About Linksys Broadband Routers
Most households and office environments have multiple computers that each need a fast broadband connection to the Internet. You can ensure that all of your computers are able to simultaneously surf the web without any additional monthly costs by installing a Linksys router and setting up a local area network.
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History
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The Linksys company was started in 1988 to sell networking equipment and eventually branched out into web cameras and multimedia products for home entertainment. Linksys produced a wireless router called the WRT54G in 2002 that used the Linux operating system for its firmware. Because Linux is covered under the General Public License the company had to release the source code for the router which allowed customers to easily modify the routers to add or remove specific features. The company was purchased by Cisco in 2003 and soon branched out into Voice Over Internet Protocol equipment and networking software.
Function
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Linksys broadband routers are used to link several different computers together to allow all of them to share a broadband or cable Internet connection so that they can each connect to web pages or send emails. You can also setup a network between the computers so that all of them can send files to and from each other at any time without having to use email or save files to outside sources such as CDs or jump drives.
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Features
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All Linksys broadband routers contain a "stateful packet inspection" firewall which works at the network layer of the Open Systems Interconnection Basic Reference Model and checks all incoming traffic to the network to ensure that unauthorized users are not attempting to access your computers or send you unwanted software. All of the routers also have a built-in switch to break up your network into smaller pieces so that the data being sent to and from each computer does not collide together or cause network slowdowns.
Types
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Linksys routers are available in wired versions like the BEFSR81, which uses Ethernet cables that are run between each computer to the router, and wireless versions like the WRT150N which sends out signals to any nearby computer that has a wireless network card attached. The wireless versions are also available using three different technologies developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers called 802.11a, 802.11b and 802.11g. Each technology is successively faster than the last and provides quicker file transfer speeds.
Considerations
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Use additional protection measures such as software firewalls and virus scanning programs on every computer that you have attached to the Linksys broadband router to ensure that your network does not become infected with malicious software such as a Trojan horse. Some Linksys routers occasionally suffer momentary hardware failures that can be resolved by unplugging and then plugging the power cord back in or by contacting Linksys directly to have a firmware upgrade sent to the router.
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Resources
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