Actiontec's 802.11b Access Point Extends Networks

By
iApplianceWeb
(12/13/01, 10:05:34 AM EDT)

Wireless networks can be extended with the 802.11b Access Point from Actiontec Electronics. The Actiontec 802.11b Access Point will work with any notebook or desktop computer equipped with an Ethernet port, and it has an effective range of 300 feet indoors.

This access point also doesn't discriminate against computers using the Linux operating system. The Actiontec 802.11b Access Point has an open architecture, which means Linux users can customize it for their networks by loading their own proprietary software on top of Actiontec's software.

The Actiontec 802.11b Access Point utilizes Intersil's PRISM chip set. This chip set integrates the digital portion -- the baseband processor (BBP) and the medium access controller (MAC) -- for the full IEEE 802.11b wireless LAN standard onto a single integrated circuit.

In accordance with the IEEE802.11b specification, the 802.11b Access Point uses 2.4 GHz Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) technology and adaptively adjusts its data rate from 11 Mbps to 5.5/2.0/1.0 Mbps to guarantee the most reliable operation regardless of signal strength.

The Actiontec 802.11b Access Point is compatible with any computer or network running Microsoft Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 98SE, NT 4.0, Windows ME, Windows 2000, Windows XP, or Linux, and supports ad-hoc networking with other wireless devices and other 802.11b compliant access points. It is also approved for use in 25 countries. It will carry an MSRP of $149.99.

Link:
Actiontec