Intel Corp keeps putting itself competition with its customers, and Compaq Computer Corp, which has had plenty of run-ins with the chip-maker in the past, is not likely to be too thrilled to find that it is in competition with Intel on bringing down the cost of networking equipment. Intel’s Hillsboro, Oregon-based Internet & Communications Group is launching the Intel Express 10/100 Stackable Hub, at $100 a port in some configurations, compared, it says, with comparable hubs costing $150 to $175 per port at 100Mbps, 10Mbps at $70 a port. The idea is to enable customers to move gradually to 100Mbps from 10Mbps. It can also be stacked up to eight units high, allowing for denser packing of networking equipment than rivals’ hubs. The company also claims to have the industry’s first single chip Fast Ethernet product, the Intel 82558, to support networking at speeds of 10Mbps or 100Mbps. It is claimed to reduce the cost of building Fast Ethernet networking into personal computers by about 50%. The 82558 will also improve manageability features, such as remote management of the personal computers over a network to simplify maintenance and upgrades. The 82558 is available for manufacturers now, but the price for it was not available.
