October 23, 2001
In conjunction with this week's launch of Microsoft Corp.'s Windows XP operating system, Agere Systems (NYSE: AGR.A) today announced the availability of the new ORiNOCO(TM) AP-2000 Access Point 2000 which utilizes Windows XP and 802.1x to provide high security wireless networking.
The AP-2000 also provides a smooth migration path to the next generation of high speed, secure wireless LAN technologies.
Because the AP-2000 offers two card slots, a single AP-2000 access point can simultaneously host both 802.11a and Wi-Fi radios, enabling both networks to operate in the same physical space. IT managers can currently install AP-2000 access points in their enterprise or public area networks and gradually migrate those networks to the new 802.11a technologies without replacing their access points or client devices. Today, they can install AP-2000's and populate them with Wi-Fi radios. As 802.11a radios become available, they can simply pop out one of the Wi-Fi radios and replace it with a new 802.11a radio.
The AP-2000 uses Windows XP and the industry standard 802.1x security protocol to provide user-based authentication and automatic key-distribution to the wireless system. Authentication is certificate based (EAP-TLS) via RADIUS server and provides mutual authentication. To make hacking much more difficult, the AP-2000's re-keying mechanism can refresh the key at set intervals (i.e. every five minutes).
Agere System's implementation of the 802.1x protocol distributes the WEP keys in both directions (one up and one down key). Other 802.1x implementations may not be as secure because they use a fixed WEP key from the access point to the client devices. This can negate the advantage of changing the per-user keys in the opposite direction, from the clients back to the access point.
"Agere Systems ORiNOCO has long been the leader in the overall wireless LAN market as well as the leading supplier of enterprise-grade wireless LAN infrastructure," said Angela Champness, director of worldwide marketing for ORiNOCO products at Agere Systems. "With the release of the AP-2000, we build on our leadership position. The new AP-2000 Enterprise Access Point provides the features that IT managers demand such as full support for the latest wireless networking standards, a wide range of network and system management tools, as well as migration path to the next generations of wireless networks."
"Windows XP, with superior security, reliability and efficiency, offers the best client for corporate users of wireless networking," said Shawn Sanford, group product manager for Windows XP at Microsoft Corp. "It is through the support of companies such as Agere Systems that we are able to deliver a great computing experience to business users."
The AP-2000 also provides additional performance, security and network management improvements such as the new Wireless Distribution System (WDS), which enables a single radio in an AP-2000 to act as a repeater station or wireless bridge. Additional wireless network security capabilities include MAC access control tables and RADIUS access control implementation. Network management upgrades include Web browser management that allows configuration and monitoring of the AP-2000 with a standard Web browser. Other new network management features include full SNMP management, TFTP kernel upload, extended MIBs and traps, and embedded Telnet and CLI.
AP-2000 is available now with a MSRP of $1295.
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