Networking

Wireless goes the network

The adoption of wireless technologies is expected to affect the structured cabling market

The network plays a crucial role in connecting end users to middleware, services, applications, and servers. The booming network and communications market is propelling the growth of the routing and switching markets in small and medium businesses.

Small businesses are adopting converged networks for reasons of flexibility and cost. Gigabit switches, security-enabled equipment, managed services, wireless products and converged networks are some of the prominent trends in the networking market.

Switches and routers

SMBs are benefiting from greater power and wider functionality of switches and integrated services routers.

Switches continued to maintain the edge they had in speed over routers while gaining features. The trend is to have gigabit switches, both managed and unmanaged. SMBs tend to go in for unmanaged gigabit switches whereas enterprises prefer managed ones.

Switching is also moving to integrated solutions with in-built features such as firewall and intrusion prevention systems. Gigabit Ethernet and Layer Three switches too are expected to fuel switching demand in the coming years. Layer Four switches are widely accepted at the enterprise level but in the case of SMBs, Layer Two and Three have been deployed largely due to cost constraints.

The latest trends in terms of capacity are towards 24 or 48 ports, security appliances such as UTM, 802.1x security protocols, and features that include Multiple Spanning Tree Protocol, Access Control List and PoE.

The primary features to look out for in a router are support for multiple network protocols, networking interfaces, and routing protocols. Access Control Lists (ACL), Radius (Remote authentication dial-in user service) authentication, SPI (Stateful Packet Inspection) firewall, and Virtual Private Network (VPN) are some useful security features to look out for.

The use of a router to protect small offices could gain precedence as many organisations believe that the use of an integrated router will provide better value for money than a traditional software-based firewall.

The market has grown remarkably and this has resulted in vendors embedding other important features such as load-balancing et al in entry-level routers to target SMBs who were earlier unattended due to the high cost of feature-rich routers.

Wired or wireless

Apart from feature-rich routers and converged network the demand for wireless networking equipment and devices has soared because of the anywhere, anytime access these provide. Market players see huge scope on the wireless front in the coming years and feel that routers offering wireless capabilities will be popular, replacing the need for separate wireless access points for small office networks.

SMBs are deploying wireless and IP telephony in a big way, the only difference being that they are looking for easy manageability, a simple graphical interface, and easy support as they have fewer people handling their IT infrastructure. Hence the adoption of wireless technologies is expected to affect the structured cabling market.

While the debate over wired or wireless remains unresolved, the basic factor driving SMB adoption will be low total cost. Cost-effective solutions are available, with most networking vendors and solution providers pushing custom-built products and solutions. Companies are trying to sell low-cost high-utility networking products to the SMBs.

SWITCHES

Allied Telesis AT-8000S/24 This 24-port stackable 10/100TX L2 switch with two active SFP bays (unpopulated) and two standby 10/100/1000T ports (RJ-45) which delivers a total of four Gbps stacking bandwidth. The industry standard CLI and Web interfaces are provided to reduce learning time and to minimise the cost of deployment. Protocols such as SSL, SSH and SNMP v3 are provided for secured management of networks or remote connections. It comes with protocols such as 802.1x and RADIUS based authentication for data security. Apart from that for security purpose it uses Guest VLAN for visitor authentication and TACACS+ is provided for security administration Price: Rs 31,900 plus taxes Contact: Gopal Sapharu Telephone: 9884081978, 022 30682223 E-mail: sapharu_gopal@alliedtelesyn.com Website: alliedtelesyn.com

Asus GigaX 1024P This 1000Base-T RJ-45 Copper Gigabit 24 port switch can obtain 1000 Mbps speed for a network using existing Category 5 cabling. It complies with 802.3: 10BASE-T, 802.3u: 100BASE-TX, 802.3ab: 1000BASE-T, 802.3x: Flow Control, and 802.1p: COS. This switch supports up to 8,000 MAC Addresses and has a non-blocking wire speed. Some of the special features of this switch includes CNM (Centralized Network Management), configure port settings, VLAN configuration, bandwidth control, link aggregation, CoS and QoS Priority Queue, auto negotiation and auto MDI/MDIX, traffic history and comparison. Price: Rs. 7,800 Contact: Altaf Ansari Telephone: 022 40058888 E-mail: media_india@asus.com Website: in.asus.com

SonicWALL TotalSecure 25 Switch ( Pro 1260)  Based on SonicWALL’s PRO 1260 with an integrated 24-port Ethernet switch the device combines deep packet firewall inspection capabilities with three independent security zones: WAN, an optional port and a 24-port LAN. The optional port can either be configured as a DMZ or secondary LAN, providing scalability. It provides multi threat protection in the form of a deep packet inspection firewall of 90 Mbps and IPSec VPN, integrated gateway anti-virus, anti-spyware, intrusion prevention and content filtering and port-level security through its PortShield architecture. It has an integrated 24-port auto-MDIX LAN switch. It delivers 30+ Mbps 3DES and AES VPN throughput. Price: Rs. 140,000 plus taxes Contact: Seema Ayachit Phone: 080 22275308 E-mail: sayachit@sonicwall.com Website: sonicwall.com

