Networld+Interop wireless network product news roundup

- Gary Thayer, Editor

Las Vegas, May 3-4, 2005 -- (MobileVillage) -- At the Networld+Interop show that wraps up tomorrow, dozens of wireless network product companies have introduced new or updated products. A summary of announcements is below.

Alcatel (NYSE: ALA) relesased the Alcatel OmniVista 2770 Quarantine Manager, a network management application that provides network quarantine security for the Alcatel OmniSwitch product line. The software integrates alerts from Alcatel switches and third-party intrusion detection and prevention systems. The Alcatel OmniVista 2770 Quarantine Manager is available for Windows, RedHat Linux, and Sun Solaris platforms, and costs US $14,995 per server.

Aruba Networks is showing two new products: a new outdoor access point that enables enterprises to operate 802.11a and 802.11b/g wireless networks at the same time, and a Web-based software application that lets remote workers access corporate data via a secure Internet connection. See more details here.

Bluesocket announced its BlueSecure product family, which includes new access points that require zero-configuration, and what Bluesocket claims is the industry's first centralized RF sensor. Among the new products is the BlueSecure 400 Branch Office Controller, a mobility controller designed for branch/regional offices with less than 50 concurrent users. The Branch Office Controller offers secure guest access, managed ports for directly connected APs, one protected port for network connection and Web UI and/or central management through the BlueView Management System. The BlueSecure products will ship later this year.

Cisco announced its Wireless Location Appliance 2700 hardware, designed to work with the Cisco Wireless Control System (a rebranded version of Airespace's former switches and thin APs). The 2700 appliance aims to identify within a few meters up to 1500 wireless users - authorized or rogue - on the network, including Wi-Fi tracking tags, wireless PDAs, phones, laptops, and APs. The WCS shows the users' locations on a floor plan. The 2700 will retail for US $15,000 and should be out in June.

CyberGuard (NASDAQ:CGFW) announced an "all-in-one" wireless workgroup security and data access appliance, the CyberGuard SG565, which combines firewall, intrusion prevention and gateway anti-virus capabilities for wired fast Ethernet and Wi-Fi WLAN networks. The SG565 also delivers network attached storage (NAS) via USB drives and networked printing via USB printers. CyberGuard's SG565 appliance will begin shipping in June and retails for US $859 with all features included by default and no arbitrary limits on users or connections.

MiLAN, a subsidiary of Silicon-Valley based Communications Systems (AMEX:JCS), announced the company's ShAir AccessG Pro wireless point-to-point Access Point/Bridge and ShAir Access54 wireless client adapters. The ShAir AccessG Pro comes with built-in WPA and IEEE 802.1x RADIUS Authentication that support 802.1a/b/g protocols. The AccessG Pro also supports MAC address filtering with 64-user Access Control List and VPN pass-through. Users can remotely configure, update, and monitor multiple ShAir Access G Pro AP's simultaneously the included ShAir Wireless Management Utility. As an alternative, the ShAir AccessG Pro can also be remotely managed via Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) v1 and v2.

SpectraLink is demoing its NetLink wireless phones, which support the Wi-Fi Alliance's WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) and WPA2 security specifications, which are based on the IEEE 802.11i standard.

Symbol (NYSE:SBL) announced new and improved products that include the Symbol Wireless Intrusion Protection System (IPS) security system, a network performance and management tool called RF (radio frequency) Management, and the company's next generation WS2000 wireless switch. The revamped WS2000, designed for small businesses and enterprise branch offices includes rogue access point (AP) detection and improves on its support for public Wi-Fi hotspot deployment. All products will be generally available beginning in the third quarter.

Xirrus announced that it will integrate AirMagnet's AirMagnet Enterprise software into the Xirrus WLAN Array, a WLAN switch with up to 16 Integrated Access Points in a single device. When enabled, AirMagnet's Enterprise software will utilize a dedicated Integrated Access Point in the WLAN Array to detect rogue access points and over 130 security threats, according to the companies.

Other Interop 2005 News:

WLAN vendors convene at Interop (Network World)

Interop highlights (Computerworld)

WLAN vendors convene at Interop (Network World)

Fourth gen WiFi hits Interop (Techworld)

AirMagnet updates its WLAN management tools (TechWeb)

Atheros offers open source WLAN security ware for device vendors (TechWeb)

Aruba, Cisco add WiFi products (eWeek)

Cisco sits on the Wi-Fi fence (Techworld)

Extricom offers a novel approach: single channel voice WLAN (Wi-Fi Planet)

Intel shows off WiMax hardware (TechWeb)

LightPointe's new release mixes optical wireless with a radio (Wi-Fi Planet)

Meru Wi-Fi goes to 12 channels (Techworld)

Nortel adds new WLAN gear (CommWeb)

Siemens rebrands Chantry WLAN switch, adds Wi-Fi voice handsets (Wi-Fi Planet)

Trapeze beats Cisco to Cisco Wi-Fi AP integration (TechWeb)

Tropos Networks goes to 802.11g (Wi-Fi Planet)

WildPackets adds WLAN network management appliance (Techworld)

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