General Motors Corp’s Hughes Network Systems Ltd has announced enhancements to its LANswitch routing and bridging Frame Relay switch, including a Token Ring interface and multiprotocol module giving greater wide area network support. In addition to the 4/16Mbps Token Ring interface, the LANswitch now incorporates a CSU/DSU module, and Open Shortest Path First support. DECnet routing and Open Systems Interconnection support are provided, while the multiprotocol module provides SNA, X25 and asynchronous support. The LANswitch, part of the Milton Keynes-based company’s Strategy Intelligent Network Solutions product line, was launched a couple of months ago and it incorporates a Frame Relay switch module enabling it to perform either as a Frame Relay concentrator or switching node, as well as a local area network router module used to attach it to an Ethernet network. Each Frame Relay switch module has eight serial ports, and supports speeds up to T1/E1 simultaneously on each, while managers can configure operational parameters on a port-by-port basis. The local area network router module incorporates four Ethernet ports, and a serial Frame Relay port for mesh links to remote Ethernets. The company claims that this module can operate as a remote router independently of the Frame Relay module, or both can be combined within a chassis for simultaneous routing and switching; TCP/IP and IPX protocols are routed, while other protocols are transparently routed. No pricing information is available as yet.
