Networking Reviews

I highly recommend this KVM switch if you need to connect two computers to one monitor/keyboard and mouse. It is extremely easy to hook up: All you need to do is connect your monitor/mouse/keyboard cables to the switch, and then connect the cables to each computer and that's it! The video quality has been great-I have not noticed any decrease in resolution or performance, and my scroll wheel mouse works just the same as it always has. It uses the scroll lock key to switch between the two computers which is very nice. I have used some KVM switches that use the control key to select between the two computers, which in some cases can interfere with the function of the key in some applications.

I will give one word of caution however: Treat the cables like GOLD! This particular KVM has the connecting keyboard/monitor/mouse cables permanently attached to the unit: If any of the pins on the connecting cables to the PCs for the keyboard, mouse or monitor are bent and you can't connect them, you're out of luck. You cannot detach and buy replacement cables like on some KVMs.

I highly recommend this switch as you can't beat the quality for the price.

I just got a new computer for Christmas and needed a KVM switch to use my keyboard, monitor and mouse on both my old and new computers. I was looking at other KVM switches, but saw this one at Fry's and bought it for $.... It is a great product. Worked fine first time, every time. No s/w to install. Controlled only by a keyboard hot key. No moving parts to break or wear out. And when you consider that it has 2 sets of 6 ft. cables built into the switch it is much cheaper than the competitors switches (have you seen what they charge for 2 sets of 6 ft. KVM cables these days!). Takes up almost no space and can be positioned under the desk if you wish. Great simple design, reliable, and inexpensive, considering 2 sets of cables are built in. Highly recommend it.

I bought this switch over a year ago after significant research.
My main criteria were video quality and the mouse response rate.
So far the unit performed flawlessly on both counts. Right now I have ATI Radeon 9600 on one computer, nVidia TNT2 on the second. Resolutions ranging from 800*600@140 up to 1280*1024@85 - no problem whatsoever. At various times I had also Radeon 9200, 9500, 9700, nVidia MX440 and relict ATI that came with Dell. I never had any problems with video quality. There were some DDC (monitor Plug and Play) problems with some ATI drivers, which disappeared after an update.
There are two minor problems: one is that while booting a PC keyboard is not available for approx. 2-3 seconds, so it's impossible to switch at that time. Another one is that there is a key combination for a mode when the unit constantly switches between computers and does not allow any mouse/kbd input. If you happent to hit this combination in a game - you'll get fragged.

This little box is a marvel. I've had a DSL line in my home for about a year, and up until now the way I was splitting the feed through my home network was by running an old computer and Linux. Unfortunately, since I'm a Linux newbie, I was not comfortable with the security issues of my home network, because I was not sure whether the network was properly configured for maximum safety.

The Linksys router resolved these issues for me. For starters, installation is really simple. Take the box, hook up the DSL or Cable modem feed into the WAN input, and connect the router to your own hub/router via the LAN output. That's it. After that, fire up one of the computers in the local network, run a web browser, and tweak the router to your own preferences. This little box replaced an old computer, saves electricity, and improves security. At the highest level of security, it puts all the ports in "stealth" mode - i.e. outside probes to your IP address will return no results, leading the person launching the probe to think that there is nothing at your IP address (sounds kind of confusing but its really simple). To see if your broadband connection to the net is safe, go to www.grc.com, where they will actually probe your IP and show what they can find out.

Although the Linksys box by itself is not a total and absolute protection to your home network, at least you can rest assured that nobody is going to put a worm in your computer and use it to launch Denial of Service attacks or other nasty things. That's because these boxes run proprietary code (operating system) that most hackers don't use. Why bother to learn Linksys OS, even if it might be a version of Linux, if most computers connected to the net use Windows? Just remember to read the manual and configure the system properly.

If you have broadband access, this router is definitely highly recommended. The only reason I can't give it 5 stars is because my access speed seems to have decreased a tad bit. Using a computer running Linux as my IP router, I was achieving higher speeds in the LAN computers than by using the Linksys router. I'm sure that has to do with processing speeds, etc. Nevertheless, the speed difference seems to be minimal. BTW, I have yet to play any internet games through the router, but I have not heard anything to lead me to believe that the router would interfere with gameplay over the net.

