Linksys Etherfast Cable/DSL Router

A very popular device for home cable modem and DSL networks

DHCP

The Linksys router includes support for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP). It functions as a DHCP client, meaning that it can automatically acquire its IP address from a DSL or cable service provider... (see below)

More of this Feature Part 1: Linksys Intro Part 3: Linksys Alternatives Join the Discussion "I'm thinking of setting up a LAN in my new house and interested in getting DSL. If I connect to DSL via a router such as the Linksys, can every host in my house make a connection by itself?" JELATIN Related Resources Internetworking Directory

... . Some providers will only offer dynamic addresses to their customers rather than providing static ones, and some will charge a higher monthly fee for static addressing. In any case, dynamic addresses can expire and change over time, and the Linksys will automatically track these updates.

The router also functions as a DHCP server, meaning that it can itself assign addresses to many computers on the internal LAN. LAN administrators will appreciate this feature as it eliminates the need to manually allocate addresses to each client computer. Note, however, that the router does not offer some of the more advanced DHCP features such as direct control over releasing and renewing leases.

Speed

Linksys routers sport a 10/100 switch. DSL and cable service, of course, can only utilize a 10 Mbps connection, but the internal LAN can take advantage of the Fast Ethernet speed for faster file sharing and family gaming. Linksys places special emphasis on supporting network gaming and offers helpful instructions for installing and playing networkable games.

Firewall

Linksys offers the usual firewall capability of a router. Administrators can block specific local computers from accessing the net via IP address. They can also block specific TCP or UDP ports such as the port used by a controversial network application like Napster. Linksys supports port forwarding and loopback. Finally, Linksys supports a feature called De-Militarized Zone or DMZ. DMZ allows exactly one local computer to be designated with unlimited (non-firewalled) Net access (but all other computers to be firewalled as normal). Such a configuration can be necessary for online gaming.

Gotchas

When adding a Linksys to the network, it becomes the primary point of contact for the cable or DSL service. Some providers tie the assignment of network addresses to the MAC address of the primary device. One way to solve this problem is to contact the ISP and supply them with the MAC address of the router. However, recent versions of the Linksys firmware also offer a configuration page that allows one to change the MAC address of the device as seen by the ISP.

Linksys includes a firmware update utility (a Windows version and a Java version) with the device. Java support can be difficult to find on operating systems such as the Macintosh, however, so the utility may have limited accessibility in some enviroments. This utility should be run fairly often as Linksys has been improving their firmware frequently. In fact, it is a good idea to immediately update the firmware on a newly-purchased system, as the version that shipped with the product can lag several revisions behind the latest.

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