Intel Shows off Wireless Networking Gear

A few days ago, Intel let us know about a handful of products for wireless local area networking. The new products are all based on the 802.11a wireless specification. Intel says the difference between the 802.11a and 802.11b specification is speed. 802.11a products transmit and receive data at speeds up to 54 Mbps and 802.11b hardware operates at up to 11 Mbps. Also, because 802.11a products operate in the 5.2 GHz radio frequency band, interference is eliminated with wireless technologies operating in the 2.4 GHz radio frequency band, such as Bluetooth products, HomeRF products, 802.11b products, some cordless phones, and microwave ovens. If you remember, Intel was talking a lot about these types of products back in July at IDF, where the company announced its AnyPoint Wireless II Network family of products. This week, Intel was talking about the Intel PRO/Wireless 5000 LAN family of products, which include a network access point (base station) and adapters for notebook and desktop PCs. The Intel PRO/Wireless 5000 LAN 802.11a access points are able to support up to eight channels, allowing eight access points in the same area to combine bandwidth and provide a shared 432 Mbps of bandwidth. If you already have an 802.11b wireless network or think you'll be maintaining a network supporting both wireless specs, Intel also will offer an optional, dual-mode expansion kit that services both 802.11a and 802.11b networks. The new family will ship with Installation Wizard software and includes the Intel PRO/Wireless 5000 LAN Access Point, the LAN CardBus adapters for notebook PCs, LAN PCI adapters for desktop PCs, and the LAN 3A Mini PCI adapter for embedded needs.

Intel has also extended its Intel PROSet software, which ships with Intel's wired Ethernet connections, to support the Intel PRO/Wireless LAN products. The Intel PROSet software is a utility that lets you configure and manage combinations of wired and wireless Ethernet connections. The software includes the Intel PRO/Wireless Adapter Switching software and profile, power, and network management tools to help IT folks with network deployment. The Adapter Switching software lets mobile users switch between wired and wireless network connections without reconfiguring their PC. The software automatically reconfigures the system to accommodate the connection type and will also automatically detect and adjust the connection, without requiring a reboot when you're roaming between wireless networks on different subnets. The new software provides switching and roaming capabilities for PCs running Microsoft Windows ME, Windows 98, Windows 98SE, and Windows 2000. In addition, Intel announced a line of wireless LAN products based on the IEEE 802.11b specification. Intel says these gadgets improve performance of existing Intel PRO/Wireless 2011 LAN PC card and the Intel PRO/Wireless 2011 LAN Access Point. The company also expanded the line to include USB and PCI versions.

Intel's 802.11a-based products will begin shipping in volume in November. Prices for the Intel PRO/Wireless 5000 LAN CardBus Adapter, LAN Access Point, and LAN PCI Adapter are $179, $449, and $229 respectively. Intel's enhanced 802.11b-based wireless LAN products are shipping now. Prices for the 2011B LAN PC Card, the 2011B LAN Access Point, the 2011B LAN USB device, and the 2011B LAN PCI Adapter are $149, $699, $169, and $199 respectively. Whew, that's a lot of Intel stuff.