After all my research on this router versus Netgear, I chose the Linksys due to price and assuming it might be more compatible with my existing 10/100 5 port Linksys hub and cards.

After hooking it up to my Com21 cable modem, it interfaced wonderfully with my system. No problems using it with Comcast@Home service. If you follow the instructions, it installs flawlessly. Of course I didn't follow them, being in network support, and I had to fiddle a bit. Nonetheless, I imagine anyone with little to no experience can have this up and running in no time. Top it all off with free shipping, and it was a no-brainer.

Being a geek, I would have liked a command line interface like that in the NetGear for tweaking; but the advanced features GUI in the Linksys is probably enough for home use. DHCP client and server work great. I've backed up the router firewall with ZoneAlarmPro on individual PCs. I have noticed far fewer hacker intrusions, but ZoneAlarm has still found an occasional one trying to get through.

If you are looking to connect your existing (or new) home- or small business network to the Internet, this router is your best choice.

Within an hour, my small home/business network was connected to the Internet through this router and a cable modem. That includes a few minutes looking for a misplaced patch cord and available outlet.

Because my ISP will think only one computer is connected to the Internet, I save additional monthly charges. This should pay for the router within a few months!

Before I purchased this item, I read other reviews and made sure I was prepared for any of the possible noted problems. However, none really occured in my situation. As for the manual, I received the full manual available from www.linksys.com, so they may have listened to our requests.

If you're not too keen on networking, beware of the following:

This router does not come with a cable to connect it to your Hub or Switch. You'll need to purchase it seperately. These cables are called 'Patch Cords' (details: RJ45 connector, CAT 5).

Some ISPs have set your browser to connect using a proxy. Be sure to temporarily disable the proxy settings when configuring your router. In MS Internet Explorer 5+, select the "Tools" menu, click "Internet Options", click the "Connections" tab and click "Lan Settings" - deselect the checkbox for "Use Proxy" to disable the proxy and vice versa to re-enable it.

I found that it's easier to set your LAN configuration to "automatically assign IP address/DNS server" before you start installing this router - however, this depends on your network configuration.

Lastly, before I started installing my router, I made sure I had the latest Firmware update from www.linksys.com. Once the router was installed and responded to the browser (for configuration), I updated my router's firmware before configuring it any further. This saved me the hassle of configuring, updating and re-configuring.

There are several items that set this SOHO router apart from its peers:

1. Support:
SMC actually tries to solve problems with the product in an expeditions manner.

2. Flexibility:
The 7004ABR can be used with a serial modem, a serial ISDN TA, or any Ethernet-based broadband interface. It can also be configured to AUTOMATICALLY switch from the broadband interface to the serial interface if the broadband loses its connection, and automatically switch back when the broadband problem clears up.

The unit also includes a print server so PC/linux users can convert that old parallel-port printer into a network printer. I can't meaningfully comment on that feature, as I don't use it.

3. Security:
Stateful Packet Inspection, and logging of attack attempts. This unit _could_ be sold as a firewall, not just a SOHO router.
Unit can be configured to be totally stealthed on the WAN side. (good)
Client filtering can be used to selectively control internet access based on client IP, and date/time.

4. Convenience and Reliability:
Changing settings does _not_ require rebooting the router. This is a unique feature among SOHO routers that I have tried.
Only operation requiring router reboot is a firmware upgrade, which is, btw, extremely easy from any modern web browser.
As a result, it is easy to achieve just about 100% network uptime reliability with this product, even when making changes in the configuration. Very cool feature.

This unit is a class act, and at (dollar amount), an absolute steal.

This is update from my last review.
SMC sent me "DEBUGGED" version of firmware 1.3. The firmware solved the time out issue. Since then the router haven't lost connection and as a result I haven't restart my router. Now I fully recommended this router.

Following is the review I wrote last time.

I am using Time-Warner RoadRunner service in NYC and bought this product to share the connection among 3 computers.

