Efficient releases low-priced starter home gateway

Efficient Networks Inc. released on Wednesday a US$149 residential gateway to make it easy for users to share broadband at home.

"Painless, secure, and compatible Internet access" is the goal for the SpeedStream 2601, says Greg Langdon, executive vice president of product strategy. A good Internet gateway should be like a car, he says-you just get in, press the gas, and go.

To that end, Efficient makes the 2601 as simple to use as possible. It works with existing cable modems or digital subscriber line modems, including Efficient's own SpeedStream 5260 DSL modem, he says. You run an Ethernet cable from the existing modem into the gateway, and then use another cable to connect the gateway to your PC.

Sharing the Wealth

While the 2601 can't handle multiple PCs by itself, you can plug an inexpensive Ethernet hub or switch into the second port, Langdon says. Once you install a hub or switch that accommodates more PCs, the 2601 allows you to easily connect those extra computers to your broadband connection, he says.

It does so by using built-in software that takes over the chore of connecting to your broadband service provider through your Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet (PPPoE) connection. The 2601 takes over the PPPoE connection tasks-once a chore reserved for your PC-so that you can share that big pipe among many PCs. To the outside world, such as your service provider, it still appears as a connection to one computer, he says.

In addition to the easy-to-use broadband sharing, the 2601 includes a software firewall that's simple to set up, Langdon says. Most users will leave the default setting alone since it offers solid security, but the more technically inclined can use the Web-based interface to customize the settings, he says.

More to Come

The 2601 is Efficient's first gateway product but not its last, Langdon says. In development are gateways with built-in hubs or switches to make the process even easier, he says. Further down the line the company will also examine the viability of gateway products that use home phone-line networking as well as wireless solutions, he says.

Another possible future product is a gateway that lets you create multiple phone lines in your home using a broadband connection, he says.

Most broadband users get their cable or DSL modem through their service provider, and that's where many people will have the opportunity to buy the 2601, as well, Langdon says. However, since the 2601 works with a wide range of existing products, you'll be able to find it through online stores and eventually retailers too, he says.

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