US : Kentrox announced the W1100 Wireless WAN Gateway for accessing wireless data services. The W1100 enables carriers and enterprises to increasingly use cellular technology for a wide range of networking applications.

The W1100 supports the newest 3G services including HSDPA, EVDO, UMTS, EDGE, GSM/GPRS, and CDMA. The wireless WAN interface is provided through a standard PCMCIA card installed in and managed by the W1100. With an Ethernet LAN interface providing standard connectivity to routers and other LAN equipment, existing equipment does not need to be replaced. The W1100 protects the network from outside intrusion with a Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI) firewall which identifies and blocks attacks to the network. A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is included for encryption, enabling secure access across the cellular network.

“Carriers and enterprises want to access the new 3G and 2G data services easily,” explains Lee Whitmore, Kentrox W1100 Product Manager. “With the intuitive Graphical User Interface providing easy setup and management, the W1100 simplifies wireless data networking and ultimately reduces costs.”

With cellular data services becoming less expensive and more accessible, many businesses are interested in using cellular technology as a back-up option for mission critical networking applications. The W1100 supports these applications when the primary network fails and the speeds are better than other options such as a modem or ISDN line.

Wireless carriers need to continually have access to and manage cell sites, ideally remotely. The W1100 improves cell site network performance and reliability using the cellular network for remote access to manage the site. If a cell site goes down, a technician can log in from anywhere to begin diagnostics and reporting, reducing carrier costs.

“The W1100 is a carrier-class product that further enables our dealers to offer their customers reliable access to wireless data services,” says Tom French, President and CEO of Global Wireless Data, a leading national wireless master dealer and provider of managed wireless services. “This is an easy-to-use and cost effective solution for primary data access or wireless back-up to existing wireline services.”

Pricing and Availability

The W1100 is immediately available for purchase. Kentrox also provides services to meet a variety of business needs. These include Kentrox Care support plans, onsite and remote technical support, access to free software upgrades, onsite and telephone installation, and product technical training.