Out in Front

Spread-spectrum LAN bridge features flexibility, dual-band operation

A wireless access point is the bridge between standard wired Ethernet LANs and wireless LANs (see “Choices and confusion spread wider as spread spectrum goes mainstream,” EDN, Oct 10, 1996, pg 79). The 7310-in. (18325-cm) Wavepoint II from Lucent Technologies is part of an IEEE 802.11-compatible system that also includes individual user nodes, plus system-management and diagnostic software. With the Wavepoint II, roaming users connect via its direct-sequence spread-spectrum PCMCIA or ISA wireless modems; a typical single-channel installation supports as many as 30 to 120 users, and you can double or triple that capacity with co-located, adjacent-channel installations.

The system allows you to simultaneously use both the 915-MHz and 2.4-GHz bands through its support of dual PCMCIA slots. The 915-MHz band has slightly greater range and installed base, and the 2.4-GHz band has more bandwidth and higher data rates, broader worldwide regulatory licensing, and most new spread-spectrum design activity. Peak wireless aggregate data rate is 2 Mbps through each slot, although the individual effective data rate is lower. The wired portion supports the full 10-Mbps Ethernet line rate.

The access point also has advanced features, such as remote address programming; spanning tree protocol to eliminate duplicate node addresses and allow wireless backup links; and data-access security. Because the entire system meets the 802.11 standard, it simplifies—but does not guarantee—interoperability with 802.11-compatible LANs from other vendors. The base unit costs $1295, and interface cards cost $695.—by Bill Schweber
Lucent Technologies Inc, Warren, NJ. (800) 288-9283, http://www.wavelan.com.