Router Rundown

An analog router or an ISDN router,essentially two types of modems with attached hubs,can be ideal additions to any small network. These devices not only provide basic networking features, but also make it possible to share a single Internet connection among workstations.

Analog simplicity
Analog routers are fairly new devices to market, but they offer very mature analog modem and networking technologies. The devices solve a common small-business problem: offices where there are only one or two computers with dial-up access to the Internet. With an analog router, a VAR can make access available to all users in a customer office and offer additional features, such as virtual private networking (VPN) and remote access.

In researching this roundup, two analogue routers stood out: the WebRamp 310i by Ramp Networks Inc., Santa Clara, Calif., and the R2121 by Netopia Inc., Alameda, Calif.

The WebRamp 310i offers a rich set of features and good performance with two modem connections approaching 100 KBytes per second (KBps). The four-port hub device comes with two internal 56-Kbit-per-second modems, which can double the bandwidth available when connected to two ISP accounts. The 310i also supports an additional external analog or ISDN modem. Additional features include VPN, remote dial-in and access to remote LANs.

The Netopia R2121 router nearly matched the 310i in performance and features, offering a few well-thought-out extras, including a basic firewall and an eight-port hub. Like the 310i, the R2121 comes with two internal modems.

ISDN: The next level
ISDN is a digital service that carries data or voice transmissions along two B channels. A third D channel is typically used by the telco or ISP to maintain the service. Each B channel connects at 64 KBps, offering bandwidth up to 128 KBps when using two channels.

In addition to faster Internet connectivity, smartly deployed ISDN can help small businesses save on phone costs, since each B channel also can be used for voice or data calls. Most telcos also offer private branch exchange (PBX) support for ISDN, allowing businesses to expand and enhance their data and voice services as they grow.

Another advantage to ISDN is immediacy. Dial-up ISDN offers a nearly instantaneous connection. Launching a Web browser opens the connection, unlike for analog modems which typically take 30 seconds or more to establish a connection with the ISP.

Dedicated ISDN is available from major telcos and a number of ISPs. Prices vary and typically are higher than dial-up ISDN or DSL connections. Both dedicated and dial-up service require Internet access, which averages $40 per month for a dial-up account.

There are, however, a number of "gotchas" that make ISDN a potentially difficult service for VARs to support. ISDN can fail to perform right for many reasons, including local telephone company equipment. For example, a router's firmware configuration must match a telco's line provisioning,how switches are set to provide the service.

Telco mistakes also can be difficult to diagnose or explain to angry customers. One Maryland VAR took a month getting ISDN service up and running at a private school. After trying four different routers and going through several layers of Bell Atlantic technical support, it turned out the telco had given him the wrong Service Profile Identifiers.

A wide range of ISDN routers are available, but five were looked at for this roundup: The WebRamp 410i from Ramp Networks; the OfficeConnect ISDN LAN modem from 3Com Corp., Santa Clara, Calif.; the R3100-UP from Netopia; the 100IH from Zyxel Communications Inc., Placentia, Calif.; and the NetGear RH348 from Bay Networks, Santa Clara, Calif. All of these routers include a four-port hub, except the R3100, which has a 12-port hub.

The Netopia R3100 is a versatile and channel-friendly ISDN router. Standard features include a basic firewall, remote access and packet filtering. Netopia also offers a number of upgrade cards for faster services, such as DSL or T1, that let VARs increase a small businesses' bandwidth without costly equipment replacement. Add-on kits also support AppleTalk networks and analog dial-in.

3Com's ISDN LAN modem offers excellent fault tolerance. It configured easily and offered consistent data and voice performance. But the 3Com router also packs the least amount of features and no upgradability to faster services. As a workhorse, set-it-and-forget-it device, the ISDN LAN modem is a good choice, but it will not grow with a customer's business.

The Ramp Network's WebRamp 410i stands out because of flexible configuration, letting VARs tweak some settings to match a telco's line provisioning.

Zyxel's 100IH and Bay Networks' NetGear RH348 are essentially the same router. Zyxel makes the device, which it also sells to Bay Networks on an OEM basis. Both routers burned up the bandwidth in terms of performance and excelled in offering remote-access connections. They are good choices for businesses adding new offices or requiring remote access.

For more on modems, visit our Web site at www.crn.com/onlineplus.