Includes Support for New Faster Wireless Standard, Plus Extra Slot For
PDA/Phoneline Connectivity
NEW YORK, June 27 /PRNewswire/ -- PC Expo, Meeting Room 111, Level 4 --
Why go to the trouble of running cables from PC to PC so that family members
or home office workers can share high-speed Internet access? Actiontec
Electronics' new, easy-to-use Wireless-Ready Multimedia Home Gateway makes it
possible for multiple users to share one cable or DSL line, computer files,
peripherals and Internet appliances from anywhere in the house or the yard
without any wires or via Ethernet.
Result: happy surfers in the kitchen, bedroom, basement, or even by the
swimming pool without the expense of installing a wired network or the hassle
of plugging and unplugging laptops into jacks as users move from room to room
-- plus the ability to move computer resources without rewiring.
The gateway allows all desktop and notebook PCs in the house to be online
simultaneously and in some cases even eliminates the need to pay for multiple
IP addresses. Every PC equipped with the proper wireless network adapter can
share the same Internet hookup from any inside location up to 330 feet away
from the gateway or any outside location within 990 feet of the unit.
Multiple gateways can be connected for access by more than four users.
The Actiontec Wireless-Ready Multimedia Home Gateway also allows users to
create home networks incorporating both wired and wireless devices. With a
built-in four-port Ethernet router as well as wireless capabilities, up to 35
notebook and desktop PCs, printers, scanners, CD-ROM drives, handheld
computers and other devices can be connected to the network, enabling users to
share files, printers and other resources.
The gateway plugs into a power outlet on one end and the cable or DSL
modem on the other. Users then install Actiontec's new 802.11b-compatible
PCMCIA Wireless Network Card or any WECA-certified wireless 802.11b card of
their choice in the first of two PCMCIA slots, and start surfing.
The second slot, unique in the industry, gives users the flexibility to
add new capabilities to their home network. Actiontec is currently developing
options that in the near term are expected to include a phoneline-based card
utilizing the HPNA home networking standard to serve locations in the home
that may have physical barriers blocking wireless access, a Bluetooth-based
card permitting Internet access for handheld devices such as Palm computers,
and a Voice over IP card enabling voice phone calls over the Internet.
Both slots also have the unique ability to support 802.11a, a new wireless
LAN specification that will nearly quintuple transmission speeds over the
11 million bits per second (Mbps) of the current 802.11b "Wi-fi" protocol.
Users will be able to take advantage of this faster technology when it becomes
available either by replacing the 802.11b card in the first slot, or by simply
adding an 802.11a card to the second slot and thereby retaining their ability
to connect to their 802.11b legacy devices.
Other features include:
-- Simple installation with a Web-based wizard that asks for little more
than user name, password, IP address, and whether the user is
connecting to the Internet through cable modem or DSL, eliminating
confusing terms like PPPoE and DHCP server.
-- Anti-hacking protection via Network Address Translation (NAT), an
Internet standard that makes it possible to use one set of IP addresses
for internal traffic and a second set for external traffic. This
provides a type of firewall by hiding internal IP addresses from
potential intruders.
-- Support for Virtual Private Network (VPN) clients, allowing remote
users to access their VPN-based corporate networks securely.
-- Support for the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), a dynamic
IP address assignment system that simplifies network administration by
eliminating the need to assign a unique IP address to every computer on
the network; and DNS Proxy, a standard that simplifies configuration by
handling translation of domain names into the corresponding IP
addresses.
-- A built-in Manager interface for advanced configurations that is
accessible by the embedded web-based management tool.
Pricing and System Requirements
The Actiontec Wireless-Ready Multimedia Home Gateway will carry an MSRP of
$149.95 and include the gateway, AC power adapter, a 6-foot Ethernet cable for
connecting the gateway to the cable or DSL modem, and a user guide. The
Actiontec PCMCIA Wireless Network Card will retail for $129.95, with a rebate
when purchased with the gateway.
Both products will be compatible with Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows
2000, and Windows NT 4.0 or higher. Both will ship in August and be available
at major computer chains nationwide as well as the Actiontec online store at
http://www.actiontecstore.com .
About Actiontec
Initially known for its analog modems, Actiontec Electronics, Inc. is
making significant strides in the broadband marketplace. The company's product
line now includes a complete line of DSL, Router, Wireless LAN, Internet
Telephony, and Analog devices. Actiontec products have been recognized with a
Best of Show award at Retail Xchange, Editors Choice awards from CNET's
computers.com, homePCnetwork.com, and Computer Retail Week, and Top 100
Products of the Year from Home Office Computing and Computer Shopper.
Actiontec products are available through national distribution, retail
outlets, and Actiontec's online store as well as through private label and
Tier 1 OEM relationships. The company is headquartered in Sunnyvale, CA, and
maintains branch offices in Arlington, VA; Austin, TX; Colorado Springs, CO;
Irvine, CA; and Taiwan. For more information, phone 408-752-7700, fax
408-541-9003, or visit http://www.actiontec.com .
CONTACT: Lesley Kirchman, Director of Marketing of Actiontec,
408-752-7700, lkirchman@actiontec.com .
SOURCE Actiontec
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Related links:
http://www.actiontec.com
CONTACT:
Press, Lauren Tascan, 212-772-3900,
lauren@sspr.com , or Andrea Candler, 317-275-2275,
andrea@sspr.com , both of S&S Public Relations, Inc. for
Actiontec; Lesley Kirchman, Director of Marketing of Actiontec,
408-752-7700, lkirchman@actiontec.com
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