

However, upgrading the firmware in the MA301/MA401 pairing in my PC resulted in a wireless network card that is "zero config" due to the (ahem) "magic" of Windows XP, but can't be turned off under any circumstances, and upgrading the ME102 Access Point I use to provide full apartment wireless coverage took me the closest I've ever been to taking a piece of computer equipment up to the 14th floor and hurling it off.
 

mymemory

macrumors 68020
May 9, 2001
2,495
-1
Miami
I have a Lynksys DSL Router, it is the first networking unit I buy and it works just fine. A bit messy the set up, the web interface is very intuitive and I connected 2 of my computers and very soon the third one (a second Pismo =). I feel good enought to recomend it, it is not wireless, I do not trust wireless products yet, that technology still too early for me.

Get the unit, I do not mean wireless, I do not trust airports yet, I would wait for another year to get something wireless, I do not like to be alpha tester.
 

evildead

macrumors 65816
Jun 18, 2001
1,275
0
WestCost, USA
I have one

I have a linksys Wireless Router with 4 port Switch. Configuration was a snap. DMZ and port forwarding are great features. Can do both DHCP and Static assignment at the same time.

Only problem I had was updating the firmware from My mac. When I first got it, IE and netscape for Mac didnt have all the JAVA stuff it needed to run JAVA applets properly and the firmware upgrade tool the router uses... didnt work. Now it works ok and I got it updated. Before the update... DHCP and Static assignment of IP adresses didnt work.

-evildead
 

chmorley

macrumors 6502a
Jan 2, 2002
602
2
Denver, CO
Linksys

I also have many Linksys wireless products, including a wireless bridge and 6 wireless PCMCIA cards. Never had any problems with any of them *except*...

WinXP wouldn't load the Linksys wireless PCMCIA driver at all. The Lucent one worked just fine with plug and pray.

However, whenever things don't work in any M$ environment, I typically blame M$. Who knows where the problem lies here? These product worked just fine in every other environment and in every other machine (including my old Powerbook 1400).

Chris
 

firewire2001

macrumors 6502a
Apr 2, 2002
718
0
Hong Kong
Re: Well...

Originally posted by cleo
I had absolute terrible luck with the Linksys wireless router (just do a search for "cleo" and "linksys"). I usually tell people to stay as far away as possible from their stuff. However, we have the USB wireless thingamajigger on a Gateway on our Airport network, and it works just great. :D

its not you or anything.. in fact it is misleading, but usb networking is not a good way to go..

i know ppl that have had terrible problems with usb networking solutions ranging from intel to d-link to linksys.. its not the way to go..

-f
 

Mr. Anderson

Moderator emeritus
Nov 1, 2001
22,568
6
VA
I would have said 'Yes' until I installed Jaguar last week and had some problems. When I called them they told me that they don't support the Apple computers because they don't have the resources to do so - yet ther manual has Mac installation instructions.

D
 

3777

macrumors 6502
Jul 25, 2002
379
0
Linksys is great

Originally posted by dukestreet
I would have said 'Yes' until I installed Jaguar last week and had some problems. When I called them they told me that they don't support the Apple computers because they don't have the resources to do so - yet ther manual has Mac installation instructions.

D

I just hooked up my high speed network today. Got the 2.4GHZ router / access point for 150 dollars, and a wireless card for my laptop. Both my PC and my iMac DV with OSX Jaguar are running with no problem......I didn't even have to do any configuring on the iMac so I don't know what problem the above poster is having? For your wireless cards, just be sure you have it plugged in before you configure it if it's on a pc. Overall I'd give Linksys a 10 of 10.
 

3777

macrumors 6502
Jul 25, 2002
379
0
P.S.

Definitely get the Ethernet based Linksys system, USB for high speed wireless just doesn't sound right.
 

3777

macrumors 6502
Jul 25, 2002
379
0
Re: Re: P.S.

Originally posted by Shrek


Yes, but I only need the Instant Wireless USB Network Adapter - Version 2.6 hooked up to a PC, which has USB 2.0. :)

Actually now that I look at it, I will probably but that for my parents desktop so they can get my high speed network for as long as I'm still getting free room and board. If you already have a network then that looks like a good buy. I think linksys is incredible and I've only had it for 1 day.
 

3777

macrumors 6502
Jul 25, 2002
379
0
Re: Re: Re: P.S.

Originally posted by 3777


Actually now that I look at it, I will probably but that for my parents desktop so they can get my high speed network for as long as I'm still getting free room and board. If you already have a network then that looks like a good buy. I think linksys is incredible and I've only had it for 1 day.

I got the very Linksys wireless USB network adapter you asked about today and it is working great on my network. Was simple to set up, and you shouldn't have any trouble with an airport network, since they are all 802.3 compliant.
 

beerstine

macrumors member
Jul 18, 2002
42
5
Works good, but install's a b!tch

Have a 4 port Linksys Ethernet Cable/DSL router and it has operated flawlessly since setup.

Setup however is the issue. They claim to support macs but my unit didn't come with any mac setup instructions. Had to have tech support walk me through the process to get it working.

Other than that, can't say that it's ever failed me.
 
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