Linksys Adds PoE To New APs

The new Wireless-G Access Point with PoE (WAP54GP) and Wireless-G Exterior Access Point with PoE (WAP54GPE) are the first Linksys wireless products to include support for PoE, a feature that is quickly gaining favor with VARs and SMB customers because it allows them to extend the range of wireless network infrastructure and eases deployment. Both access points can be set up with multiple service set identifiers (SSIDs) and VLAN settings, making them useful for smaller companies that need to separate network traffic within a confined area, Linksys said.

Dan King, president of New West Technologies, a Portland, Ore., solution provider, said he&'s been seeing a lot of interest in access points with PoE, specifically related to POS solutions. In these environments, handheld users roam over wide areas such as warehouses and retail floors, which requires a more dense network infrastructure to enable them to hop from region to region, he said.

Access points with PoE cut costs by eliminating the need for electrical outlets in areas designated for wireless deployment, said Kathy Lusby, purchasing manager at Cincinnati-based solution provider PC On Call.

Integrating PoE into access points also provides security benefits, because it allows the devices to be installed in ceilings and tight places where there typically is no power, King said.

Linksys&' new access points, available now, come with built-in Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) and Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) security capabilities, with support for the advanced encryption of WPA2 slated to be available as a firmware download sometime this quarter.

The indoor model is priced at $249, and the outdoor model is $449.