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Product:
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Nexland Internet Sharing Box SOHO |
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Price:
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$240 (CAN) / $159 (U.S)
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Supplied By:
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Nexland
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Author:
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Hi-TEK
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Date:
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July 6th, 2002
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Rating:
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MODTHEBOX would like to thank Mike from Nexland
for sending the ISB SOHO for review.
Introduction:
During the early nineties when the Internet was in its infancy, the concept of wide spread broadband based Internet
connections were unheard of in the consumer market. Access speeds were limited to the use of a standard analog
connection over the telephone line using what was termed as a dial-up connection. Fast forward to the year 2002 and
broadband base Internet services are very wide spread with multiple options ranging from Cable, DSL, Wireless, and
Satellite. With so many choices, consumers are faced with setting up a LAN connection in order to provide shared
Internet access for multiple computers in the home or office. Linksys, Neatgear and D-Link are all recognized
companies who have flooded the market with various Internet sharing router devices. Last month, MTB introduced
our readers to a new company by the name of Nexland and reviewed the Pro-100 ISB. Today in the MTB Labs, we will
be evaluating ISB SOHO, a device designed to allow multiple computers to share one single Internet connection.
Specifications:
The ISB SOHO or Internet Sharing BOX - Small Office Home Office, is a scaled down version of the
Pro-100 ISB which was previous featured in the MTB
Labs. The product is designed specifically as a consumer oriented Internet Sharing Device and is
capable of supporting up to 253 computers. The main advantage of this device is that it is priced
lower than the Pro-100 but shares the same options including a hardware firewall, DHCP server and built-in
auto sensing 4 port 10/100 BaseT Hub. Here are some specifications taken from Nexland’s website:
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Nexland ISB SOHO - Key Specifications:
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| Internet Sharing Box SOHO : Manufactured by Nexland Inc |
| Network Ports: 4x10/100BASE-TX (LAN), 1x10BASE-T (WAN) |
| High Speed 4-Port 10/100 Switch with Duplex (200Mb) |
| NAPT Firewall |
| Supports up to 253 Computers |
| Single Session IPsec Pass-Through and PPPoE support |
| Over 8MB Bi-Directional Throughput |
| Excellent Internet application compatibility and solid reliability of Nexland Technology |
| Weight: 3 lbs |
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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The Nexland ISB SOHO ships in standard retail packaging with high glossy photos on the front and back. The back of
the packing highlights several key features of the unit and includes information on connection options. Consumers
will be happy to know that this device can be used on a wide variety of software platforms. The main selling point
of this unit is that the administration console is web based, which means no additional software is required to get
the unit up and running.
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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Everything comes shipped compactly and securely within the box. The ISB SOHO itself is protected by bubble wrap,
while other components are snugly fit into cardboard sections. Included with the kit is the ISB SOHO, a power
supply, user manual and quick start guide, a CD with an online manual and some utilities, and a 6.5’ CAT5 Ethernet
cable. The very first thing that you will notice about the ISB SOHO once removed from the packaging, is that it
constructed of an all acrylic see through shell. I like the fact that Nexland is able to balance aesthetics with
functionality for this particular model.
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