Cisco Systems Inc has launched an ISDN Basic Rate Interface router family, the 750 series, which capitalises on its acquisition of Combinet Inc. Don Proctor, product manager, says Cisco took its underlying ISDN technologies from Combinet, but has added its own enhancements, including support for Multilink PPP, Internetworking Operating System signature features, and local network optimisation. The 750 series is being aimed telecommuters and small professional offices requiring IP and IPX routing over ISDN, and Cisco claims that because of this it should be seen as complementary to its existing 1000 series, which is targeted at branch office applications. There are three models, all of which include ConnectPro, Cisco’s Windows-based installation, configuration and administration software, Simple Network Management Protocol manageability, and support for IP and IPX routing as well as the Point-to-Point Protocol and the Routing Information Protocol. At the low end, the 751 incorporates a Network Termination 1 device, while the 752 is differentiated by the addition of an external S/T port for support of additional ISDN devices, to eliminate the need for a separate ISDN line for voice or videoconferencing. Finally, the 753 has both a built-in NT1 and an external analogue telephone interface to enable analogue devices to share a single Basic Rate Interface line. The products are shipping now, with the 751 priced at $1,000, the 752 at $1,200, and the 753 at $1,400. In their basic configuration, the routers support up to four local network devices, but Cisco is also releasing a Remote Office option, said to support an unrestricted number of devices, costing $400 for the 753, and $500 for the other two models.
