At Networld+Interop this week, SMC Networks has announced the Barricade 802.11a Wireless Cable/DSL Broadband Router (SMC7004AWBR-54), a platform independent, 802.11a (Wi-Fi5)-based wireless router for sharing high-speed Internet connection with multiple clients. The unit supports 5GHz 802.11a networks with speeds up to 54Mbps, or 72Mbps when in proprietary Turbo Mode, for up to 253 wireless users in a small business or SOHO setting.
The SMC7004AWBR-54 also has a 3-port Ethernet 10/100 switch built in for connecting wired clients.
For security, the router features a NAT firewall, MAC address filtering, and support for 64-, 128-, and 152-bit WEP encryption.
SMC has also announced the launch of the EliteConnect 802.11a/b Dual-Band Wireless Access Point (SMC2785W), an access point that will let wireless clients with either 802.11a or 802.11b cards access the wired network without interference. It features one 10/100 Ethernet port, has Web-based configuration, and 802.1X security support.
Each wireless mode supports its own WEP encryption: 64-, 128-, and 152-bit for 802.11a, and 64- and 128-bit for 802.11b.
Both products come with a lifetime warranty and should be available in the third quarter of 2002. No pricing has been set yet.
Another new product: EZ Connect 802.11a Wireless PCI Adapter (SMC2702W) for Windows-based desktops will retail for $179.99 street price and includes the same WEP support as the SMC7004AWBR-54 router. It features the support for SMC’s proprietary 72Mbps turbo mode.
