Base Station
The base station provides the telecommuter or small office with wireless connectivity to the Internet and allows any device equipped with an IEEE 802.11b wireless PC Card to connect wirelessly to a home or small office network. The new product offers simplified installation, enables multiple computers to share a single Internet connection, and provides wireless freedom and flexibility to work anywhere in the home or office without the expense or encumbrance of cabling.
The base station is available in two versions. One version, called the AIR-BSE342 includes an Ethernet RJ-45 port for connection to the Internet using a DSL or cable modem connection. Another version of the base station, called the AIR-BSM342, includes an integrated 56K V.90 modem for dial-up Internet connectivity, and a standard Ethernet RJ-45 port.
The base station supports 128-bit WEP (wired equivalent privacy) encryption for security equivalent to a wire-line network. In addition, the company provides a variety of user interface options for configuring and monitoring the Base Station, including the Base Station Client Utility (BSCU), which provides simplified configuration of both Base Station and client radios, as well as connectivity status.
The easy-to-deploy product supports multiple users so they can share computer peripherals and access the Internet. Simplified installation is enabled through an integrated NAT (network address translator) router with support for DHCP (dynamic host configuration protocol) to automatically configure an Internet protocol address for multiple users. All users of the wireless network can share a single Internet account.
Client driver support includes Windows 95, 98, Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, and Novell Netware. The products provide point-to-point or point-to-multipoint connections between buildings as much as 25 miles line away.
Cisco Systems, Inc., 170 West Tasman Drive, San Jose, CA 95134-1619. Tel: 408-525-7988; Fax: 408-525-3185.