3e Technologies, Inc., a privately funded Rockville, MD based solutions company, today introduced its 3e-5201 Wireless Gateway for industrial environments.
The gateway is designed uses a modular design and can support 802.11b, LAN, WAN, USB, HPNA, IrDA, Bluetooth, and broadband (Cable, xDSL, fiber) networking infrastructures. It supports 128-bit WEP encryption as well.
3e Technologies stated that the device was originally designed for the Navy and has been used in such environments as Navy ships and a nuclear power plant. It supports 4.8 Mbps throughput with 128-bit WEP enabled, which the company claims is among the industry’s best performance. Typically, 802.11b is stated as carrying a theoretical maximum of 11 Mbps, but real use, and especially the use of the recommended 128-bit WEP security, significantly degrades actual throughput.
The 3e-5201 is designed with a ruggedized water and corrosive proof encasement developed for the military and supports multiple levels of security and various operating modes. The device can be configured in Access Point mode, in which case it can be used to bridge wireless clients to wired resources. It can also be used as a gateway to provide firewall protection along with multiple broadband media selections.
The 3e-5201 is protocol-independent, according to the company. This allows flexible support for new standards and technologies as they emerge and become cost-effective.
The product lists at $1,495. The company plans to introduce multiple wireless gateway/access point solutions for the SOHO and Enterprise environments with prices starting around $169. 3e Technologies is also known as AEPTEC Microsystems, Inc.
More information can be found at the 3e Technologies Web site, with product specs available here.