Do-It-All Broadband and DSL Devices

I call these devices Broadband LAN Centers, or BLCs, as a way of flagging their most important features. For system builders, BLCs represent a new and exciting business opportunity.

Many ISPs refuse to provide technical support for customers who choose to install BLCs on their own. For system builders, this can represent an ongoing business: You can offer service and maintenance after the initial sale, installation, and set-up.

Most BLCs cost less than $200. All provide a connection between incoming broadband Internet from a service provider on the one hand, and the customer's own LAN on the other.

An Embarrassment of BLC Riches

Aside from this key capability, there's a lot more you can -- and should -- expect a BLC to deliver. Before I list some of the best-known (and best-valued) broadband LAN centers, it's important to understand what kinds of features and functions you're likely to find among them. That way, you can help your clients select the BLC that best meets their needs and budgets.

Although not every BLC offers all the features and functions listed here, most include a more or less standard set of core features and capabilities, as follows:

• Cable/DSL modem: This permits the device to connect a customer LAN to the Internet and defines the most essential capability that a BLC delivers. Some devices offer dual capability, so that a single device can handle either DSL or cable connections. Other devices target just one type of connection exclusively. Obviously, it's important to pick a device that can connect to the type of service your client intends to use.
• Router: Many BLCs can handle multiple LAN segments and route traffic among them, as well as handle traffic that's inbound or outbound through the broadband link. As customer networks grow larger, or the number of nodes climbs, this functionality becomes increasingly important. While most BLC routers offer only relatively simple capability,typically RIPv2 with occasional support for OSPF,that's adequate for most SOHO networks.
• Switch or hub: BLCs get the designation "LAN center," in part, because most include four or more ports for other networked devices, where all ports some form of Ethernet -- typically 10/100 for wired connections, and 802.11b and/or 802.11g for wireless. Some BLCs support these multiple connections by acting as hubs (where normal Ethernet contention management applies); others function as switches, where pairs of devices can use the full bandwidth available because contention can't occur. Some BLCs also include a USB port that allows a direct PC or device connection without requiring a networking interface on the PC or device side of that single link.
• Firewall: Most BLCs include a reasonably sophisticated firewall, including various levels of port-filtering and port-screening, as well as proxy services. Some even offer various types of content- or URL-filtering capabilities. All appear to offer adequate security for SOHO users. Most come pre-configured with reasonable defaults that require relatively little tweaking or adjustment. Most also include automatic update services to keep security software current with the latest threats and vulnerabilities.
• Network Address Translation (NAT): NAT lets the BLC mask internal IP addresses from external observation by replacing the sender's "real" IP address with the address assigned to the BLC itself. This helps maintain security in general, and is a must for networks that use private IP addresses based on RFC 1918 reserved address ranges in Classes A through C. That's because only public IP addresses may appear in the sender or receiver address fields on the public Internet. (Some vendors refer to this masking technique as "Port Address Translation" or PAT. NAT and PAT are generally regarded as two names for the same kind of thing.)
• DHCP server: Whether client networks use private or public IP addresses, DHCP (dynamic host configuration protocol) makes address management on LANs much easier. It also adds extra convenience to what BLCs routinely offer to their buyers. Beyond simple configuration of address ranges and reservations to enforce, there's little else involved in working with DHCP server implementations in most BLCs.

In addition, some BLCs add other features and functions to the core presented in the preceding list. But for these items, you won't find the same consistency of coverage or capability in the field in BLCs. That's why I classify them as value-adds, rather than core elements. These features include:

• VPN Support: Many BLCs include some kind of support for VPN connections, most often based on IPSec. VPN capability lets users -- both local and remote -- establish secure connections to a LAN, either their company's or one where the proper authorization and access is extended. VPN capability is also a great way to help secure normal IP communications, most notably SMTP-based e-mail, FTP, and telnet. These are otherwise wide-open to snooping while in transit from sender to receiver.
• Wireless access: Some BLCs include wireless access points, so that anywhere from 4 to 16 other wireless devices can simultaneously access each other and the Internet. This is a terrific value-add for customers who want to either add wireless links to existing networks, or upgrade their networks from wired to wireless.
• Managed security: Some BLCs offer options for managed security services, so that you and your customers can turn security configuration, maintenance, and upkeep over to a responsible third party -- usually a managed security services provider working in tandem with the provider that built the security software and capabilities for the device. This involves a service contract and may not appeal to all customers. But it can be a great value-add by permitting multiple SOHOs to operate without requiring regular on-site visits or access.
• VoIP support: Some BLCs are built into VoIP (voice over IP) handsets and deliver all their other functions essentially inside a telephone; others include built-in VoIP support, along with jacks into which conventional handsets or IP telephones may be connected. This can be a great value for SOHO clients who want to switch from conventional to IP phone service at the same time they're installing a new network, or who are upgrading an old network.
• Other IP services: These may include occasional support for a Web server or a DNS server, support for an (lpr-based) print server, and more. But this is a case where "nice to have" may not justify the price differential. Tread carefully.

