Networking peripheral manufacturer Asante Technologies Inc. is shipping its FR1004 series of Internet routers. The new product line is aimed at home and small business users, and is based on a system-on-a-chip (SOC) design that Asante claims works faster than conventional designs.
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The FR1004 features a 10/100baseT port for Internet connectivity, and four 10/100baseT LAN ports as well. Asante said that the FR1004 line also sports a firewall that incorporates a detailed activity log that shows all network logins, including intrusion attempts. It also features “Secure Packet Inspection,” which filters incoming and outgoing data.
The wireless variant — the FR1004AL model — features dual antennas and also has support for external antennas, if you want to try to extend your range. It also has a parallel port print server built into it. That server will work with Mac OS X 10.2 or higher equipped with Gimp-Print or Ghostscript, according to Asante.
Asante says the unit is easy to set up and administer from Mac OS and Windows platforms alike — it has “simplified settings” for popular applications and games. The router also includes an auto-uplink feature that supports both standard and crossover cables, useful when you have a simple two-node Ethernet network.
The basic FR1004 model costs US$99. The FR1004AL adds 802.11b wireless access point and parallel print server for $129. Asante’s AeroLAN AL1511 Wi-Fi PCMCIA adapter card costs $75.