Tips for using Linksys SR11/41/81 and their other routers with FastAccess:
(Stay tuned, major revision to the FAQ is coming, thanks, FROSTY)

Default Router setup page: http://192.168.1.1
Default login: password = admin (no username required)

Menu Structure:

Setup
Password -> Enable / Disable UPnP services (Windows XP Internet Gateway)
Status
DHCP Server
Log
Security
Help

Advanced
Filters
Forwarding -> Port Triggering -> UPnP Forwarding
Dynamic Routing
Static Routing
DMZ Host
QoS (SR81 and others)
MAC Address Clone

Firmware:
To obtain the latest firmware, goto the Linksys download page and select your product from the list:
»www.linksys.com/download

Known stable firmware releases:
BEFSR41/11 (v1/v2) - firmware 1.40.2, 1.42.7, 1.44.2, 1.46.2
BEFSR81 (v1/v2) - firmware 2.40.2, 2.42.7.1, 2.44.2, 2.45.10

Other 'B' routers - Revision levels similar to the above work well, except for newer v3 devices. Firmware revision numbers and the page layouts are different.
Other 'W' routers - Totally different firmware base and revision numbers. The setup pages are similar to the structure above, yet the layout is different.

Goto the Linksys forum for more info on devices and firmware not listed:
»Linksys

The x.44.2 is a proven revision, very solid. The x.40.2 is a stable firmware too, yet certain vulnerabilities exist in this revision. The x.42.7 and higher revisions include ALG and UPnP support. Plus some fixes for XP and certain NICs. The ALG is used by FTP server software, MSN Messenger v4, and other special requirement applications. Messenger v5 uses UPnP exclusively. Because Messenger uses UPnP, no ports need to be forwarded to make file transfers, voice, and audio features work.

Past revisions and other various downloads can be located on the Linksys FTP site. The following are the two most common locations for firmware and drivers for all their products:

»ftp://ftp.linksys.com/pub/befsr41
»ftp://ftp.linksys.com/pub/network

BEFSR11/41 (v1/v2)
»ftp://ftp.linksys.com/pub/befs ··· 1402.zip (1.40.2)
»ftp://ftp.linksys.com/pub/befs ··· 1427.zip (1.42.7)
»ftp://ftp.linksys.com/pub/befs ··· 442z.zip (1.44.2 Zone Alarm support)
»ftp://ftp.linksys.com/pub/befs ··· 1442.zip (1.44.2 No Zone Alarm support)
»ftp://ftp.linksys.com/pub/netw ··· code.bin (1.46.2)

TFTP firmware loader (BEFSR41 v2)
»ftp://ftp.linksys.com/pub/netw ··· Tftp.exe

BEFSR41 (v3)
»ftp://ftp.linksys.com/pub/netw ··· code.bin (1.05)

TFTP firmware loader (BEFSR41 v3)
»ftp://ftp.linksys.com/pub/netw ··· Tftp.exe

BEFSR81 (v1/v2)
»ftp://ftp.linksys.com/pub/befs ··· 2402.zip (2.40.2)
»ftp://ftp.linksys.com/pub/befs ··· 4271.zip (2.42.7.1)
»ftp://ftp.linksys.com/pub/befs ··· 442z.zip (2.44.2 Zone Alarm support)
»ftp://ftp.linksys.com/pub/befs ··· 2442.zip (2.44.2 No Zone Alarm support)
»ftp://ftp.linksys.com/pub/netw ··· code.bin (2.45.10)

TFTP firmware loader (BEFSR81 v2)
»ftp://ftp.linksys.com/pub/netw ··· Tftp.exe

BEFSR81 (v3)
»www.bellsouthpwp.net/b/l ··· 2455.ZIP (2.45.5 - Not on Linksys FTP)
»ftp://ftp.linksys.com/pub/netw ··· code.bin (2.50.2 - Bug warning)

TFTP firmware loader (BEFSR81 v3)
»ftp://ftp.linksys.com/pub/netw ··· Tftp.exe

A note about 2.50.2, it has bugs. UDP streaming fails with games such as CounterStrike. Some users experience slow throughput with this firmware due to an internal MTU issue. If problems arise with 2.50.2, go back to 2.45.5 until a newer firmware is released.

General firmware upgrade notes
Be sure to make notes of all the settings in the router prior to upgrading the firmware or changing options. When upgrading the firmware, it is recommended to disconnect from the Internet and power off your modem. Resetting the router to factory defaults before the firmware loading procedure ensures a clean firmware upgrade or downgrade. After the process has fully completed, remove power from the router, wait 30 seconds, then restore power. Proceed to reconfigure the router prior to powering on the modem and attempting to access the Internet.

