BEFSX41 Replacement?

[Jambe]

The BEFSX41 was being used for net sharing. Should I replace it with another of the same, or is there a better value out there? My only two necessities are a hardware firewall and four-port (physical) LAN -- wireless would be nice if there's something in the $70-or-under range, but not a must.

I'm out of the loop regards routers, switches, etc; I'd appreciate being treated with kid gloves. Any recommendation snap to mind? Anything to avoid at all costs? I'd use the (excellent) charts to narrow things down but 1) the aforementioned are my only two requirements and 2) I'm looking to pick the thing up in a store, so the price sort isn't of much use.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

 

[thiggins]

If the BEFSX41 is working for you, leave it alone.

If it died, you can use any router you'll find in a store to replace it.
You'll probably see mostly wireless routers. Buy the cheapest one you can find, but stick with the bigger brands like Cisco/Linksys, D-Link, NETGEAR.

 

[Jambe]

Thanks, thiggins!

The BEFSX41 started making a louder-than-normal hum/whine (still only audible within a foot or so of the unit) and its LAN ports stopped working. It had been running more-or-less non-stop for, gosh, six years or more? Decent lifespan out of it. The WAN indicator still works but I can't even ping the router (on any LAN port), so I don't think it's salvageable. Is there some "router resuscitation" I should try before I get a replacement?

So there's really no model in this range that I should seek out specifically or avoid? If that's the case I'll just go grab any old Linksys or D-Link this evening, as you suggest.

 

[thiggins]

Sounds like something in the power supply section gave up the ghost. Recycle it and move on.

For your simple needs, most anything will do.