I was originally using Microsoft's ICS (Internet Connection Sharing) for my regular home PC (WinME) and my laptop (Win98) and was getting a normal, basically fast connection to the internet with my cable modem connection (through AT&T, formerly MediaOne, RoadRunner.) However, I recently decided to check out the Linux craze and set up a third, older machine with Mandrake's Linux. Adding this third machine with a non-Windows OS made me decide to get a router. I picked up the LinkSys 4-port BEFSR41. Since setting it up, my internet connection has slowed to basically the speed of a 56k modem! Help! Anyone have any ideas why this is? I don't see any settings that can be changed related to connection speed in the web-based control panel for the router.

Make sure that your nic card is set up correctly . Make sure your check to see if the linksys uses auto sense for speed and duplex settings . If possible make sure duplex is setup for full . You will also have to make sure the connection from the linksys to the cable modem also matches as this will also cause errors and slow your connection down .

My NIC card, modem and router are all set up properly. I don't know about the autosensing of duplex settings. I'll have to look into that but there is no reference to it in the router's manual or configuration tool. I'll check around on some search engines. Thanks.

I just installed a Sohoware DSL router and it screams. I know Linksys has good email supporty as well. When you ping the other computer on the network, what kind of speed do you get?

I haven't even looked into pinging from my WinME box to my Linux box. I suppose that would confirm whether it is a switchbox issue (which I am pretty sure it is.) Maybe I'll try calling Linksys support.