D-Link Does 802.11a

By
iApplianceWeb
(12/10/01, 11:46:40 AM EDT)

D-Link's new D-LinkAir DWL-A series of wireless LAN products is based on the Atheros AR5000 chip set, which adheres to the IEEE 802.11a specification. Included in this series of products are the D-LinkAir Wireless DWL-A520 802.11a PCI adapter and the D-LinkAir DWL-A650 802.11a Wireless PC Card adapter, as well as the D-LinkAir DWL-5000AP 802.11a Wireless Access Point. These 802.11a WLAN products operate in the 5.2 GHz frequency band and work well for businesses with bandwidth-hungry wireless LAN applications.

The D-LinkAir 802.11a Wireless LAN products provide users with high-performance wireless connections. The new D-LinkAir DWL-A series offers high-speed data rates at up to 100 Mbps and operates on the 5.2 GHz frequency band, which is free of conflict with other devices such as 802.11b WLANs, Bluetooth, and HomeRF. In addition, the new line of D-LinkAir 802.11a products supports 8 non-overlapping channels that reduce Co-Channel Interference (CCI) in densely deployed wireless LANs to maximize individual client network throughput.

The new standard features stronger security with support for 128-bit Encryption Key + 24-bit Initialization Vector at full line speed without performance degradation, as well as unique per link keys, dynamic key exchange, and IEEE 802.1x Security. It is also compatible with CableLabs CQoS, Microsoft GQoS, and IEEE 802.1p/q QoS.

The D-LinkAir DWL-A650 and the DWL-A520 are IEEE 802.11a compliant. The DWL-A650 is a PCMCIA Type-II wireless network adapter, while the DWL-A520 is a PCI 2.2 compliant network adapter. Both wireless adapters will operate in the 5.2 GHz Unlicensed National Information Infrastructure (U-NII) for wireless networks in the home or office environment. The DWL-A650 and the DWL-A520 are designed with the ability to operate in 3.3V or 5.0V DC.

The D-Link Wireless network adapters will operate in either Ad-Hoc mode (peer-to-peer networking without access point) or Infrastructure mode (peer-to-peer networking using an access point). In Infrastructure mode, the DWL-A650 or the DWL-A520 can be connected to a broadband residential gateway or an xDSL/cable modem for high-speed wireless Internet access on the existing network. Both D-Link wireless network adapters support IEEE 802.11a data transmit rate values of 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, 54, 72, and 100 Mbps, as well as an automatic transmit rate setting.

The DWL-A650 and the DWL-A520 incorporate integrated dual diversity antennas with 1.5dBi gain and have full mobility and seamless roaming from cell to cell, as well as across access points. The wireless adapters also have two built-in LEDs to indicate power and network link activity. The DWL-A520 and DWL-A650 are compatible with Windows 98SE, Windows ME, Windows 2000, Windows XP, and other popular operating systems.

The D-LinkAir DWL-5000AP is an IEEE 802.11a compliant wireless access point. Once activated with the network, it provides U-NII operation for wireless networks delivering transparent bridging and roaming capabilities for wireless nodes. The D-Link DWL-5000AP provides an access point connection that builds infrastructure for the network or extends the reach of the network communications capability. It enables full mobility and seamless roaming from cell to cell.

As an Ethernet-to-wireless bridge, the DWL-5000AP can be directly connected to a broadband residential gateway or a DSL/cable modem to provide high-speed wireless Internet access. On a dynamic network connection, the DWL-5000AP will automatically obtain an IP address and forward additional IP's to multiple clients on the network. The DWL-5000AP supports IEEE 802.11a data transmit rate values of 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, 54, 72, and 100 Mbps or it can be set on automatic data rate switching.

The D-LinkAir suite of 802.11a wireless products will be available in pre-production in small quantities this month and in high production in Q1 2002 through authorized retail, reseller, and distribution partners at a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price MSRP of $439 for the DWL-5000AP 802.11a Wireless Access Point; MSRP of $219 for the DWL-A520 802.11a Wireless PCI adapter; and $169 for the DWL-A650 802.11a Wireless PC Card adapter.

Link:
D-Link