VPN Connection too slow (BEFVP41 )

[Greasemonkey1]

I have 2 site connecting to our main site all using the linsys BEFVP41 router. The problem is that even though the connection is there, it is very slow. Is there anyways to speed of the connection other then to contact the ISP and pay for the higher bandwidth.

Has any one experience this same issue?

 

[pray11342]

Hi Greasemonkey,

I recently found this information about the BEFVP41, and posted this in another forum ---

There are REALLY 2 different modems from Linksys designated BEFVP41. I have 2 of the "Original" models. I say "Original" because there is no other designation. Several posts note that the only firmware Linksys makes available is ver 1.41.0. There was a ver 1.41.1, but it has been removed, and the modems come with 1.41.0, and several features have been turned off. Apparently that is better than constant crashes. There is apparently no better firmware than 1.41.0

The Originals are being phased out. I bought another BEFVP41 for a customer, and received the BEFVP41 Ver 2.

The ONLY thing it shares with the ORIGINAL is a very similar case style. IT IS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT ROUTER!

The Original has 3 indicators on each port, Link/Act, Full/Coll, and 100 for the LAN ports, and Link, Act, and Diag for the WAN port. It has a 5.0 Volt DC Wall Wart supply. The WAN port is only 10 base T, it will not connect at 100mb. This appears to be part of the performance hit, according to advanced test software. My Cable modem will connect at 100 mBits, and it is "mismatched" to the Original Linksys.

The Ver 2 has only a single indicator LED for each LAN Port and WAN Port. I guess the indication is "when it's blinkin, it's workin". It has a 12.0 Volt DC Wall Wart supply. It could not possibly be the same electronics inside. More to the point, when you connect to the interface, it is COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. Looks different, different settings. There are now only 50 VNC tunnels available. More filter options available. Both the Case and the Interface have the Cisco Logo prominently displayed. The firmware is ver 1.0.3, I believe. Did not check out many of the advanced features, but the VPN works fine, lasts a long time. I bought it for less than $100, still priced very reasonable.

There was a real horror story in another thread or on a different site, a Linksys Tech talked a user through a firmware upgrade on a BEFVP41 Ver 2 using firmware Ver 1.41.0. Killed it Graveyard Dead, they sent him a replacement. BE CAREFUL! I find no information about a firmware upgrade for Ver 2. In fact, on the Linksys site, there is NO INDICATION OF THE EXISTENCE of the Ver 2 model of the BEFVP41 as of last week! ??

Now for the good news. When I hooked up the BEFVP41 ver 2 to my cable modem, I got my full advertised 2.0 Mb/sec download on the first test. My customer has a Screaming connection with Comcast, When he hooked it up, he got the full 3.2 Mb/sec available. He claims that it seems faster than the Net Everywhere NR041 that he replaced.

So I am going to buy 2 more fo the ver 2 model. Chances of Linksys/Cisco fixing the issues on the "Original" are slim and none, I would bet.

Anyone looking at this model better be dang sure that it is a Ver 2 and not an "Original" (Version dog?). Be careful about what's for sale cheap on eBay. (I may have a couple available there soon)

Paul G Ray

"What we have in this country is socialism for the rich and free enterprise for the poor"
-- Gore Vidal

Paul Ray

Programming Languages -- .BAT Files

Preffered editor -- EDLIN

 

[Greasemonkey1]

Thank you for the helpful hint. It looks like 3 new linksys router is going to have to come out of my pocket until I can show them that it is definately faster.

 

[MattWray]

Also keep in mind this:

When connceting over a VPN, you are connecting at the fastest speed of your braodband. Say 1mb. In your LAN you are accessing files at 100mb, so no matter what, things will be slower over a VPN than they are at the office...

Thanks,

Matt Wray

GFH

http://www.sss-steel.com

 

[eys]

Then, is there a BEFVP41 that dont drop the tunnels?

I been tryng to use BEFVP41 but after hours or minutes, drops the tunnel even when the webpage says 'connected' they cant be pinged.

This version 2, works well? dont you need to resetit after sometime to reconnect the tunnels?

Thanx.

Desperate Jose Carlos.

 

[pray11342]

Hi mattwray,

Exactly right about the speed over the internet. The original BEFVP41s that I have seem to choke even this limited speed.

If your connection is asymetric, (faster download than upload) will this affect the speed also?

eys,

I can't say about the Ver 2 dropping out. Have read about it in other posts, but I am only using a couple of tunnels, and only ran the box a cople days before delivering to the customer. Did not have any problems. I have not received my new ver 2 boxes yet, still running the old ones.

I know one occasion when the "Originals" reconnected a tunnel after a severe broadband problem. (a car went in the ditch, trimmed the cable at ground level on one of the junction boxes) After the cable came up, they re-connected. Mine tend to stay connected for weeks using the "originals".

The "connected/Disconnected" information seemed unreliable to me, also. I have seen the tunnel show disconnected at one end, connected at the other, and the tunnel works fine. I disconnected a tunnel one time, and it continued to work for days after. The originals seem to be flaky on several counts. I am looking forward to trying the Ver 2 on my own network.

BTW, you can now find the Ver 2 at the Linksys site, and there is a firmware upgrade. It IS listed as BEFVP41 Ver 2.



Paul Ray

Programming Languages -- .BAT Files

Preffered editor -- EDLIN

 

[MattWray]

Remember that any time you use VPN it will affect speed by adding encryption overhead...

And I have found that the Asymetric lines don't affect things all that much. Obviously a symmetric T1 would be better, but we use Asymmetric lines at a couple of our smaller branches and they don't have any negative impact...

Thanks,

Matt Wray

GFH

http://www.sss-steel.com

 

[roydiculous]

I am looking for the BEFVP41 Version 2; however, Staples has only the Version 1 (or unversioned).

For those of you that received a V2, can you point me in the right direction? None of the websites I visit specific if it's version 2 or not.

 

[pray11342]

Hey roydiculous,

I found out that there WAS a version 2 when I purchased them at --

http://www.provantage.com

bought 4 of them now, all version 2.

Go to the Brand Name Index, click the L on the right.

Pick Linksys routers and switches.

Click the link in the BEFVP41 box. They had 2600 this evening. Price is "Too low to advertise" means you got to call the 1-800 number at top of page. Absolute best price I have seen for them as well.

Good luck

Paul Ray

Programming Languages -- .BAT Files

Preffered editor -- EDLIN