Linksys Wireless Router BEFW11S4 Ver. 4 - stopped working, tech support tries to upsell

Linksys Wireless Router BEFW11S4 Ver. 4 - stopped working, tech support tries to upsell

Linksys Wireless Router BEFW11S4 Ver. 4 -- stopped working, tech support tries to upsell

Subject: Linksys Wireless Router BEFW11S4 Ver. 4 -- stopped working, tech support tries to upsell.

June 10, 2004 I purchased a Linksys model BEFW11S4 (ver. 4) wireless-B router about six months ago. It worked fine using the default, albeit unsecured configuration, for many months. I added a second laptop with a Netgear

wireless-B card and it also functioned fine with the factory settings.

However, when I tried to secure my wireless network by changing the default password, the channel and using MAC filtering, I started experiencing problems. (I did not attempt to enable WEP encryption).

Specifically, while I could administer the account from the wireless clients, the router was unable to communicate with the modem. Reseting the router to the defaults fixed the problem initially, but eventually

this method no longer worked. I had my ISP check the connection and even replace the Terrayon modem with a Motorola surfboard. Still, the router was unable to acquire the signal.

I contacted Linksys technical support, which is farmed to somewhere in Asia, and while they were exceedingly polite they were of questionable competence. After several calls, they recommended that I upgrade the firmware, which failed to resolve the problem. My call was transferred yet again, this time to

their "tier-two" support which, after a significant wait, sounded suspiciously like the same woman that I had just spoken with in tier one. At this point the technician offered to replace the modem and attempted to "upsell" me to a wireless-G modem for $40.

No longer wanting to use their product, I informed them that I would only be satisfied with a full refund. This was not an option. Disgusted, I returned the router along with the Linksys adapter that I had also

purchased to Best Buy for a store credit. This was acceptable to me under the circumstances. I strongly resent the fact that Linksys was attempting to profit off of their mistakes rather than making a gesture

of good faith. Best Buy will continue to get my business as they at least met me half way. Linksys will not.

Comment On This

You are right. Linksys is crap.

Mine stopped working all of a sudden and I was also using it just fine with the default settings. I setup the configuration using their 192.169.1.1 page, but to vain. Linksys told me that it wasnt the router, it was the configuration which needed to be changed and for that they asked me $29. I said No.