ZyXEL VES-1616F-44/VES-1624F-44 This 16- or 24-port, 1.5U VDSL2 switch provides a maximum of 100 Mbps download and 50 Mbps upload bandwidth. Features such as IGMP snooping can be enabled to improve service quality for IP multicasting applications. Its rate limiting feature allows service providers to limit bandwidth on subscriber ports at steps of 64 Kbps. It includes a set of configuration and management tools. It comes with a Web based interface which offers an easy-to-use platform independent management, and configuration options. It also supports SNMP and MIBs, both of which can be managed via standard-based management software. In addition to remote management capabilities, a console port is also available for local management. Price: Rs.69,900 Contact: Sanjay Koul Telephone: 011 30884721 E-mail: Sanjay.koul@zyxel.in  Website: zyxel.in

D-Link DES-1024D This 24-port unmanaged switch comes with features such as auto speed sensing; auto-negotiation (full or half duplex) and auto MDI/MDIX crossover. The DES-1024D features non-blocking wire-speed architecture with a 4.8 Gbps switching capacity, for better data throughput. It also comes with an integrated universal power supply, and per port diagnostics LEDs. Wire-speed filtering and Store-and-Forward switching is provided for better network performance. It supports IEEE 802.3 Ethernet, IEEE 802.3u Fast Ethernet, IEEE 802.3x Flow Control standards. Price: Rs. 5,500 plus taxes Contact: Sanjay Sehgal Telephone: 022 30616666 E-mail: sales@dlink.co.in Website: dlink.co.in

ATEN Cat 5 KVM Switches The KH1508 and KH1516 are offered in 8 and 16 port configuration in a 1U high housing for rack mounting. Both models are compatible with existing PC, Mac, Sun and terminal-based systems. It is combined with auto signal compensation (ASC) which allows signals to travel up to 40 meters and maintain a good video quality (1280 x 1024 pixels).  The two level password security of KH1508/KH1516 allows authorised users (up to four users and the administrator) to view and control the servers. The devices feature front panel LEDs that indicate the position of the units.  Price: Rs. 42,000 onwards Contact: Nitin Naik Telephone: 020 24251594 E-mail: sales@cubixindia.com Website: aten.com

Cisco Catalyst Express 500 Series switches Designed for growing businesses of up to 250 employees, this Layer 2-managed Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet switch comes with non-blocking, wire-speed performance and provides a secure network foundation optimised for data, wireless, and IP communications. Power over Ethernet (PoE) is optional. It supports up to 24 10/100 ports with optional PoE or 12 10/100/1000 ports. It supports up to 32 active VLANs. Price: Rs. 47,700 onwards Contact: Sanjay Kharade Telephone: 022 40434070 E-mail: sanjayk@cisco.com Website: cisco.com

Linksys SRW224G4: This is a 24-port 10/100 plus four Gigabit port switch with WebView Secure, SNMP managed switching for growing businesses. It comes with 4 expandable Gigabit ports and provides secure management via SSH/SSL and secure user control via 802.1x & MAC filtering. It has features such as IGMP snooping, L2/L3 COS, queuing & scheduling. It even comes with intelligent traffic management with rate limiting, policing, shaping, and storm control. Price: Rs. 14,750 plus taxes Contact: Raj P Telephone: 9382821054  E-mail: raj.p@redington.co.in Website: linksys.com

Dax DX-5026MGV This 24-port 10/100BaseTX Layer 2 SNMP-managed stackable switch with uplink ports including two shared 10/100/1000BaseT and two unpopulated mini GBIC (SFP) ports. The DX-5026MGV supports port trunking with up to four trunk groups. It supports eight ports in each group. It is compatible with, spanning tree (802.1d / 802.1s / 802.1w), QoS (802.1p / TCP & UDP port number), VLANs (802.1Q), and network management (SNMP/RMON/BOOTP/Telnet/Web) features. For security, features include ACL, RADIUS (Authentication), port-level security, and identity-based network services with 802.1Xport based access control, TACACS+, SSL and SSH( V1.5/V2.0). Price: Rs. 23,450 Contact: Surendar K Telephone: 044 24323558 E-mail: help@daxnetworks.com Website: daxnetworks.com

