Hello.

Tomorrow, I am going to BestBuy with checkbook in hand to buy a router. However, before I go, I have a couple of questions about routers. Specifically, a Linksys 4 port router. I have heard that Linksys was the best. I found a description of it at BestBuys web site.
http://www.bestbuy.com/Detail.asp?m=...at=&e=11008648

1. Are they hard to set up? I have heard horror stories about people not getting the NAT set up right.

2. My brother says that the router is configurable in any web browser, but "is it compatible with both Windows 98SE and Mandrake Linux 7.2?"

3. (I forgot this part). FTP. I want to be able to send files from my Windows computer to my Linux box and vice versa. Is is possible to do it with the router? I know that kind of sounds stupid, but I am used to transfering stuff over the web, not to a computer four feet away from me.

4. Anything else I should know (tips, tricks, etc.)?

Thank you!

Gomer1701ems

[Edited by gomer1701ems on 03-29-2001 at 02:36 PM]

Actually, I just bought the EtherFast 4port Router/Switch yesterday and set it up last night, and it's awesome!!
I plugged in the cable modem, Windoze box, RH7 box, etc...
Changed the default gateway in Windoze to the IP of the router, and used the web-based admin (works through the browser-so NO compatability issues) tool that came with it to check the setup. The defaults seemed fine to get me running (50 DHCP addresses-Other side of router set for DHCP).
I expected trouble with the RH7 box-but I just turned it on and away it went!! It was already set for DHCP, but before I had even specified a default gateway, it already had my ISP's nameservers in the list for DNS!
The whole setup took about 10 minutes. (and that includes punching a whole in my living room wall to run the cable to my bedroom!)
I'm convinced-Linksys rocks!
FTP should be easy to set up. I haven't tried yet, but it should just mean opening a port in the firewall.
(but buy it at Office Depot-just about everything's cheaper there, and more stock to choose from)

Well linksys isn't too bad, but they are far from the "best". They are definitely some of the better low end stuff.

1) Routers very on how difficult they are too setup. I would say that a Linksys should be very easy and will come with a GUI.

2) Some GUI's I have seen require java or javascript, but that is about it.

3) FTP will be no problem at all as far as the router goes.

4) Have fun!

I've been using a windoze box running Internet Connection Sharing as my server for about a year now. Offhand, I purchased a Netgear cable/xdsl switch router to replace the server, so I could convert it to linux. My first box was incorrectly set up. It took me a long time to figure this out, I eventually had to connect up the serial line to read off the boot up messages, and found out that it wasn't working. Took it back
Second attempt, a little less patience this time. I got it all plugged in and everything, it all worked, great. So, I started using it, and noticed that my pings were higher. I play a lot of Counter Strike in my free time, and that's one of the reasons I have the cable modem, for the pings. So, when I noticed that not only my pings were higher, the data seemed choppy. I could watch the models in the game move, as in not enough data was coming down the pipe to my machine.
I did some testing, using gamespy to time how long it took to refresh a set amount of servers. I came to the conclusion, the pings for the netgear router were almost TWICE as high as those with my original windoze server. However, I also did some bandwidth tests, and found that the netgear box had slightly better bandwidth. Go figure.
Moral of the story, I went back to the windows box, and now the router is sitting on a shelf. Maybe it was just improperly set up. In that case, I have to blame Netgear for their crappy product. Or, if I got crappy box twice in a row, then it's still Netgear's fault. If you find anyone with the same problem, or perhaps a different brand that works better, please tell me. I'd like that extra linux box to play with.

Tim