First Look:

Threshold wants to make home net installation a no-brainer

By Bernard Cole
iApplianceWeb
(03/27/06, 1:54 AM GMT)

Petaluma Ca. – If you are one of those early adopter consumer device enthusiasts who rush out to buy the newest technology gadget or system – such as a home wireless network -  and then leave it in the garage because of installation complexity, Threshold Corp. may be the company to watch.

By combining a number of new technologies into an single networking appliance and then adding patented methods that make for extremely easy setup and operation, the startup believes it has come up with the elusive successful home networking solution.

The result, called Home Server and scheduled to be available in October, provides a long list of interfaces: Ethernet 10/100Base-T (auto-MDX) broadband connection; two USB 2.0 type A and one type B connections; four port 10/100BaseT Ethernet hub; router and firewall; wireless LAN access point, 802.11b/g; and WINS server for enhanced windows networking.

In addition it also has DNS server for network caching DNS services; network attached storage (NAS) server allowing centralized mass storage; a Web server to let the user easily host a website; and an Email server to provide synchronized email for multiple computers and the ability to centralize and monitor e-mail accounts.

But taking advantage of all the services in the compact Home Server box will not require a degree in engineering, just the ability to bring the device you wish to connect to the network close enough to the box for it to recognize what it does and what to do to connect to it.

For example, to add the wireless camera provided with the Home Server, the user only needs to take camera out of the box and, without installing batteries, place it on the proprietary "Blue Spot" on top of the server.

Using a magnetic coupling, it recognizes the device and what type of service it requires, assigns it an address, and adds it to the network. Put batteries in the camera, place it where you want it, go to your desk top computer, point your browser to the servers web interface, click on the camera icon and you have images.

Run the Threshold wireless USB module over the "Blue Spot", install the modules batteries, and plug it into the user’s USB printer and network printer is ready to use. Other modules will include motion detector, door/window sensor, temperature /humidity sensor, and light/appliance control.

The Home Server is powered by an Intel X-Scale processor to provide connectivity for homes and small offices. Standby power consumption of less than 5 watts allows the unit to be always-on.

An extra that is thrown into the deal is the ability to check email subject lines via an LCD touch panel on the box without turning on the home computer.  

The home server Model 1 will be priced at less than $300. The Model 2 will have a larger LCD touch panel, and adds POTS/VoIP and internal PBX/voicemail/fax, while the Model 3 will add a hard-disk drive and a multimedia server.

The Model 1 Home Server is scheduled to go on sale by October of this year.

To learn more go to www.threshold-corporation.com.

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