The set up was pretty easy. I set up the roadrunner in my desktop computer and then make SMC router clone the MAC address of the desktop that I set up the roadrunner. And set the router as DHCP server. And I upgraded the firmware to 1.3.

Problem I'm having is that the router lose connection once a day. Only way to get the connection back is restarting the router. (turn off and turn on, not the redoing the set-up) It is cumbersome to do that. I'm not sure whether this is problem of SMC 7004ABR or problem of RoadRunner.

Also the 'reset' button on the machine sometime doesn't work. And log-in page asks password twice.

I read some review that some people prefer to use its old model 7004BR because 7004BR is more stabilized and faster. However the speed of 7004ABR can increase to 7004BR level if you turned 'the hacker attack monitoring and logging function' off.

Also I recommend to use ZoneAlarm with your broadband connection. It really catches a lot of suspicious inbound packets.

If I hadn't any problem with losing connection once a day, I probably gave 5 star for this router.

I received my router just a day ago, removed it from the packaging and had it up in about 30 minutes. This thing was easy to configure, the manual was easy to follow, and the options of configuration were endless. Previous to purchasing the SMC Barricade I was paying an extra $10/month for two extra computers on my network at home. As soon as everything was up and running I called AT&T and cancelled the other computer addresses. To think that you can have up to 253 systems without them even knowing. The only problem I ran into was when I changed the IP address of my router. I had to change it on my computer and then log back into the router which had stopped responding. I realized that I had basically lost connection with this router and my computer could not see it on the network any more. Also, I do not have to leave one computer running at all times in order to print from other systems. All of that is taken care of with the built in Print Server. I haven't yet fooled around with the DMZ option nor the opening of ports into my network. I will save that for later.

Conclusion- I do not receive long lists of attacks on my computer in the Zone Alarm logs. I feel much more confident knowing that I have a real Firewall/Router blocking those "black hat" hackers from my system. Considering this router was so easy to install and configure I would recommend it to all considering a Cable/DSL Router option.

To make a long story short, I bought this modem back in 2001 in advance of my cable installation. The installer could not get it to work - the cable light would flash slowly indicating it could not get a signal. After repeated attempts the installer left me with a rental modem which worked fine. I sent the CMX-110 back to Best Data who quickly replaced it under warranty. When I received the replacement, I hooked it up again to find the same symptoms as the original. Just when cable tech support and I were ready to give up on this, one of the tech guys said he heard a rumor and suggested I take a pair of needle-nose pliers and pull on the "stinger" (that is the actual cable wire that sticks out past the cable end). He had heard that this modem required just a little longer "stinger" than was standard. I was initially disappointed when I tried this because I could only get just the tiniest bit more wire to come out. But when I tried it, I got an immediate connection and it's been fine ever since!

I had my cable jack installed and ready for over a month while waiting for the local preferred-provider to get a new shipment of modems. I got disgusted, ordered this one from Amazon and couldn't be more pleased. I took it out of the box, plugged in the power supply, screwed on the coaxial cable (not provided) and attached the ethernet cable (provided) and was live in 60 seconds! I went to DSLReports.com, tweaked my connection and then ran their speed test utility, with perfect results.

I've bought this to replace my old Surfboard modem and get rid of monthly rental fee. The modem worked as advertised, it connects on average in 5 seconds compared to my old one which took a few minutes. One unexpected improvement was also speed increase. I've been told by my cable company that the cable lines where I live tend to be noisier than average, resulting in poor pings and transfer rates, its pretty much gone now that I am using this modem.

Best Data also has an excellent prompt tech support via email, which I thought I needed when my cable provider failed to add my MAC address to their system.

I dislike netgear for several problems:

1. It doesn't allow me to access yahoo or hotmail for weird reason.

2. Bad customer service.
3. Hard to configure.

that's for sure. i've been through two linksys standard four-port cable/dsl routers that decided to stop working. rather than buy a third (i don't care how highly rated they are anymore), i did some quick and dirty research and found this one by netgear, at around [$$$]less. bearing in mind that i'm a bit of a tech geek, installation was completely painless, and i was up and runing after a few minutes and a restart. however, i'm using it for its most basic purposes and i haven't checked out any of its features. but it does what its supposed to do. i've had to reset it a few times in conjunction with my modem, but that could have to do with my ISP as much as the router itself. the unit is light, attractive, and compact, and is easily hidden away on your desk or computer cart. if you're looking for a basic router to split your connection and share files, then you've got nothing to lose with this one.

