Top Global USA's product line currently consists of three offerings that provide bridging capabilities from LAN/WLAN envirnments to the WAN/Internet. Though each of the devices bears a separate name (3G Phoebus, EVDO Router, and MobileBridge) the primary capability is the same: They allow both wired and wireless (802.11b/g) clients to connect to them, while they in turn provide Wireless WAN connectivity specifically through existing cellular networks. This similarity is also expressed in the products' model numbers; MB6000, MB7000, and MB8000, respectively.

Each of the devices includes both 10/100 ports and 802.11b/g connectivity features allowing them to be accessed by local clients either through a wired or wireless LAN. Other features common to all the devices include a built-in DHCP server, MAC-based access support, DMZ support, IP port forwarding, VPN pass-through (for IPSec and PPTP), WPA, and 64-bit WEP/128-bit RC4 encryption. Cellular network access is facilitated via a PCMCIA slot (with support for several 3rd party connection cards) in the MB6000 and MB8000, and via an embedded Sierra Wireless MC5720 Module in the EVDO Router (MB7000). Management of the appliances is via Web GUI or SNMP v1/2; the MB7000 and MB8000 additionally support command line (telnet server) management.

For capacity, the vendor recommends less than 20 users for accessing the MB8000 and MB7000; and less than 10 users for the MB6000 (predicated primarily by the available bandwidth of the cellular link).

Individual entries in the current Top Global USA product line include:

- MB6000 (also 3G Phoebus), a pyramid shaped device that is targeted primarily to home, SOHO, and portable implementations. The MB6000 supports multiple cellular vendors and interface cards via a PCMCIA slot that accepts Sierra, Novatel, and Kyocera offerings, among others. Supported networks include HSDPA, EVDO, CDMA 1x, UMTS, and EDGE.

- MB7000 (also EVDO Router), which includes a built-in Sierra Wireless MC5720 Module for CDMA 1x EVDO/RTT access. The MB7000 includes 5 10/100 ports for local wired access and 2 USB slots.

- MB8000 (also MobileBridge), which accepts a PCMCIA card supporting the same vendors and models as the MB6000. Additional features of the MB8000 include an access control table and support for RADIUS authentication, 802.1x and TKIP support, WPA-PSK, and the ability to function as a VPN end point.

A special version of the MB8000 is also now offered as part of a bundled package from Lucent technology that focuses on using the bridge as a business continuity product. Dubbed the "Business Continuity Wireless Gateway," the package deploys the MobileBridge in a hot-standby mode, such that if the network's primary WAN connection goes down the device will automatically connect to the cellular network, providing backup WAN access. Auto-reconnect is supported while the device is in operation; and when the primary WAN connection is restored the device disconnects the cellular network and returns to standby mode.

The MB8000 and MB6000 are available now; the vendor is discussing potential OEM implementations for the MB7000.

Contact Top Global USA for further information.

product submission by EITPlanet Staff

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