ZyXEL Expands Remote Access Product Line With New ISDN Bridge/Routers

HANNOVER, GERMANY, March 13, 1997 - ZyXEL Communications Inc., a leading supplier of innovative, high performance modem and data communications products, expanded its Prestige remote access product line with the new Prestige 100 ISDN router and Prestige 128 ISDN bridge/router. Introduced at CeBIT '97, the Prestige 100 and 128 provide two of the most comprehensive ISDN remote access solutions for small office/home office (SOHO) users, branch office users and telecommuters.

The Prestige series routers integrate bridging and routing capabilities with the Industry's most extensive feature set to provide a cost-effective high-performance networking solution. Providing a complete client-end solution, the new Prestige series enables Internet access for an unlimited number of users on the corporate LAN, wide area networking between LANs, and SOHO and telecommuter remote access to corporate LANs. Prestige 100 router supports IP routing, and Prestige 128 supports both IP and IPX routing, and bridging.

The Prestige series routers starting at US $599, are the most affordable single-product remote access solutions currently available on the market. "No other manufacturer offers the same combination of features at this price," said Chin-Ru Lin, ZyXEL product manager.

The Single User Account (SUA) feature enables multiple users on a corporate LAN to access the Internet simultaneously using a single IP address from an Internet Service Provider. "Today, most companies rely on some level of Internet communication to conduct day-to-day business," said Lin. "The Prestige's SUA is specifically designed to give users the most affordable Internet gateway."

Two analog ports are available in both the Prestige 100 and 128 products for connecting to existing analog devices, allowing users access to fax and telephone communications independent of data being transmitted over the ISDN lines.

Call-control feature allows network managers and system administrators to budget all user connections, saving thousands of dollars in unnecessary connect time. For example, certain users may be allocated a specific amount of time for Internet or corporate LAN access. The Prestige products also enable network managers and system administrators to simplify the management of these remote sites by utilizing such features as firewall filtering for controlled access to and from the network and call-back with password protection to authenticate remote connections.

The Prestige routers provide Multilink protocol for bundling of two 64Kbps channels for up to 128Kbps, enabling remote users such as branch offices and telecommuters to quickly and easily access the resources of a corporate LAN. Bandwidth Allocation Control Protocol (BACP) and Bandwidth-on-Demand (BOD) allow for the dynamic allocation of channels as needed. Stac data compression is also supported. The Prestige products are compatible with popular proprietary networking products from Ascend, Cisco and other ISDN routers.

Integrated Solution Meets the Need for Internet and Remote Access
To keep up with an escalating demand for Internet access and remote access, organizations continue to seek cost-effective solutions that address their communications needs.

The SUA Internet feature provides additional security as well as saving costs. By assuming only one IP address, all Internet communications are routed from PCs on a LAN through the Prestige, which keeps track of outgoing requests. The Prestige then routes responses back to the individual PC.

Remote access needs are also becoming mission-critical to both large and small business. "A growing number of branch offices and telecommuters need access to the corporate LAN," said Lin "The Prestige product line was designed to provide the most cost-effective solution for maximizing the speed of ISDN."

Standard bridging for LAN-to-LAN connections, such as DEC-LAT or NetBIOS, is featured, as well as multiprotocol routing for TCP/IP (Internet access, LAN-to-LAN connection) and IPX (Novell, LAN-to-LAN).

Multiprotocol Compatibility Expands Access, Usability
The Prestige product line is compromised of external, multiple-user devices which connect to a TCP/IP, IPX LAN via Ethernet. It also provides a user-friendly interface to configure and to connect to the LAN. Prestige products support Dial-on-Demand and spoofing for IP/IPX, temporarily closing an ISDN LAN-to-LAN connection whenever user data is not being transferred across the ISDN network. Dial-on-Demand and spoofing automatically reduce the on-line ISDN connection time, reducing ISDN costs. Connection and disconnection are transparent to end-users. Unlike other Prestige routers, Prestige 100 supports only TCP/IP routing.

The Prestige products feature high-performance bridging and routing capabilities which enable optimal communication between branch office LANs and corporate LANs over ISDN lines. LAN-to-LAN connectivity features include transparent bridging via ISDN for wide area networking and multi-protocol routing over IP and IPX. PPP Multilink Protocol and Stac data compression maximize 128Kbps bandwidth efficiency.

Extensive Security Features
Firewall filtering allows the user to specify the type of data packets transmitted to and from the network, limiting the possibility of unauthorized network access. User authentication is also provided with Password Authentication Protocol (PAP) and Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol (CHAP). Additional security features include password protection, Callback and Caller ID.

Network Management Functions
The Prestige product line supports Telnet allowing network management over the Internet. The CDR (Call Detail Records) feature provides efficient tracking of incoming and outgoing calls.

Additionally, a serial port interface provides connection to RS-232 for local management. Prestige 128 also supports SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) for easy network management.

Feature Highlights of Prestige Series Routers

Pricing and Availability
The Prestige 100 ISDN router and Prestige 128 ISDN bridge/router will ship in April, and are available with S/T or U interface including all protocol software at the suggested list prices of US $599 and US $799, respectively. The Prestige 2864I, currently shipping, is also available with S/T or U interface and has a suggested list price of US $1,099.

ZyXEL provides a two-year warranty on parts and service including online support. All ZyXEL products are offered through major distributors, resellers, VARs, retailers and mail-order catalogs.

Company Background
ZyXEL Communications, Corp. (http://www.zyxel.com), located in Taiwan, is a leading supplier of high-speed ISDN terminal adapters, ISDN remote access routers, modems and compatible LAN/WAN data communications products. Since its inception, ZyXEL has built a reputation as the price/performance leader in modems by providing high-quality products at affordable prices.