Setting up the Netgear router to share our DSL line was terribly easy. The directions are clear and set-up is quick and simple. It includes a CAT5 cable and a little vertical mount which makes the router look very slick. You don't have to install any software or drivers; there is just a simple test procedure which takes a couple of minutes. The Netgear physically behaves like a server, and it has some solid security features. Also, installing the router actually solved problems that we originally had with the DSL modem, and it has behaved itself nicely since we set up the network. Accessing the router's features is simple- you log onto the Netgear by typing "192.168.0.1" in your browser window. Configuration is simple and straightforward. The RP614NA is a fine product and reasonably priced.

I was put off by some of the negative reviews for the keyboard shortcut for this product but chose it because it was less expensive than other KVM systems and it came with cables.

I couldn't be happier. Unlike another review states, the shortcut is documented in the instructions.

I looked for a KVM system because I didn't have enough room for 4 monitors. I run 2 computers and both have dual monitors (I use Matrox G450 video cards). I set up the KVM system to switch my center monitor between the 2000 and Me computer. My left monitor is the second Me monitor, the right the second 2000 monitor. I changed the desktop colors to make it clear which computer the center monitor was displaying.

I switch regularly by hitting the control key twice. Sometimes there is a delay of perhaps 1 second. The center screen goes black pops back with the other screen.

I loved the color-coded cables and did find the switch box to require two hands - one to hold the box steady and one to hit the switch. I used it to test on the first day and haven't used it since I memorized the double control key shortcut.

Not only is this the best price around, but the features, ease of use and quality is outstanding! I'm using a 21" monitor and see no image ghosting on the display. The image qualtiy is extremely sharp. I noticed that the unit automatically switches to display on which ever PC I power on so there's no need to switch the box to the correct setting. I find that double-CTRL click works great to switch between systems. There is a couple seconds of delay but it saves me having to manually switch a unit which used to take me at least a couple seconds. After reading the other reviews I decided to check the unit with the mouse scroll wheel. It works fine with the Microsoft optical mouse that I use.
I had been using a mechanical SVGA box to switch the monitor between PCs and manually swapped between mouse and keyboards. What a pain! For [$] more this unit does it all without even leaving the keyboard! I wish I had known about this item a few months ago...

I know I used to use 2 mouses and Keyboards sharing 1 Monitor. If you are one of the serious "Joes" who has more than 1 Computer system, and has one of those old switch boxes for your keyboard, mouse, and monitor. Check this item out for grabs.

The "Linksys ProConnect 2-Port Compact KVM Switch Kit", a 2 port sharing interface with cables included. Yup, I sure did say "cables included". The truth to make things much simpler, it has support for your PS/2 Mouse and Keyboard, which means you don't lose power and control between switch overs.

And don't need to reach over to the switch to make it work, that's right! It has a hot key function, "LCtrl" x2. That's it! You can even put the box hidden or on top of 1 the Systems. Who cares! You'll never see it again once you've installed it. Pretty Cool huh!

This product package with "Ingenius" written all over it is a STEAL!

If you already know how to set up a dial-up connection on your Windows 9x machine, then connecting to the Internet with your PocketPC using this modem is a no-brainer; you'll be up and running within 5-10 minutes of taking it out of the box.

I orginally bought this modem to use with my Cassiopeia E-105, I have used it many times on my freind's Cassiopeia E-115, and now I use it regularly on my Cassiopeia E-125. Despite some of the other customer reviews for this product, please note:

THIS MODEM WORKS PERFECTLY ON THE CASSIOPEIA E-105, E-115 AND E-125.

If you have one of the units mentioned above and you can't get this modem to work, something is wrong: either you received a defective modem, a defective PDA, or you have some program installed on your PocketPC that is preventing the modem from working correctly.

