1. What is happening in wireless home networking? What kinds of products are becoming more and more popular?

Wireless home networking products are getting faster and less expensive. Residential Gateways that link up to 10 computers and allow people to access the Internet, check e-mail, access an intranet, and print to a printer from anywhere are most popular. Internet appliances are becoming increasingly popular.

2. What kinds of new technologies may home wireless users be seeing in the next year or so?

Technologies that operate at the 5 GHz frequency, rather that the 2.4 GHz frequency. Voice over IP.

3. What are the advantages of wireless networks versus wired?

A wireless network affords people tremendous freedom and mobility. People are used to wireless in the home; most homes have a cordless phone so the concept of wireless access is an appealing one. Further, they no longer have to punch holes through walls or furniture to link computers and peripherals. People can move their furniture wherever they want to because they don't have to consider chord lengths and the locations of power outlets and phone jacks. ORiNOCO offers extremely fast wireless connectivity, as fast as traditional ethernet.

4. What are the advantages of using a WiFi based, 802.11b wireless network rather than HomeRF?

Wi-Fi is an interoperability certification. The Wi-Fi certified PC Card you use in your laptop at home can also be used at the office, outside by the pool, even in an airport or hotel via public networks operated by various service providers. You never have to switch that card with another or reconfigure your computer to continue your wireless access into other areas your life takes you. Wi-Fi represents the future of wireless broadband.

5. How can you use your wireless networking card at work, as well as on the road?

SEE ABOVE

6. What other kinds of new home products and gadgets will be using 802.11b?

Sony AIBO dog, mini-PCI equipped laptops, wireless Internet radios, wireless TV, wireless still image displays...

7. How will the new RG enhancements benefit people who use the RG at home?

@Home Support - DHCP: With this DHCP Client Identifier feature, which is for the US only, the client's DHCP IP address is being coupled to the specific name of the customer's client device. The DHCP Server responds to the ISP using this name for verification and validation of the access. This feature is mandatory for AT&T @Home Internet Service via their cable modems.

Significance: AT&T @Home cable network has the ability to provide 60 million people in the USA with Internet Access.

The PPPoE (Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet) feature enables the RG-1000 to be used in combination with an ADSL modem that is being used as a Gateway device.

Redesign Custom configuration: In the new software the Custom configuration has been improved. Now the customer can choose 6 different options for configuration of the RG-1000. These options are:

• Internet access via telephone line (V90)
• Internet Access via ADSL (PPPoE)
• Internet Access via Cable modem
• Internet Access via ISDN/DSL (No PPPoE)
• LAN Architecture (Transparent bridge mode) The RG can be connected to a larger network and is configured as a transparent bridge. No internet stand-alone home network (for a few PCs)

Significance: The new custom configuration improves the ease of installation of the RG-1000 significantly. Every configuration option enables the customer to only configure the necessary items that he needs to connect to the Internet service of his provider.

Other: Automatic addition of the customer's client devices' Mac Address to Mac Address control table during setup. (Japan only) Ability to use a Network Name instead of the RG-ID when configuring the RG-1000

8. Will the next generation of wireless products have a greater range? Higher Speed? What are the limits?

In general for wireless, as speed increases, range decreases.

Newly introduced 5 Ghz (up to 54 Mbps) products will at first carry an early adapter premium and will probably be used for point to point and enterprise applications.

Mr. Scott is the Business Manager responsible for the ORINOCO product line in the Americas Region. Prior to joining Agere Systems, formerly the Microelectronics Group of Lucent Technologies, he was Vice President of Marketing and Sales for WaveACCESS Wireless Communications, a manufacturer of outdoor wireless networking systems acquired by Lucent technologies in January 1999. Prior to WaveACCESS, he was Vice President of Marketing for ARIA Wireless Systems, a New York-based manufacturer of narrowband multipoint data networking systems. From 1984 through 1990 he was with the U.S. Department of State in numerous capacities with a focus on the Asia/Pacific region.

Mr. Scott earned his MBA in 1992 from Harvard University where he was a Goldsmith Fellow and a B.S. in Business from the University of Southern California in 1981.

Mr. Scott is based in Framingham, Massachusetts.