DEC Enhances Wireless Options

In an effort to solidify its position in the wireless local area network (LAN) market, Digital Equipment Corp. has decided to leverage the technical expertise of another wireless leader: Mountain View, California-based Proxim, Inc. Under the terms of a new alliance agreement, Digital has licensed Proxim’s RangeLAN2 technology.

This license will enable Digital to offer sophisticated frequency hopping, spread spectrum technology in the company’s future RoamAbout wireless LAN products. The RangeLAN2 system uses the 2.4 GHz frequency band, which enables users to operate unlicensed wireless LAN equipment throughout North and South America, as well as Europe and Asia.

In addition, the 2.4 GHz band is the one selected by the IEEE 802.11 Committee for wireless LAN interoperability standards. Indeed, selecting this technology as a base enables Digital to act quickly in both the domestic and international wireless markets.

By employing frequency hopping spread spectrum technology, data transmission is highly secure with little opportunity for interference. Likewise, operating in the 2.4 GHz band enables the RangeLAN2 to offer an uncompressed data rate of 1.6 Mbps per channel using 15 available channels.

The RangeLAN2 architecture indeed features enabling users to perform seamless roaming, power management, and security and diagnostic functions. Digital’s RoamAbout Access Point, on the other hand, is an SNMP managed non-radio centric wireless bridge capable of supporting multiple wireless systems.

Digital Equipment Corp.
Linda Pugliano
(508) 486-6617
[email protected]

Proxim, Inc.
Mack Sullivan
(415) 960-1630
[email protected]