SMC Barricade 7004AWBR

Introduction:

SMC Networks is a leading provider of high-performance, standards-based networking solutions. The company provides networking hardware for both the home office and small office environments (SOHO) as well as the small and medium business markets. The Barricade Wireless Broadband Router is a great networking solution for home and small business users. The unit is platform independent, combines a 3-port 10/100 Mbps dual-speed switch, a built-in print server, a serial port, wireless access point and firewall security for protection against intruders.

Routers have come a long ways from just a few years ago. The idea that a small, home router would have some features that would even make the big boys jealous seemed laughable. No one's laughing now. Let's take a look at the SMC7004AWBR. It's a heavy duty, feature rich box, at a bargain basement price.

Functions and key features:

• Network Address Translation (NAT) Router
• Firewall (port or address filtering)
• Wireless access point 11 Mbps DSSS WLAN, IEEE 802.11b compatible, with auto fallback.
• Printer Server
• 3-port 10/100 Auto-sensing Ethernet switch
• Support for Port mapping up to 20 differnet services
• VPN support - PPTP server and clients
• DHCP server & client
• Web based configuration
• MAC Address control - allows you to assign different level of access for clients on the LAN
• Virtual servers support
• DMZ Host support
• Support for Packet Triggering

What's in the package:

• SMC Wireless Barricade Router
• Power Adapter
• Quick Installation Guide
• Installation CD with complete user documentation
• CAT-5 Cable

Updated firmware, printer drivers, as well as copies of the manual can be downloaded directly from SMC

The front includes lighted indicators for:

M1 & M2 status
WAN Link/Activity
LAN Link/Activity
Wireless Link
Wireless Activity
Ethernet LAN Link/Activity (1 per port)
Ethernet LAN 10/100 (1 per port)

The Router supports six different addressing schemes for the WAN port:

1. Static: A fixed Adress assigned by your ISP
2. Dynamic: A Changeable address assigned by your ISP
3. Dyanmic / RoadRunner: The same as above but with some special subset rules.
4. PPPoE: Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet: Frequently used by DSL companies.
5. PPTP: Point-to-Point Tunnel Protocol: Used to create a secure connection between two LANs across a WAN link.
6. Dial Up Network: (External Serial Modem not supplied)

The first four options are normal, but the last two are impressive add-ons, and not usually seen in a home router.

Let's deal with each section independently, shall we?