In the event of a firmware loading failure, refer to these FAQs from the Linksys forum:
»Linksys FAQ »Help! My router is dead after I upgraded firmware!
»Linksys FAQ »The Loooooooong Reset to the rescue

PPPoE:
When using the router's PPPoE support, make sure no PPPoE client software, such as Enternet 300 or RASPPPOE is installed. For XP PPPoE, simply disable that particular profile in Network Connections and Internet Explorer. On the main setup page in the router, leave the Host and Domain name fields empty. For the username field, be sure to enter username@bellsouth.net

Connection Timers:
If the Connect on Demand timer is used, set the value to at least 15 minutes, preferably 30 minutes or higher. If using the Keep Alive timer to maintain the connection 24/7, set the value to 180 seconds. If the Keep Alive timer is set low, for example 30, the router can cause a login failure or even a hung PPPoE session. At this point, remove power from the router and modem, wait five minutes, then restore power to the modem. Wait for sync then restore power to the router. If still unable to connect, call the Fastaccess helpdesk and ask them to reset your line.

When the PPPoE connection is configured for Connect on Demand, any attempt to access the Internet will trigger the login process. From the Status web page, the connection can be monitored, disconnected, and connected. In Keep Alive mode, the router will automatically attempt to connect after initialization. Plus it will attempt to connect after quickly pressing the reset button, a settings change that rebooted the router, or restoring power.

Reset button:
Quick press and release = Reboot Press and hold for 3 to 5 seconds = Reset to defaults

Logging:
There is a hidden log setup page with extra options:
http://192.168.1.1/LogManage.htm

Note:
In rare cases, when logging is enabled and the log IP set to 255 (use internal log only), the router may lockup. Disabling the logging, or setting up a PC to receive the log solves this problem.

Security advice:
Change the router's default password from admin on the Password page. Disable the Remote Management and Remote Upgrade options on the Filters page. Leave Block WAN Requests (BWR) enabled to block incoming ping. This option also changes how the routers respond to port scans. Disabled usually reports closed, while enabled usually reports stealthed. The SPI option on the Filters page found in older firmware and some newer routers will render the router practically invisible to the Internet. Old firmware with SPI has its drawbacks, port forwarding is shutdown and the WAN IP cannot be pinged even if Block WAN Requests is disabled. Some claim a 'dummy IP' for the DMZ increases security, in reality it can cause problems. In the most recent firmware releases, there are a few new options on the Filters tab. The Ident port 113 filter stealths the commonly reported open port 113. The NAT redirection filter stealths ports that have been forwarded on the port forwarding, UPnP forwarding, and port triggering pages.

MTU:
With x.40.2 firmware and up, the router will automatically use a WAN MTU of 1492 when the WAN connection type is set to PPPoE. For PCs, there is usually no need to change the MTU of network cards to 1492. In some cases, the NIC MTU night need to be changed for VPN clients. A RWIN set to 36300 works well in most cases for the Lite, Ultra, and Extreme FastAccess DSL plans.

Various:
SPI and Block Wan Requests from the Filters page will need to be disabled for certain games and applications. Same applies to the NAT redirection filter. If games and applications fail to work properly, even when ports are forwarded or triggered, try disabling NAT redirection filtering, SPI, and Block WAN Requests one at a time in that order. IRC should work with the Ident port 113 filter enabled, yet if problems arise disable the Ident port filtering.

Port Triggering:
Try to use port triggering instead of port forwarding when possible. The ports are only forwarded when needed and do not require Static LAN IP addressing. Some suggest using the UPnP forwarding, this is a user preference. If UPnP services are disable on the password page, don't use UPnP forwarding.

Steps to finding which port(s) can be used for the trigger(s):

Reboot PC.
Open a command prompt, type: netstat -a
Make notes of which ports are in use.
Now, leaving the command prompt open, run the application or game.
Switch back to the command prompt and type: netstat -a again.
New ports in the foreign address column could be used as the triggers for port triggering.

Create an auto login shortcut to the router:
»Tip: login without password

The phishing patch for Windows released in early 2004 breaks the auto login from a shortcut. A registry change is required after this patch has been applied to restore this functionality of Windows:
»What patch broke this?

To access a modem connected to the WAN port of a Linksys:
»Linksys FAQ »How do I access a modem that is connected to the WAN port of a Linksys Router?