I agree that the manual that comes with the modem is pretty spare, but I didn't need it to use this modem. The modem itself is a no-brainer, just plug it in. It's PocketPC Dial-up Networking that's the hard part, and if you already know how to do it on your Windows 9x system, then it's a piece of cake.

The modem is hot swappable, meaning that you don't need to do anything special before using it each time. Just open up the compact flash port on your device, remove any other devices or cards you have plugged into the port (if any), plug this modem into the port, open up your ISP connection and hit connect. You don't even need to turn the device off and on or anything like that.

I travel frequently on business and used to take along my 7.1 lb Dell laptop. In general, however, when on the road I really only need e-mail access and light word processing. When I recently upgraded from an old Palm III to the Compaq iPAQ pocket pc, I picked up the Pretec modem as well. It is tiny, so that it fits easily into a small case that also carries the AC adapter and a few other odds and ends. But it works great. I have had no difficulty accessing my AOL e-mail, using the AOL Anywhere software. I had a bit more trouble configuring the software to get access to my network, but that is up and running too now. Granted, the manual didn't help much. But the software is pretty intuitive and any Windows 9x user who set up dial-up networking on their PC will have no trouble setting up dial-up networking on their Pocket PC.

The Pretec is remarkably tough. I have dropped it 3 feet onto a hardwood floor, banged it into a wall, and generally abused it. No problems. Like the old Time watch ads...it takes a licking and keeps on ticking. Download speed is great. The only major problem is that it is a real power hog. Keep that AC adapter handy. Recommended.

I use it on the road with my Cassiopeia and it has worked in every hotel room, giving me internet access on my PDA. I do wish it would make some noise while trying to connect however since I can never tell if it dialed out of the hotel correctly.

A neat device with little functionality, firstly i would not recommend to use it with power hungry usb devices, having more than one device attached at the same time will be a problem. Secondly, the ports are so close if you are lucky you will get 4 devices in at the same time.

Before purchasing, I read the many reviews and noted how many folks were upset that they couldn't find an external power supply(!). This should not be looked upon as a full-blown hub for connectivity of a bazillion devices. Even though it's self-powered, I've never had a problem with the lack of a power supply. I feel that it's a great little convenience item that makes laptop computing that much more bearable. The device indeed does have a very short cord. This is actually a good attribute, if used as the item was designed. It's perfect for a laptop or a USB port on the front of a tower case. Because I lug my laptop to work and home each night, I just keep the hub connected to the cable of my optical mouse. That way I can connect the mouse, a camera or memory key (or all) at any time. I also do a lot of traveling and find it's small enough to use on a plane.

My laptop came equipped with only one USB port. And, for the past couple of years, I have been swapping wires in and out of that port in order to use my external CD burner, PDA cradle, and digital camera. Concerned that I was putting my only USB port through unnecessary "wear-and-tear", I began to shop for a USB hub.

This particular Linksys hub is perhaps the best thing I have ever purchased for my LAPTOP computer! With it, it's as though my computer has four brand new USB ports, which can operate simultaneously!

NOTE: I absolutely wouldn't recommend the hub for a desktop or a tower-style system; if you read one of the preceding reviews (titled "The hub works, but..."), you'll understand why.

Nevertheless, this hub successfully allows me to download digital pictures, use my CD burner, and synchronize my PDA... all at the same time, with no glitches at all!

[I should also mention that none of my USB devices draw power from my computer's USB port. As long as you don't have any devices that require power *from* the USB port, you won't need the optional adapter that can give supplemental power to the hub. (If you do have a USB device that draws power from your computer's USB port, you will need to also purchase the optional adapter.)]

One final thing.. this hub is designed for USB ports that are 1.0 or 1.1. Be sure to check your USB devices for compliance before purchasing this hub.

Otherwise, you can't go wrong with this hub! It's truly amazing!

Dead on arrival. No support. Exchanged it for another, still didn't work. Bought a D-Link and I'm now networked.

I work in Cable Modem operations. We have some customers who buy cheap, and often problematic NIC's, ony to face hours of endless troubleshooting on NIC issues. The NetGear FA-310 is one of their biggest problems. Made of flimsy greenboard and "? " type Chinese components, NetGear's crusade of inexpensive NIC's has made a joke of consistentcy. The price may be attractive, yet you would be hard-pressed to find any company who would commit to using NetGear NIC's throughout their operation: Simply because the service and quality is inconsistent. NetGear's customer support is short of laughable, as well.

