The Linksys BEFSX41 router with VPN endpoint offers
ironclad security in the form of a virtual private
network (VPN). A VPN is great for business travelers
because it gives them secure access to data they've
stored, say, at home in Los Angeles while they're
waiting on a connecting flight in Chicago. The
Linksys BEFSX41 can establish up to two tunnels
(a secure link between the router and a remote
device) to computers or PDAs supporting IPsec, a set
of protocols designed for secure exchange of data
packets. Such computers include VPN servers, other
VPN routers, and computers running VPN client
software. The BEFSX41 is not for technophobes;
setting it up requires technical know-how or an
interest in networking. But if you're looking for
industrial-strength security, the BEFSX41 is a good
choice.
Networking devices have to work with other products
to function at all. The Linksys BEFSX41 router with
VPN endpoint comes with a printed Fast Start guide
that takes both ends of the connection into
consideration. The guide walks you through the
complete setup process. It explains how to configure
a computer running Windows 95 though XP to connect
the router and how to set up the router to
communicate with your computers. Although you can
use the BEFSX41 to connect Macs, you won't find
instructions for tweaking IP settings through OSX.
Also, the BEFSX41 router does not support AppleTalk,
which limits your ability to connect to other Macs.
You can, however, still surf the Web from a Mac via
the BEFSX41. Configuration for the router's more
technical features, such as the firewall and the VPN,
are covered in the Linksys BEFSX41's comprehensive
and well-organized 75-page user guide. The guide
includes detailed explanations of the BEFSX41's
features and a wealth of screenshots illustrating
the router's browser-based configuration tool.
The Linksys BEFSX41 router's most noteworthy feature
is its VPN support. You access the BEFSX41's VPN
settings via its browser-based configuration tool,
and we liked the simplicity of the setup process.
Unfortunately, the BEFSX41 doesn't come with VPN
client software, and those who have never used a VPN
may find it difficult to set up a computer to tunnel
into the router. One easy way to connect is to use
the Linksys USB VPN and firewall adapter, which adds
$60 to the total cost of your VPN solution.
The BEFSX41 comes with two firewalls: network
address translation (NAT), which hides your LAN
behind the router's IP address, and stateful packet
inspection (SPI), which inspects data packets coming
into your network from the Internet. You can also
configure the firewall to allow or deny ActiveX,
Java, cookies, or connections with proxy servers,
which can help you lock down your network.
In CNET Labs' tests, the Linksys BEFSX41 router
clocked in with a throughput of 95Mbps--about four
times faster than a standard 802.11g wireless
connection. VPN connections require more overhead
and will be slower than standard Ethernet
connections, but you can still expect to see
broadband speeds, even if you're tunneling into the
BEFSX41.
The Linksys BEFSX41 router with VPN endpoint comes
with a one-year warranty. Linksys offers three-year
coverage for its WRT54GS, which makes the shorter
offering for the BEFSX41 disappointing. On the
upside, you get toll-free 24/7 support for the
lifetime of the product, and in our informal tests,
the support staff was friendly and knowledgeable.
Linksys also has one of the best online support
offerings in the business, with product-specific
setup guidelines, FAQs, troubleshooting solutions,
firmware, live chat with support staff, and a
copious knowledge base that contains how-to
information for the BEFSX41's setup and
configuration and problem fixes for a number of
common networking issues.
