News
Issue #2002 - 17 (May 2002)
(Updated May 1, 2002)

INFRASTRUCTURE, PRODUCTS & SERVICES

U.S. Robotics Introduces High-speed Wireless Networking Products

U.S. Robotics®, the world's leading provider of Internet access and connectivity products, today announced its complete line of 22 megabits per second (Mbps) wireless access networking products, delivering a performance increase and backwards compatibility with popular 802.11b 11 Mbps products. The U.S. Robotics 22 Mbps Wireless Access PC Card, U.S. Robotics 22 Mbps Wireless Access PCI Adapter and U.S. Robotics 22 Mbps Wireless Access Point deliver high-speed, Plug-and-Play connectivity and networking solutions for the home, small office/home office (SOHO) and the small- to medium-sized business (SMB) markets. The products were debuted at RetailVision, April 15-18, Anaheim, Calif.

U.S. Robotics’ 22 Mbps wireless access networking suite, for users of wireless networking equipment, includes products designed for quick and easy installation and allows users to securely share Internet access, files and printers. The products are capable of networking multiple PCs without the hassle of running cables or wires, expanding an existing 802.11b wireless local area network (LAN) or creating a new wireless LAN capable of up to 22 Mbps wireless speeds.

"U.S. Robotics recognizes the need for speed in today’s busy, digital lifestyle, so we’ve added the 22 Mbps wireless access networking suite to our extensive product mix," said Juan López, product line manager for networking, U.S. Robotics. "This latest generation of U.S. Robotics wireless access networking technology allows for unlimited freedom to network multiple PCs at greater range, provides better coverage and is twice as fast as other 802.11b products. Our goal is to provide our customers and channel partners with the highest wireless speeds available today, while offering full backwards compatibility with current 802.11b 11 Mbps wireless devices; something that cannot be said for 802.11a products that are incapable of communicating with current 802.11b 11 Mbps networks in airports, restaurants and other public places," he added.

U.S. Robotics’ newest wireless access networking portfolio is based on Texas Instruments Incorporated ACX100 802.11 technology. TI technology enables U.S. Robotics’ products to be 802.11b compliant, backwards compatible with all current 11 Mbps devices and have the fastest wireless speed available in a 2.4-gigahertz radio spectrum. Additional features include a bridging function to support building-to-building roaming and networking, a 256-bit WEP encryption and MAC address authentication for security and privacy and up to 70 percent better area coverage than conventional 11 Mbps wireless products.

"WLAN products need to provide enhancements to users with more throughput and extended ranges to cover their entire home or small office. We are pleased that U.S. Robotics has chosen TI’s high-performance 802.11 technology, which supports seamless operation at 22 Mbps or 802.11b 11 Mbps," said Remi El-Ouazzane, director of marketing of TI’s Wireless Networking Business Unit. "By providing 802.11 technology that offers high performance Wi-Fi capabilities and 22 Mbps operation for enhanced functions, TI’s ACX100 is enabling U.S. Robotics to lead the charge with the next wave of 2.4GHz WLAN products."

The U.S. Robotics 22 Mbps Wireless Access Point enables users to securely share files, Internet access and peripherals with multiple users. The access point offers fast data rates up to 22 Mbps when combined with a U.S. Robotics 22 Mbps Wireless Access PC Card and the U.S. Robotics 22 Mbps Wireless Access PCI Adapter Card. It also provides full compatibility with existing 802.11b 11 Mbps devices. This product will be available in June 2002 at a suggested retail price of $199.99.

The U.S. Robotics 22 Mbps Wireless Access PC Card, for laptop computers, supports peer-to-peer networking with up to three computers without an access point. Combine the card with a U.S. Robotics 22 Mbps Wireless Access Point for networking four or more PCs. This product will be available in June 2002 at a suggested retail price of $99.99.

The U.S. Robotics 22 Mbps Wireless Access PCI Adapter Card, for desktop computers, supports peer-to-peer networking with up to three computers without an access point. Combine the card with a U.S. Robotics 22 Mbps Wireless Access Point for networking four or more PCs. Everything needed to add wireless capability to a desktop PC is included in the box and will be available in June 2002 at a suggested retail price of $119.99.

U.S. Robotics Wi-Fi products will be nearly twice as fast as comparable equipment.

The new U.S. Robotics products create a wireless network that shuttles files or Internet access from one device to the next around 22MB per second. The equipment is compatible with the 30 million Wi-Fi, or 802.11b, networks in homes and offices, which have a maximum speed of about 11mbps.

To boost the speed, U.S. Robotics added a stronger radio, a central element to any 802.11 system. It also is using a new technique to send more information through the airwaves. The technique, from Texas Instruments, is called packet binary convolutional code, or PBCC.

But PBCC might not be approved by the standards bodies that equipment makers rely on to make sure their gear works with everyone else's.

Brian Grimm, a spokesman for Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance (WECA), said the organization currently has no plans to certify PBCC-based devices. PBCC is an optional method to use under the standards that WECA uses for 802.11 equipment, he said. Typically, WECA only certifies the mandatory elements of the specifications.

That hasn't stopped vendors, however, from planning to sell the equipment, according to a U.S. Robotics representative. The access point will sell in June for a suggested price of $200, and the wireless PC card needed will cost about $100.

Even if the PBCC isn't approved by WECA, the products using the method will still work with existing 802.11b networks, according to the company. But owners might have to upgrade if the current 802.11b standards change.

The main benefit to the new gear is a faster speed. But 802.11 actually has a very short leash when it comes to beaming Internet access through the air.

It's "bound by the pipe," said Larry Birenbaum, vice president in charge of Cisco Systems' wireless business. The "pipe" refers to the type of Internet access that a home or office has. That can range from a dial-up modem slogging at 56K to a digital subscriber line, or DSL.

The 802.11 equipment plugs directly into this pipe of Internet access and uses a radio to shower it over an area about 300 feet long. A laptop, PDA (personal digital assistant), or even some higher-end phones equipped with the right kind of modem can log onto the network.

And it can move stuff at very fast speeds. Cisco's new 802.11a radio creates a wireless network capable of blasting Internet access at 24MB per second. The slowest of the 802.11 networks have the capacity to send information at a still rather hasty 1.6mbps.

But these same devices haven't come up with some kind of technological alchemy to speed up Internet access. A 56K Internet connection still stays maddeningly slow over these supposedly magic airwaves.

"The limitation will be on the bandwidth," Birenbaum said.

It will be awhile before an 802.11 network's ability to shuttle Internet access without wires will be put to full use. Companies like Iospan Wireless and others sell equipment that wirelessly beams Internet access that reaches speeds of at least 5mbps. VDSL, the next generation of DSL services, has speeds of up to 12.5mbps.

HDTV (high-definition television) makers are also interested in the newer versions of 802.11a because it has the required speeds to make it possible to ferry the signal through the air, Birenbaum said.

MobileInfo.com’s Comments & Advisory:  Wireless LAN market is becoming confusing again. 802.11b created a standard, introduced compatibility and prices tumbled. Customers loved this. Now with PBCC, 802.11a and other initiatives, somebody must ensure backward and forward compatibility. We can not stress that enough. The industry, WECA, IEEE,  IETF and others must get their act together.

Note: This news release may contain forward-looking statements. Readers should take appropriate caution in developing plans utilizing these products, services and technology architectures.  All trademarks used in this summary are the property of their respective owners.