You get what you pay for. From my point of view, I would avoid NetGear, Linksys, or any other "Off-Brand" NIC and consider looking for one more dependable. You may pay a little more for a 3Com, Intel, and SMC, but they are worth the price. They offer the consistency and stability every NIC user should demand - Not just a discount price.

I have bought over 5 of these for home and office use. They work flawlessy and for the price you cannot beat the functionality. I was running Windows 95 or Windows 98 on all the computers. Setup was a snap. Just pop in the card to an empty slot. Then install the drivers from the floppy disk that comes in the package. Worked flawlessly everytime. I had no problems hooking up the ethernet card to a Linksys DSL/Cable Router, Netgear ethernet hubs, or a college dorm ethernet connection.

Get this card and you will get the convenience of file and print sharing when used in conjunction with some sort of hub and windows network neighborhood. Anyone with little to no computer expertise can do this just by following the instructions. It may be a little difficult if you are scared of computers, but it can still be done. Just follow the pictures that come on the step by step setup foldout.

I bought this router for [not much after rebate] I got the 704P, with the added print server. The network was a breeze (5 minutes) to set up - I am running a win 98 desktop, and a win XP laptop. The web interface is easy to use, and handles the connection with my DSL provider.

Everything was great until I tried to install the print server, when I encountered D-Link's ... tech support. I had to call twice, once to set up each computer to the print server. My XP laptop would have been no problem at all, except that D-Link doesn't include the XP drivers. It took a full 30 minutes on the phone before they could figure out that the XP drivers are hidden on their website under another product (for a while they told me there were no drivers, and bumbled along trying to install it with no drivers). With the win 98 desktop, the tech guy was so bad that after 40 minutes he was stumped. I eventually figured it out myself.

In summary: if you don't get the print server you will have no problems whatsoever. Even with those problems though, it is a great deal. Just pray, that you don't have to talk to the morons that D-link passes off as "tech support".

I read ALL these reviews before purchasing my DI-704. It's really very easy to install/configure. The step-by-step instructions are easy to follow for anyone who knows anything about the networking settings of their PC. You essentially copy the static IP address (of your @home or broadband provider) from your PC to the DI-704 (via an easy to access browser-based setup window). You remove all DNS and Gateway settings in your PC's networking setup and copy that info to the DI-704 setup window.

The one trick I discovered to access the DI-704 setup window via my Netscape &/or Internet Explorer browser was to temporarilly turn off any Proxy Server settings. Once I did that, my browser immediately connected to the DI-704 for setup.

At the end of the process, the DI-704 has all the IP address, subnet and gateway settings that @home put into your PC. Each of the PCs you connect to the DI-704 router are simply configured so that it's IP address is dynamically provided (ie: not static).

In less than 30-minutes, both my wife's and my laptop PCs were sharing the same @home cable modem and now both of our PCs are behind a firewall (for added protection from internet hackers).

All in all, a great value and easy to install and enjoy.

Hope this review helps you make the right choice for you.

I bought this router to replace a Linksys product, and what a difference. Instructions are somewhat suboptimal, but it is very easy to set up. This was my early experience with networking, and have become a D-link fan since. Even though this router has been discontinued, it has served me very well, now approaching a year, and would definitely recommend. Only negative is that once in a great while (it has happened twice), for no apparent reason (I have it set with DHCP enabled and forever renew lease), I am unable to open IE and connect. I am not sure whether it is my router or my cable modem. At any rate, I end up resetting both (turn off then back on), restarting my computer, and Voila! I do not perceive this however as a major problem, certainly less of a nuisance than when Windows freezes (and you get the dreaded blue screen). Some complain about the "ugly, bland, metal" look/shape, but I see it as a sturdy and well built piece of equipment. Sorry, but I never purchased computer/networking "stuff" with the idea to have it double as art for display. Definitely recommend, or the new revision DI-604.