Amdahl Corp has extended its Network Processor Series of communications products with support for local area network environments in the new NPS/2725-200 Access Processor. The unit is designed to serve as both a local-to-wide area network bridge and a smart media access controller. The NPS/2725-200 interconnects geographically dispersed Ethernet or IEEE 802.3 nets, enabling users to communicate over a wide area through multiple local net channels and serial links, including T1. It distributes outbound traffic across the multiple links, providing maximum bandwidth usage between units and maintaining correct packet order delivery. The serial links operate at rates from 4.8Kbps to 64Kbps with one serial port doing up to 1.544Mbps. Available in the US in the first quarter of next year, it starts at $10,000.
