Compex NetPassage 16 Internet Gateway Review - PAGE 1

Technical Specification:

The Netpassage 16 Gateway

The first thing I noticed about the gateway device is that it is fairly lightweight. It shares the same size as most Routers/Hub’s in today’s market, but stands vertically with a slot along the top for inserting a wireless 802.11b PCMCIA Card. Because of this configuration, the unit does not use the wireless antennas that you find in most wireless routers on the market. The Netpassage 16 is a standard 4-port router with built-in DHCP server utilities and NAT firewall. The 4 port wireless abilities are optional, as you can use the 56k modem instead of inserting a wireless card, although a significant number of people would think of the 56k modem as a last resort for connecting to Internet. The device has, like most other routers; an easy to use web based management interface for setting up the gateway’s many great features. It supports static and RIPv1/RIPv2 dynamic routing so it’s pretty much ideal for running a large network for colleges, or even universities. Another good built-in feature is the time based access control which allows you to easily manage who gets Internet access on the network. The server has a firmware upgrade feature allowing for new patches and bug fixes for free. With the wireless features on the router you get up to an 11mpbs air transmission rate which is still interoperable with older standards (1-2Mbps). It has a large display of LEDs showing which connection is established and at what network strength (Highlighted by Orange (10mps) and Green (100mps)). The router allows for a Wireless Pseudo VLAN with the wireless connection which defines a single Wireless LAN into multiple virtual LANs. This is what separates the NetPassage16 from the wireless routers on the market today. It makes using Wireless VLAN technology easy to use.