New wireless LAN/Router

[automated@xxxxxxx]

I found this on the home networking intranet in work. I thought some=20
may be interested although it could be old news, it's not a subject=20
i've been following...my apologies if you are already aware of it.

Neil


Actiontech Wireless Home Gateway - =A3129    New...  New Revision=20=20
Stuart Barratt (Stuart Barratt), 19/11/2001 - 09:16:09
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Surfing the household

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If you've got broadband, you'll want to use it. And this could mean=20
all over your house, which is where a Home Gateway system comes in...

Actiontec has released its Wireless-Ready Home Gateway system, which=20
runs off a broadband DSL connection. What this gives you - in=20
addition to sharing an Internet connection (up to 35 devices can be=20
attached) - is the freedom to wander in your enjoyment of the Web.=20
The actual ranges quoted - for PCs fitted with a suitable wireless=20
adaptor - are 30 metres for an inside location and 90 metres for an=20
outside location.

Essentially, it is a four-port Ethernet router with two PC Card slots=20
on the side, one of which - when filled with an 802.11b Wireless=20
card - supports free range access to your precious broadband=20
connection. In theory any 802.11b-compatible Wireless card could be=20
used, but Actiontec strongly recommends its own. Which also means, of=20
course, that to be truly Wireless-ready you do need to make another=20
acquisition...=20

What you put on the second PC Card slot - a Webcam or Voice over IP=20
card, for example - is your choice.

As well as a NAT (Network Address Translation) firewall - hiding=20
internal IP addresses from would be intruders - the Gateway has=20
support for Virtual Private Network clients and DHCP (Dynamic Host=20
Configuration Protocol), which simplifies network administration by=20
avoiding the need to assign a unique IP address to all computers on a=20
network. The software can also measure traffic to the Web and enable=20
parents (or employers) to block access to proscribed Web sites. A=20
simple Web-based installation wizard asks for little more than a=20
username, password, IP address and whether you are connecting to the=20
Internet through a cable modem or DSL.

Of course, it is possible to build your own gateway systems from=20
constituent parts, but the combined cost of such networking gear with=20
the technical responsibilities of installing and managing gateway=20
software make 'out of the box' solutions financially attractive and=20
more reassuring for those lacking technical confidence.

The system supports all flavours of Windows.=20

The Actiontec Wireless-Ready Home Gateway will set you back =A3129 and=20
includes the gateway unit itself, an AC power adaptor and a 6ft=20
Ethernet cable for connecting the Gateway to a DSL modem.
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www.actiontec.com

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