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Pros
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Cons
|
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CacheLink
Software
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Lacks
a good manual
ISDN
popularity is fading fast
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Conclusions
One thing that was sorely
missed with this unit was the great manual that accompanied the 700s. The
350e came with a simple card that explains how to connect and set the unit
up. While it isn't necessary to pack every unit with a manual as good as the
one that came with the 700s I would have liked to see a more in depth manual
packed with the 350e.
The 350e will not integrate
into your network like a normal hub. When cable or DSL become available there
is no WAN port on the unit, and therefore a new hub will have to be purchased
to use DSL or cable. That goes for a T1 line too. The lack of a WAN port also
means that the unit cannot be moved behind another hub or router at a later
time. You'd have to really like the idea of a long-term arrangement with modems
or ISDN to commit to the 350e. That brings up another issue entirely: fewer
and fewer ISPs are allowing multiple connections to their service using the
same account. With three modems that could mean paying for three accounts
and with three ISDN modems the cost could be very sobering. The final nail
in this coffin is the $849 price tag. That is a very large investment to make
in a hub that, to me, has planned obsolescence built into it. ISDN is losing
customers every day to higher speed connections such as DSL and cable. I think
a business would be better off considering a satellite modem with a more conventional
100 MBps hub. That would be even better if the hub featured a switch. With
the satellite connection the user could switch to T1, cable, or DSL once they
became available in their area, although the bandwidth of satellite is very
good. When you add in the cost of three modems or ISDN connections and any
associated ISP charges then the 350e begins to look quite outdated compared
to the other high speed services available.
The best feature of this
unit was the CacheLink software. On a good network CacheLink can be a great
timesaver and remove the dependency on the internet for all data. During peak
times when the internet is very congested pages that are routinely viewed
within the company can be displayed much faster. That is a big helper in productivity.
Unless the 350e fits the
bill for your company perfectly I can't recommend it. If you do have multiple
dial-out modems or ISDN connections and don't plan on switching in the future,
then perhaps the 350e is just what you need. For just about everyone else
I'd say stick to a router or hub that allows for upgrades to higher speed
connections in the future.
Victor
Oshiro
9 September, 2000
