[aaanorton]

From this article on MacFixIt:

I've been using and setting up Linksys Routers for clients for the last 3 years. I've installed BEFSR11, BEFSR41, BEFSX41 and BEFVP41 models. Linksys has never officially supported Macs on these routers or any of their products but a Web browser was all you ever needed to set them up. However, it appears that the new Linksys Routers (with the Cisco label) REQUIRE a Windows based Web browser for their set up. I've tried Safari, IE, Opera and Netscape to setup both a BEFSR11v2 and BEFVP41v2. None of the Mac browsers would work. As soon as you try to apply a setting, a "Error 404 Not Found - Bad request or resource not found." page would flash up. If the same setup was done on a Windows box, no problems were encountered and the setting was saved. It appears that these Routers are using a new and revised Web based setup that requires Microsofts' version of javascript. And so Mac based browsers are left out in the cold.

Can anyone confirm this? If true, it's just another reason why Linksys sux. Let's hope that this doesn't become a precedent that others follow.

[ghporter]

They may have decided to use port 88 instead of port 80-my USRobotics router does that. All you have to do is add ":88" after the IP address of the router and it connects.

I can't imagine that a company that has shamed the rest of the SOHO vendors into dumping proprietary interfaces has fallen off that wagon. I would be more likely to believe that there's a firewall issue, a proxy problem, or something like a non-standard port for the configuration page on those devices-more likely the firewall or proxy, because it happened on different models.

[John Strung]

I have had the same problem with an SMC router. Putting :88 after the IP works with it to.

[ginoledesma]

Well, since he's getting a 404 error then that means something is listening at port 80.

From their support page (pertaining to the BEFVP41 v2):

Q: Will the router function in a Mac environment?
A: Yes, but Linksys doesn.t provide upgrade programs for Macintoshes. However, you may be able to find some software that uses TFTP for your Macs. You can also use the web interface to upgrade the firmware. This is located at the router's web interface Help->Firmware Upgrade.

Based on the responses in the MacFixit article, some users claim it works with browsers (one user notes it works with his copy of Safari). Not sure if its just a JavaScript-thing that tries to redirect to another (non-existent) page due to lack of support, or maybe bad JavaScript implementation altogether.

[John Strung]

You should be able to update the firmware using the MacTFTP application. See:

http://www.practicallynetworked.com/...lp_pg2.htm#Mac

[aaanorton]

Today on MacFixIt:

LinkSys Windows requirements

Several readers have confirmed that the Linksys Router: BEFW11S4 does require a Windows machine in order to have certain configuration settings stay constant.


MacFixIt reader Chris Ullrich's example is typical "We tried to configure it via Internet Explorer and Safari on several OSX boxes running 10.3.2 but no joy. Internet Explorer on one of our Windows XP boxes was able to do the configuration with no problem.


"On the Mac, the authentication dialog appears and when the password in entered, it goes to a 404 not authorized screen. The Windows machine had no problems. Our company has been recommending and using Linksys for several years to our Mac and Windows clients. Now I guess we will have to rethink that policy, at least for Mac clients. Unless a fix is forthcoming."