Texas Instruments (TI) is reporting this week that products
based on its residential gateway (RG) cable modem design — which will include
enhanced speed, router security features like NAT firewalls, and 802.11b wireless
access points — are almost ready to ship to retailers.
Companies embracing the RG cable modem design include Toshiba America Information
Systems, Netgear, and SMC Networks. Next week at the NCTA show in Chicago, SMC
will actually be showing its RG product — the SMC8013WG Wireless Cable Modem
Router, which they announced earlier this month — in a suite hosted by TI.
The RG design uses TI’s TNETC4401 single chip solution for cable modems, which
has interfaces for Ethernet, USB, and 802.11. RG support Data
Over Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS) 2.0
cable modem certification from CableLabs that increases upstream throughput
and lets the cable operator offer some extra services through the bi-directional
connection. The 802.11b support is provided by TI’s TNETW1100B chip.
TI brings to the table TurboDOX, a software-based bandwidth acceleration technology
for increasing speed on applications like P2P file sharing and FTP downloads.
TurboDOX was originally offered in late 2001 as a DOCSIS 1.1 improvement. It
also works with Euro-DOCSIS modems overseas. TI says the technology will let
operators use up to three times the number of modems on a single channel.
TI is also collaborating with embedded software providers Jungo Software Technologies and Ashley Laurent to get their broadband
software to compliment TI’s DOCSIS code directly.
Toshiba shipped a previous wireless cable modem, the $299 PCX5000
last September, which used Agere WaveLAN chips for its wireless connection.
Netgear also has a Wireless Cable Modem Gateway, the $279 CG814M which they
announced in November last year. Other companies with announced 802.11-equipped
cable modems include Scientific-Atlanta,
Pioneer, Motorola, and Linksys.