Nortel Business Ethernet Switch 110 Series This switch supports 8.8 Gbps on 24 ports and 13.6 Gbps on 48 ports. It has a forwarding rate of 10.2 Mpps on 48 ports and 6.6 Mpps on 24 ports. Two 1000BaseT RJ45 ports exist at the rear. It has a MAC address table size of 8,000 and comes with four hardware queues per port. This Layer 2 switch has features such as 802.3ad link aggregation with six aggregations, four ports per aggregation and spanning tree / rapid spanning tree (802.1D/802.1w). It has MAC-based security and destination address filtering for security. For traffic control, it has packet classification based on 802.1p and DSCP markings, weighted round robin or strict priority queuing for queue servicing, 802.1ab core for network topology discovery and broadcast / multicast packet storm control. It comes with IGMP snooping (v1/v2) and support for business Ethernet management. Price: Rs. 17,000 onwards Contact: Anto Deepak Dhanshekeran Telephone: 9870289468 E-mail: anto@nortel.com, Website: nortel.com

WIRELESS ROUTERS

ZyXEL's 336M 802.11g Wireless MIMO Firewall Router Featuring 108 Mbps Super G Wireless and MIMO Smart Antenna Technology, this wireless router is backwards compatible with any IEEE 802.11b/g Wi-Fi certified device. To protect wireless data transmissions, the P-336M provides Wi-Fi Protected Access and WPA2 featuring AES standard. The P-336M has a Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI) firewall and VPN pass-through creating a secure connection at any remote location. Policies can be defined on the ZyXEL P-336M providing customised filters. Price: Rs. 9,350 Contact: Sanjay Koul Telephone: 011 30884721 E-mail: sanjay.koul@zyxel.in Website: zyxel.com

Asus WL520g  The device can register wireless-capable devices with a press of the EZSetup Button. It can be used to share an Internet connection. Its other features include data transmission, standards compliance with IEEE 802.11g+125 Mbps. It supports Windows XP/98/ME/2000, Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2). Security features include a SPI firewall, NAT, DoS prevention and intrusion detection.  Price: Rs. 3,800 Contact: Altaf Ansari Telephone: 022 40058888 E-mail: media_india@asus.com Website: in.asus.com

Cisco 2800 series Targeted at SMBs and enterprise branch offices, these routers are designed for wire-speed delivery of highly secure concurrent services and can accommodate multiple T1/E1 connections for services including data, security, voice, video and wireless. Approximate base price: Rs. 119,700 Contact: Paramjit Puri Telephone: 080 41593247 E-mail: papuri@cisco.com Website: cisco.com

Dax DX-918ABO-PE  Compliant with IEEE 802.11b / IEEE 802.11g / IEEE 802.11a, the device has a dual band access point supporting Turbo A/G (40 - 60Mbps). It also features Super G (108 Mbps), with simultaneous LAN-LAN Bridging function, one in-built POE Ethernet port, built in 2.4~ 2.5 GHZ 2 dBi dipole antennas and a 5 Ghz dipole antenna. Price: Rs. 29,220 Contact: Surendar K Telephone: 044 24323558 E-mail: help@daxnetworks.com  Website: daxnetworks.com

D-Link DI-524 The wireless router offers up to 54 Mbps with advanced firewall & parental control. It provides quick and easy setup. It complies with IEEE 802.11g Standard, and is 802.11b compatible. Price: Rs. 2,200 Plus taxes Contact: Sanjay Sehgal Telephone: 022 30616666 E-mail: sales@dlink.co.in Website: dlink.co.in

HCL Wireless Outdoor/ Indoor Bridge The HCL Wireless Outdoor/Indoor Bridge provides high transmission power rate up to 108 Mbps with a covering range of up to 30 Km. It can run under both routing and bridge modes. With WPA2, it provides wireless networking security using AES/TKIP encryption. Prices: Rs. 5,000 to 70,000 Contact: Preetham M V Telephone: 044 42006500, 9840161190 E-mail: webhost@hcl.in Website: hclperipherals.in

Nortel Business Access Point 120 Specifically designed for small to medium sized businesses, this independent wireless LAN (WLAN) access point provides secure network access. It is easy to scale as wireless needs expand and evolve. Seamless roaming allows workers to be more productive and accessible. It integrates multiple SSID support, IEEE802.1x/EAP based authentication (WPA/WPA2) and 802.11 a/b/g/ SUPER AG support. Price: Rs. 19,000 onwards Contact: Anto Deepak Dhanshekeran, Telephone: 9870289468 E-mail: anto@nortel.com Website: nortel.com

Linksys WRT54G Wireless-G Broadband Router This all-in-one Internet-sharing router with a four port switch, and wireless-G (802.11g) access point shares a single Internet connection and other resources with wired Ethernet and Wireless-G clients. The wireless data rates can go up to 54 Mbps while remaining interoperable with Wireless-B devices (at 11 Mbps). It also offers advanced security with Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA), wireless MAC address filtering and a SPI firewall. Price: Rs. 3,100 (taxes and octroi duties extra) Contact: Raj P Telephone: 9382821054  E-mail: raj.p@redington.co.in

