[Zoom]

I've got a Linksys BEFW11S4 wireless router. I got it maybe well over a year ago, can't recall exactly. The firmware rev is "1.37.9b, Jun 21 2001". I was thinking of updating it, but it gave me some dire warning about using the wrong firmware for the wrong type of BEFW11S4, and I got nervous and bailed. (Shouldn't these damn things be smart enough now to reject the wrong firmware??)

Anyway, it works fine with a wired connection to my desktop, but whenever I fire up my iBook or my iBook wakes from sleep, it screws up the desktop's wired connection. Everything times out, servers are unreachable (mail and web). The iBook works sometimes, other times it has the same problem. The only solution is power cycling the Linksys which always fixes the problem.

This is annoying by itself, but it's made much more annoying because my Linksys is in a closet upstairs.

Anyone have a clue what might be wrong?

What's to be gained by updating the firmware, generally? If someone can give me solid instructions, I'm willing to try it.

[John Strung]

I have heard of similar problems before that were cured by updating the firmware. (Firmware updates usually either add new features or performance improvements or incorporate bug fixes.)

Make sure you are using the right firmware update. The procedure for updating the firmware is similar to the procedure for the wired LinkSys router, found here:


Updating LinkSys Firmware from a Mac

I believe you have to do this from a Mac that is physically connected to the router by an ethernet cable (i.e., not a wireless connection.)

[ghporter]

NEVER attempt a firmware upgrade on anything through a wireless connection! The dire warning is there so somebody with an old hardware version doesn't use the latest firmware for a newer hardware version, and hose his hardware. Linksys is good about explaining exactly what box a specific firmware goes with, usually in a text file that accompanies the firmware.

The BEFW11S4 had some troubles along the way, but current firmware seems to be pretty stable.

[Zoom]

So, here's what I want to know. Why the hell can't the admin web page for the device tell you (a) exactly what model you have and (b) tell you if the firmware you're about to install is correct for that hardware? Why on earth would you leave this to average people?

I haven't looked at it recently, but I seem to recall that they told you to look at the serial number or model number on the device and it had to be in a certain range or something. How hard would it be for the hardware to be aware what it is and validate the firmware for you?

Certainly if installing the wrong firmware will ruin the device, I'd build in some idiot-proof software for upgrading the firmware.

Also, I recall that it said many (all?) of my custom settings would be lost. Again, how hard can it be to export those settings and offer to import them after a firmware upgrade (or better yet, just do it automatically). I write software for a living. I know this is all doable, and it irks me that the onus is put on the user to get it right.

I would also say that the admin web page for a router should be able, on request, to query the public Linksys FTP site, determine if there is newer firmware available for THIS model, and offer to download and install it.

Anyway, thanks for the advice. I'm not dissing the messenger here, I'm just ranting a bit. I'll try the firmware upgrade and see if that helps.

[ghporter]

Rant accepted and understood. Linksys has the advantage of providing new, useful features on more different items than just about all of their competition. Unfortunately that means that they don't always take the time to provide the kind of "goof proofing" that would help the more and more common "casual, non-technical user."

I have more than once wished that they would allow you to export your settings to a file of any sort. And you're right that it would be useful to all users for the box to know which model and version it is-I have their basic, 4-port router, but there are at least three versions of that box, and a recent firmware update killed the version that I have dead-dead-dead. At least telling you which version it was would be a start.

Your ideas about what is doable in software are certainly valid and useful. However, I think you should keep in mind that the processors in these boxes are quite limited, as is the amount of RAM and ROM available; more features require more processor power and more memory. And considering that most products like this don't need new firmware through their entire lifespans, updating automatically would not be a real benefit to the customer. In fact, the coders that write for Linksys have had several bad shakeups this year, releasing firmware that broke otherwise working features, that killed some products (see above!), or that simply locked up the product. I REALLY don't want my Linksys router to update its firmware automatically.

[Zoom]

Actually, I wouldn't want it to update autonomously. I meant that I should be able to click a button on the admin page like "check for updates". If it found any, it should list them, along with their release notes, and allow me to choose one and then click the "install now" button. I wouldn't want anything to update itself without checking with me first!

So, that said: should I upgrade my firmware or not? If so, how do I make sure I get the right firmware? Finally, will it work in Safari 1.0? (It's some sort of Java app, I think.)

[ghporter]

Look at the label on the bottom of the box. It will say it's a "BEFW11S4" and some version (if it doesn't have a version number, it's a "version 1"). Then go to Linksys' Downlads Page and select your version from the drop down menu.

There are seven different models of BEFW11S4 shown, but by carefully noting the label on your product (and I'd copy the stuff down and keep it handy for reference later!) you'll be able to tell which one to select.

Basically, there are two models that are very special (including one that's built with Canadian French text), and then five different "product improved" models, from the base model (no model number) through version 2, version 3, version 3.2, and version 4.

The text in the drop down box will match what's on your box; choose that download. Note that some firmware versions cover more than one model. Finally, read the release notes for your choice before downloading the firmware to make sure your browser didn't slip and give you the wrong link.