From: address@in.message   
      
   I agree.  I have at least 50 clients using the Linksys VPN products and all   
   work great with the exception of the one I have in my lab, which is the only   
   WRV54G. The firmware for the WRV54G is lacking many of the BEFVP41 features   
   which make for SOHO use very easy to set up.  Hopefully the next firmware   
   for the WRV54G will take up these issues.   
      
      
   "hazardous"  wrote in message   
   news:befebf78.0402050004.1abe07d9@posting.google.com...   
   > Michael, In my 6 years doing full time IT, most of the networking   
   > problems I have seen are the result of some kind of misconfiguration.   
   > If the firmware is faulty and undertested, why don't I and several   
   > colleagues I know, have problems doing the same port forwarding as you   
   > using the same firmware version? I don't know if you've had just a   
   > string of bad luck or what, not really sure what to tell you. Or maybe   
   > you got a bad batch of routers. Just like when several of our IBM   
   > servers were randomly rebooting for no reason. Found out that IBM knew   
   > of the problem with bad diode or something like that on the board.   
   > Problem is they didn't tell customers that until they called in about   
   > it, pro-active huh. I paid for that "expensive service"   
   >   
   > Your theory of "things that are inexpensive are MORE expensive"   
   > doesn't hold water. Hell, I've been driving a Hyundai Accent that I   
   > bought 8 years ago and have had absolutely nothing go wrong with it,   
   > other than regular maintainence. Most reliable car I've ever owned.   
   >   
   > You seem to be okay using Microsoft products even though their   
   > software has mass amounts of security holes/flaws that are constantly   
   > upgraded because of lack of proper testing, but that's alright isn't   
   > it? It's also okay that they developed a poorly tested email client   
   > that has caused billions of dollars in damages over the last few   
   > years, do to poor design that left gaping holes for hackers to exploit   
   > with viruses, and that's okay too right? Hey I'm a Microsoft shop as   
   > well, but I'm just pointing out how ludicris your comments were.   
   >   
   > If I'm paying for support and it's lousy, then I'm pissed. I payed   
   > $1500 for Shiva support and it was atrocious. I wrote a scathing   
   > letter to customer service and had the president of Shiva call me the   
   > following week apologizing and saying they were working on bettering   
   > their service. It still sucked four months later. Shiva makes   
   > excellent networking products that ARE NOT CHEAP and their support   
   > sucked and I payed for that service. Moral of the story is, you are   
   > never guaranteed what you are going to get. You may have a pleasant   
   > experience while someone else has a disasterous one.   
   >   
   > Cheers,   
   >   
   > "Michael Mishler"  wrote in message   
   news:...   
   > > Just like everything else surrounding Linksys and their products, this   
   still   
   > > doesn't make sense:   
   > >   
   > > I have four of these routers all updated to the latest firmware and NONE   
   of   
   > > them would pass PPTP.  This is proof to me that it's not firmware   
   updating   
   > > process doing it.  It's the faulty, undertested firmware!   
   > >   
   > > You seem to be ok with the fact that you sometimes get "bad" technical   
   > > support from them.  I think it sucks.  It's a blatent reminder that   
   things   
   > > that are inexpensive are MORE expensive.  By the time you get done   
   > > fixing/replacing them, the darn things have costed you or your company a   
   > > fortune.  They are the Packard Bell of the network hardware world.  You   
   > > think you're getting a bargain, but hidden is the huge cost of the   
   support   
   > > you'll soon be providing fixing their junk.   
   > >   
   > > Thanks, but no thanks   
   > >   
   > > ~Michael   
   > >   
   > >   
   > >   
   > > "hazardous"  wrote in message   
   > > news:befebf78.0402031639.1ba22d@posting.google.com...   
   > > > 1.I use firmware 1.41.1, Sep 04 2003 forwarding PPTP without any issue   
   > > > to an NT4 server. I've used the same router on a different connection   
   > > > with the same firmware forwarding to a Win2K RAS via PPTP with no   
   > > > problems.   
   > > > 2.Firmware can get corrupted during download and flashing if you have   
   > > > antivirus software active. I've seen it happen and had it confirmed by   
   > > > one of their product developers. I deployed 50 of these units at my   
   > > > last job and only experienced the following issues.   
   > > >   
   > > > a)DHCP sometimes does not provision properly to end users   
   > > > b)first batch of routers had flakey power supplies that would make it   
   > > > look like the hardware was fried by keeping the diag light solid.   
   > > > Change the power supply and it was fine.   
   > > > c)IPSEC tunnels renegotiating sporadically before key lifetime   
   > > > expired. Due to having "anti-replay" enabled   
   > > > d)Remotely changing something on the router in the earlier firmwares   
   > > > would cause the router to hang and sometimes screw up the firmware.   
   > > > You'd have to re-flash.   
   > > >   
   > > > 3.If Linksys is such a sorry company why did Cisco purchase them "A   
   > > > Fortune 500 company" for 1/2 a billion dollars? I've had good support   
   > > > and bad from Linksys but hell it's free at least. I've had good and   
   > > > bad support from Dell and Intel as well so I wouldn't paint such broad   
   > > > strokes. I would say Linksys is the most innovative SOHO   
   > > > networking/hardware company out there. They have come out with some of   
   > > > the coolest products in the last few years and no one comes close to   
   > > > the price points. Microsoft has put out 45 or more fixes for XP since   
   > > > it was released which is pretty lame. But I still think they make good   
   > > > innovative products. There are pros and cons to everything is my   
   > > > point.   
   > > >   
   > > >   
   > > >   
   > > >   
   > > >   
   > > >   
   > > >   
   > > >   
   > > >   
   > > >   
   > > >   
   > > > "Michael Mishler"  wrote in message   
   > >  news:<2fITb.165635$Rc4.1286269@attbi_s54>...   
   > > > > Actually most of this was already done, including the culprit, step   
   #2:   
   > > > >   
   > > > > > 2. Reset the Linksys and update it to the latest firmware.   
   > > > >   
   > > > > The latest firmware for hardware version 1.0 BEFVP41 causes PPTP   
   traffic   
   > >  to   
   > > > > cease.  I  had to actually obtain and downgrade my firmware version   
   to   
   > >  the   
   > > > > second-to-the-last version.  After that it worked great.   
   > > > >   
   > > > > I can understand your troubleshooting diagram, and it is good but   
   you   
   > >  should   
   > > > > be careful in providing technical information (and it is   
   appreciated) to   
   > >  the   
   > > > > public, because I would have gone out spending money taking your   
   advice   
   > >  and   
   > > > > it wouldn't have helped.   
   > > > >   
   > > > > Bottom line in the matter is that Linksys is a sorry company, with   
   even   
   > > > > sorrier tech support as they have not helped me a bit.  Some very   
   > >  helpful   
   > > > > gentlemen took the time to email me what he did to fix it and it   
   worked   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)