SonicWallTZ 170 SP Wireless     This high-performance, multi-layer network security platform integrates the features of the TZ 170 Series in a single appliance, including 802.11b/g wireless, automated failover/failback technologies and a deep packet inspection firewall. The TZ 170 SP Wireless ensures constant access to critical data on both the wired and wireless LANs by automatically failing over to either a second WAN connection or an integrated analog modem should the primary connection fail. Dual broadband WAN connections plus a built-in analog modem and secure 802.11b/g wireless make the TZ 170 SP Wireless the first appliance to offer automated broadband-to-broadband-to-analog WAN redundancy for unparalleled uptime on both wired and wireless networks. Price: Rs. 91,760 plus taxes as applicable Contact: Seema Ayachit Telephone: 080 22275308 E-mail: sayachit@sonicwall.com Website: sonicwall.com

ROUTERS

Cisco 1800 series These routers deliver secure Internet and intranet access. All models within the series include built-in security, Cisco Router and Security Device Manager (SDM) for simplified management, up to two 10/100 Mbps built-in routed ports and support for wireless local-area network (LAN) standards 802.11a/b/g. The fixed platform models (1801, 1802, 1803, 1811, 1812) include multiple WAN interface options and up to broadband speeds, eight 10/100 Mbps built-in switch ports with optional Power over Ethernet (PoE), for providing DC power to network devices such as IP phones and up to 50 VPN tunnels. Price: Rs 60,000 Contact: Sanjay Kharade Telephone: 022 40434070 E-mail: sanjayk@cisco.com Website: cisco.com

Dax DX-1821  This modular router with two 10/100 base ports, a Tx1 fixed high-speed synchronous / asynchronous serial interface comes with V.35 Male cable, one WAN Slot for WAN module, one dedicated VoIP slot, one console port, eight MB flash, 64 MB SDRAM and a hardware encryption internal socket. AC power supply is also included. Price: Rs. 45,220 Contact: Surendar K Telephone: 044 24323558 E-mail: help@daxnetworks.com  Website: daxnetworks.com

D-Link DRO 200i With multiple Built-in WAN Interfaces, load balancing and fail-over, static routing, policy based routing and dynamic routing the device is also bundled with comprehensive security features with a SPI Firewall and VPN. It also provides bandwidth-efficient multicasting, guaranteed QoS (Quality of Service) and bandwidth management to support voice and video over IP services. Price: Rs. 27,000 plus taxes Contact: Sanjay Sehgal Telephone: 022 30616666 E-mail: sales@dlink.co.in Website: dlink.co.in

HCL Routers HCL Access/modular & aggregation routers support up to 2-16 WAN module type. Protocols supported are static routing, RIP V1, RIP V2, OSPF, BGP, IGMP. They also support major all network protocols including TCP-IP, ICMP, UDP, FTP, TPTP, SNMP, TELNET, HTTP, DNS, ARP. Price: Rs. 25,000 to 1.5 lakhs Contact: Preetham M V Telephone: 044 42006500, 9840161190 E-mail: webhost@hcl.in Website: hclperipherals.in

Nortel Business Secure Router 222 Designed for SMBs, this converged broadband access router provides a secure connection to the Internet via DSL or cable modem broadband services. The router is simpler than enterprise class routers but more robust than consumer grade ones. It utilises the Nortel Business Element Manager, the same as all other Nortel SMB products and has a smaller processor that does not require a noisy fan. Price: Rs. 18,000 onwards Contact: Anto Deepak Dhanshekeran Telephone: 9870289468 E-mail: anto@nortel.com Website: nortel.com

Asus RX3042H This dual WAN router provides performance, security and redundancy with support for two broadband solutions to increase bandwidth and also provide for redundant connectivity. Intelligent storage support via USB allows users to share information. Its other features include a four port Fast Ethernet switch, one WAN port and one DMZ port, or two WAN ports, WAN load balancing with automatic failover, wire-speed, firewall and USB storage support for file sharing. Price: Rs 7,600 Contact: Altaf Ansari Telephone: 022 40058888 E-mail: media_india@asus.com Website: in.asus.com

SonicWALL TZ 170  This is a total security platform for home, small, remote and branch office deployments. With integrated support for SonicWALL’s Gateway Anti-Virus, Anti-Spyware and Intrusion Prevention Service, the TZ 170 delivers real-time protection against viruses, spyware, worms, Trojans and other malicious threats. The TZ 170 also combines built-in anti-spam protection and support for SonicWALL’s Content Filtering Service. Available in multiple node configurations, the TZ 170 scales to protect your investment as your organization grows, allowing you to add features and functionality when your network needs them. Price: Starts at Rs. 33,108 plus taxes as applicable Contact: Seema Ayachit E-mail: sayachit@sonicwall.com Phone: 080 22275308 Website: sonicwall.com