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| Architosh Staff ([email protected]) |
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Special Expo Report: Part - 3: Internet-LAN Networking
One of the hottest new areas in networking technologies is low-cost Internet routers for business, SOHO, and home networking users. Current offerings from Farallon, Asante and MacSense offer low cost options that are based on hardware, while Vicomsoft and Sustainable Softworks offer software-based Internet-LAN networking products. Both options are valid directions to go but which direction to go depends on what functions you really need and what your LAN consists of in terms of both hardware and software. As a further twist to the equation Apple introduced their wireless networking product, the AirPort, and software equivalent, this last week with the new iBook. Suddenly the option of inexpensive wireless LAN to Internet technology seemed in reach, but is it right for your environment? This technology research at Expo New York was of high interest to us in particular as we are currently researching the best low-cost method to bringing high-speed, broadband Internet access to our small LAN of four Macs, which we plan on growing by at least 50 percent over the next year. Of particular concern to us is measuring the cost of bringing older equipment up-to-snuff with a technology plan which entails the ultimate goal of having all machines equipped with high-speed Internet services, and predominantly have all laptops wireless for flexible work environments. The networked office of the future:
Part of the basis for going wireless in an AEC environment is based on new design paradigms for office environments in the Information Age. Due to pace of innovation, use of the Internet in practice, shifts in markets, etc., office environments are under new pressures for finding optimal configurations to meet the demands for business. Some companies have mobilized toward flexible environmental furniture to allow varies team configurations to be deployed quickly. Having a wireless or partially wireless LAN makes individuals, their skills and knowledge more configurable quickly.
Internet Router Technologies for LAN's Hardware and software products shown at Macworld Expo NY XRouter XRouter by MacSense brings broadband Internet sharing to your LAN via a hardware Ethernet hub and router. The product features a four port Ethernet hub plus one WAN port for connecting to an cable or DSL modem. This product has been in our sights ever since we first learned about it a month or two ago and it was the first item we looked at -- after the Apple iBook, of course. The MacSense website page on the product discusses the features quiet well, but here is a brief description. The XRouter can serve as just another Ethernet hub on your network, and supports both Macintosh, PC and UNIX computers all connected simultaneously. You can connect up to 252 users to the Internet via one ISP account. Presumably, with an additional ISP account or accounts and more XRouters you could go above that number, but you will need an additional XRouter since the device only has one WAN (Ethernet) port. The product protects your LAN via a firewall technology that -- according to the representative/engineer -- is not a true firewall. This software feature is called NAT, or network address translation and is a means of preventing unwanted intruders from entering your LAN. However, what was described to us was that NAT is not fail safe firewall technology and that in essence a door is left wide open to a possible intruder but is "off to the side", sort of speak and would not be breechable by a common hacker. A serious pro, if they wanted to, could theoretically enter your LAN unwanted despite NAT technology. For those with cable modems or plans to go cable with their LAN, security is a big issue. The point to keep in mind is whether someone with the skill to do it would even want to break into your LAN. Who might that be and why would they be there? MacSense also mentioned that the product at the moment is not only not yet shipping but does NOT support QuickTime 4.0 Streaming video. The product is expected to ship to catalog retailers within the next 3-4 weeks but the first units will not support QuickTime 4 Streaming. QuickTime 4 streaming will be supported within the next month and software will be freely available for download from the their website. The product is flash-ROM upgradeable so supporting new versions of streaming software and gaming software will be easy to implement. The engineer we spoke to said that RealVideo and RealAudio are already supported as well as many Internet gaming programs. In contrast to Vicomsoft's literature on their website, the MacSense engineer seemed to believe there was no issue with MediaOne cable modem service's log-in software. Vicomsoft has a solution for dealing with MediaOne's Road Runner service and detailed instructions are available on their website. The MacSense representative seemed not to be aware of this issue and said that XRouter had been tested with @Home, TCI, CableVision, Bell Atlantic and MediaOne cable and DSL services (as well as others). Be advised that the Road Runner service and its login software may be an issue? The XRouter broadband Internet sharing hub comes in iMac bondi blue clear plastics and will sell for approximately $299.00 US.
Internet Gateway and SoftRouter Plus Vicomsoft was featuring their recently upgraded Internet Gateway 6.0 and SoftRouter Plus software solutions for getting your LAN on the Internet. When asked about the support of streaming video like QuickTime 4 and RealVideo, the Vicomsoft representative (who I believe said was the president of the company) said both were supported as of the latest versions. He further said that Apple and Vicomsoft have been working very closely together on their Internet-LAN products, including working closely with the source code -- which is now open-source -- for QuickTime 4 Streaming Server software. Vicomsoft's products do the same things as XRouter -- namely distribute Internet services to all client machines on your LAN. However, because it is a software product it requires a host machine to act as an Internet gateway router. This is the machine which would provide an additional Ethernet port for cable or DSL lines and would be configured to run the Internet Gateway or SoftRouter Plus software. For what it is worth, Farallon's networking literature describes how to get a LAN on the Internet sharing a single ISP account with the use of Vicomsoft's software products. There is probably a good reason for this: Vicomsoft requires you to add an additional Ethernet card to your Macintosh -- something Farallon makes and would be happy to sell to you. XRouter doesn't require you to purchase an additional Ethernet card or tie-up a machine to serve as a gateway/router. As with the XRouter product there are LAN security issues, especially if you use cable modem access. And like XRouter, Vicomsoft's products deal with this issue through the use of NAT technology. Vicomsoft calls the use of NAT a firewall security feature and it is included in both products. One of the differences between Internet Gateway and SoftRouter Plus is that Internet Gateway includes CyberNOT Content Filtering. Parents and educators will go for this product based on this item alone (though there may be other products which can be utilized with XRouter and do the same thing) and it includes weekly updates to its "CyberNOT" content filtering list. The technical descriptions of how this software works goes beyond the scope of this article (and you should read about it directly from their website) but items like firewall security, NAT, DHCP Server, Remote Access Server, Domain Name Caching, Local Dynamic Domain Name Server and Transparent Web-caching are common items to both of these products and XRouter.
IPNetRouter Sustainable Softworks produces a rival product to Vicomsoft's offerings. IPNetRouter allows several computers to utilize one Internet access point, eliminating the need for multiple ISP accounts and modems. IPNetRouter works similarly to Vicomsoft's software, supports multiple platforms, includes NAT with inbound port mapping and IP filtering. The program also connects Macs using LocalTalk via MacIP by encapsulating AppleTalk packets. As for QuickTime and RealVideo streaming, it is uncertain whether this program supports streaming media of any type. And while the representative was unable to answer this, their website does no better. An e-mail message has been forwarded to their tech support to ask about this feature. Of all the benefits IPNetRouter may offer, perhaps the most attractive feature may be its price -- just $89.00 for a single gateway machine with unlimited users. Site licenses for unlimited gateway machines is $3000.00. Other benefits, claims Sustainable Software, include native Open Transport for faster services, a simpler program and configuration and its cheaper! A five user pack of Vicomsoft's Internet Gateway cost at least $220.00 US. In addition, Sustainable Software is a very small company in Massachusetts who seem down-to-earth and friendly and can offer you what most larger companies can't -- which is, tech support from the chief technologist and programmer. A free 21 day trail version of IPNetRouter is available from their website for download.
Expo Report Series:
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