Thinking Cable Connections? Think DOCSIS

On the DSL side of broadband, there's not much reason for concern about standards compliance and interoperability between service-provider capabilities and customer-premises equipment. When connecting to cable, however, there's an important feature to look for in any connection equipment you might consider.

DOCSIS stands for Data Over Cable Service Interface Specifications, and it was ratified by the International Telecommunications Union in 1988. Although DOCSIS has been replaced by a newer standard called CableLabs Certified Cable Modems, vendors still identify their compliance in terms of DOCSIS.

Though it's not necessary to understand all the details involved in DOCSIS, your customers' best hope of successful connection to the Internet through a cable modem comes from devices that are DOCSIS-compliant. Since all the devices we encountered carried this designation, there may not be much cause for concern. But should you find yourself evaluating other devices for cable access -- and there are many -- this is one checklist item that's an absolute must-have.

BLC Options

No list of BLC options can be complete, but I've picked those items that appeared most often in positive hardware reviews and various "best of" lists compiled by broadband aficionados. The table below tells the story of what I found, but it's important to understand that the total number of such devices currently available numbers well over 100. That number doubles if you also include used equipment no longer available on the new equipment market. if your customers are extremely budget-sensitive, you can find great deals for such devices on eBay and other online outlets.

The table below includes individual entries for all of the core features and functions mentioned in the preceding list of same, but uses the "other" designation to list other value-added features and functions any covered device might offer. Price information is identified either as an MSRP or with a range of values obtained from an online shopping service (such as pricegrab.com). Because so many BLCs offer both Ethernet and USB connections to a PC, I also indicate connection types ("Ctype") as E for Ethernet, U for USB, and EU when both types are supported. Note: When the USB connection is used, the attached PC needs no network interface card.

Top BLCs, Core Features, and Functions:

Choosing the Right BLC for Your Customers

When helping your clients pick the device(s) that best suits their needs, give judicious attention to the most important features and functions. That, along with budgetary considerations, should help you limit the field of options from which to make a final choice.

You can also usually ask your local cable or DSL provider which devices they offer to customers who sign up for home- or office-networking support. Such customers, in the vast majority of cases, lease BLCs instead of conventional cable or DSL modems. Should you still find yourself in a quandary at the end of this process, pick one and buy it from a vendor with a money-back guarantee and a 30-day return window. Then, if your top choice turns out not to deserve top honors, you can return it and try again.

Sidebar: Selected BLC-related References and Resources

• Whatis.com is the source for our discussion of DOCSIS. It's also a great all-around reference for technical terms and concepts.
• Cable Modem Info offers a terrific collection of hardware ratings and reviews, as well as FAQs and online discussion groups. Their online survival guides also include useful information.
• The Cable Modem Resource Site is a wonderful clearinghouse for all kinds of information about broadband access. It includes pointers to the best online information outlets, book listings, hardware offerings, service providers, and more. Despite the site's name, it covers both DSL and cable modems, though with a decided emphasis on the cable side.
• Large retail outlets like Fry's, Circuit City, and Best Buy all offer good online-shopping outlets. This translates into catalogs of BLCs you can easily eyeball at a location in your vicinity.
• SpeedGuide.net is a great source of information about all kinds of broadband topics, including the many kinds of devices that we call BLCs. It also provides more or less equal coverage of cable and DSL options.

Ed Tittel is a writer and trainer in Austin, TX, who specializes in Windows and security topics. He's the author of a forthcoming book, The PC Magazine Guide to Fighting Spyware, Adware, and Malware.

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