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Bridge LAN to LAN with WiFi and Power over Ethernet from SMC

The EliteConnect Wireless Bridge links LANs across campus, and can serve as access point for individual wireless client -- optional PoE-enabling EliteConnect Power Injector simplifies installation.

SMC Networks (www.smc.com), has announced its newest solution for campus networking: the EliteConnect 2.4GHz 11Mbps Wireless Bridge and the EliteConnect Power Injector.

The Injector is SMC's answer to the D-Link power over ethernet addon: it's a companion product that allows the Wireless Bridge to draw its power from the Category 5 networking cable using the Ethernet data cabling.

Normally, I'd point you at the web site for the press release; but after about ten minutes of futile searching for the press-release section at SMC, I have to admit defeat. The full release reads as follows:

SMC Networks (www.smc.com), leading provider of networking solutions for the Enterprise, the SMB and all the way home, today announced its newest solution for campus networking, the EliteConnect(TM) 2.4GHz 11Mbps Wireless Bridge and the EliteConnect Power Injector, a companion product that allows the Wireless Bridge to draw its power from the Category 5 networking cable using Power Over Ethernet (PoE). A great solution for connecting two or more separated LANs economically, both products will be available in October.

The new EliteConnect 2.4GHz 11Mbps Wireless Bridge brings easy connectivity to difficult-to-wire locations, branch offices, school or corporate campus environments, frequently changing workplaces, temporary LANs, hospitals and warehouses. No more leased lines or "islands" of connectivity -- it makes it possible for multiple buildings to share a single Internet connection. It provides connectivity between two or more wired LANs and, in its Bridge/Access Point and Bridge/Master modes, gets wireless clients online, too. Further, the SMC2582W-B is backward-compatible with the widely used SMC2682W. When SMC2682W Wireless Bridges exist in the same Bridging environment as the SMC2582W-B, administrators can choose between Bridge Master and Bridge Slave modes. 802.3af-compliant Power over Ethernet (PoE) support reduces network installation costs and complexities even further by enabling the bridge to draw its power from the network's Category 5 cable. The SMC2582W-B's detachable antenna provides the option of upgrading to any of SMC's 2.4GHz High Gain Antennas for applications involving extended range.

Flexible management features make the EliteConnect 2.4GHz 11Mbps Wireless Bridge easy to set up and keep up. Web-based tools make configuration and remote management of the network simple. IT professionals also have the option of using TFTP for quick, easy device management. SNMP support allows easy integration of the wireless LAN with the wired infrastructure. System log, event log and syslog provide managers with the ongoing information that keeps the network reliably and efficiently.

Security is top-notch, too. The SMC2582W-B EliteConnect Wireless Bridge has advanced wireless security features, including 64-bit or 128-bit key WEP wireless data encryption, disabled SSID broadcast, wireless client isolation and MAC address filtering to block unauthorised wireless clients. It also provides multiple levels of protocol filtering (Ethernet, IP, TCP/UDP) to ensure network security.

The new EliteConnect 2.4GHz 11Mbps Wireless Bridge and EliteConnect Power Injector are available beginning in October, at list prices of $599.99 and $89.99, respectively.