First Look: ORINOCOT AP-200 – A WI-FI Wireless Lan AccessPoint

Wayne N. Kawamoto
Managing Editor, www.smallbusinesscomputing.com

Agere Systems announced its new ORiNOCO AP-200, a dual 10/100 Ethernet port wireless access point that’s optimized for use in small office environments. With a list price of $199, the AP-200 includes microwave oven interference resistance technology, network management capabilities and security features.

According to the company, the AP-200’s network management features include web browser management that allows configuration of the AP-200 with a standard web browser. For those who need more control over their networks, the AP-200 also includes network management features like SNMP management, TFTP kernel upload, extended MIBs, and embedded Telnet and CLI.

The AP-200 may be configured as a base station for a standalone wireless network or set up as a bridge between a company’s wired network and its wireless workstations. Because each AP-200 has two 10/100BaseT Ethernet ports, several AP-200s may be connected together to create a more extensive wireless network with multiple cells without requiring the use of additional Ethernet hubs.

The AP-200 offers high levels of wireless security by using 128-bit encryption and ORiNOCO’s WEPplus encryption scheme that helps prevents message interception by hackers. The AP-200 uses MAC address access control that protects the wireless networks from access by undesired or unwanted users. Only those users with pre-approved MAC addresses will be able to access the network.