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Volume: 1 Issue: 4 |
Date: Sept. 5, 2006 |
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| Product Announcements | ||
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| ECB-8610 Indoor 802.11a/b/g Access Point
EnGenius Technologies has just announced the ECB-8610 802.11a/b/g access point/client bridge. This is the "a" supporting version of the well received ECB-3220 and is based on the same Realtek System On A Chip design. With the introduction of this product, low cost 5GHz long range wireless becomes a reality. The ECB-8610 supports all the same features as the ECB-3220 including WPA and WPA2 encryption, WDS (wireless distribution service), SNMP management, turbo mode operation, and 26dBi transmit power at 2.4GHz. It also adds support for 20dBi transmit power on 5GHz. With this new capability, customers can create backhaul networks using ECB-8610's on 5GHz, avoiding interference and increasing throughput while allowing access through a second ECB-8610 or an ECB-3220 on 2.4GHz. Just cross connect the two units to create a multiband repeater. The ECB-8610 is the indoor sister product to the EOC-8610 outdoor 802.11a/b/g access point/client bridge which is expected to be released shortly. Customers wanting to become familiar with the outdoor versions can start using the ECB-8610 model, conducting testing and becoming familiar with the interface. When the new outdoor units arrive, expect them to be virtually identical, with the exception of the case. The MSRP price is $233. |
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 EMP-8601 miniPCI Turbo Card
The EMP-8601 is the sister product to the EMP-8602 which was announced 6 months ago. The new product is built on top of the Atheros AR5006xs chipset which is based on the AR5414 integrated MAC and radio. The Atheros AR5414 integrates an entire 802.11a/b/g solution -- Media Access Controller (MAC), baseband processor, and a high-performance radio with both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz capabilities. Offering seamless connectivity to all Wi-Fi networks anywhere in the world, full support for the IEEE 802.11i security standard, and support for Atheros XR™ (eXtended Range) and Super AG® performance enhancements. The main advantage of the EMP-8601 over the EMP-8602 is that it supports Super AG "Turbo" modes of operation, allowing the card to use 40MHz channel widths, achieving throughput of over 60Mbps (actual TCP throughput, not link speed). While not appropriate for laptop computers, embedded computing designs and desk top systems can use this card to create high powered networks with blazing speeds. Drivers are available for Linux, BSD, and Windows. The MSRP price is $87 |
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| Top Story - HauteRoute HR-IXP-QX Beta | |
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The much anticipated quad radio HR-IXP-QX wireless access concentrator is nearing beta release. This powerhouse wireless router supports up to 4 radios with choice of operating frequency, and our HauteRoute OS operating system. This flexible platform is ideal for backhaul networks as a convergence point. Throughput is balanced between the four radios, supporting speeds of up to 60Mbps, and the two full duplex wired Ethernet ports supporting speeds of up to 400Mbps, with the Intel IXP 425 533MHz network processor supporting near wire speed packet forwarding.
The HauteRoute OS operating system provides a simple web management interface for configuring this powerful product. Complexity has been abstracted and simple, intuitive commands are implemented as drop down menus and check boxes. The HR-IXP-QX supports a wide range of features including full transparent bridging on any interface, routing, access control lists (ACL), security profiles which can be applied to one or many interfaces, virtual access point configurations, and cool new features like audible alignment. Audible alignment allows installers to hear a loud beep which will get faster or slower depending on the receive signal strength of a remote system. Installers can use both hands to align the antennas, unlike visible alignment indicators which may be difficult to see or alignment devices which require two hands to use. Of course, the HR-IXP-QX is fully compatible with the other HR-IXP family of products, including the HR-IXP-SX single radio router and HR-IXP-DX dual radio router. The currently available radio modules for the unit include support for 900MHz, 2.3-2.5GHz, 3.6GHz, 4.9GHz and 5GHz, making this one of most flexible products on the market. HauteSpot Networks is looking for Beta test customers for this product. If you are interested, please contact us. |
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| Lightening Can Strike Twice | |
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It is that time of the year. Summer and fall months bring lots of static in the air and ideal conditions for lightening. Unfortunately, all too often users of wireless equipment don't take some simple precautions to protect their investments. Improper installation of wireless equipment can be dangerous and expensive to repair, and virtually all manufacturers do not cover damage due to lightening in their warranties.
The basic problem with lightening is this: there is static electricity in the air that is looking for the path of least resistance to ground. If your wireless equipment is the path of least resistance, then the lightening will pass through your equipment, wreaking havoc and probably destroying all of your gear. The simple solution is to provide lightening with a better path to ground than through your equipment. The least expensive and most basic step you can take in protecting your wireless gear is to bond everything to ground. This means using a large copper conductor, which is attached to every metal object in your wireless installation (mounting poles, router cases, etc) and runs down the shortest path possible to a copper ground rod. The next step is to make sure that you have a good surge suppressor on your power supply. The Power Over Ethernet adapter and the step down transformer provide no protection from transient spikes caused by lightening strikes to power lines in your area. Most cheap power strips have some sort of surge suppression, but this is usually just a fuse. They burn too slowly to really protect your equipment. Buy a good surge protector which is fast acting from a reputable manufacturer. Finally, adding gas vapor discharge arrestors to your antenna cables, surge suppressors on your PoE cables, and even adding a lightening rod above your whole system with a separate ground are all good ideas, but start with the basics, at least. HauteSpot Networks has written a guide to proper installation and grounding techniques which you can download from our web site under our support section. Of course no guidance such as this is a replacement for good professional advice from an electrical contractor or other licensed professional. When in doubt, seek professional advice. Follow good grounding techniques and you may save yourself big headaches in the future. |
