3Com OfficeConnect Dual 56K LAN review

In the last ISDN router group test (see enterprise, issue 74), 3Com's LAN Modem impressed as it offered a host of useful Internet connection-sharing features at a low price. The OfficeConnect Dual 56K LAN Modem continues this tradition and seems an ideal choice for small businesses that want to share an Internet account but don't want the expense of an ISDN installation.

The LAN Modem looks excellent value as it combines a router, a four-port 10BaseT Ethernet hub and a pair of ports for connecting handsets. You can use one modem for Internet access and the other for outgoing calls. It accepts incoming calls so you can provide remote workers with network access, and callback improves security. Support for ML-PPP allows outgoing calls on both modems to be combined into a single 112Kbits/sec channel although, as with dual channel ISDN links, some ISPs may not support this and those that do may charge extra. Using the BACP (bandwidth allocation control protocol), you can request both modems to be used during heavy traffic conditions and configure thresholds to control when the second modem is called into play. 3Com also includes a virtual modem for Windows 95, 98, 2000 and NT systems, so applications such as fax programs that require a dedicated modem can still be used.

Installation is as easy as it gets as the LAN Modem is accessed directly from a Web browser loaded on a PC with DHCP addressing selected. You then enter the ISP details, set up dial-in profiles and create WAN links to other offices. Internet download performance over one line was on a par with the award-winning 3Com Professional Message Modem (see Labs, issue 72, p133). The same five test files were retrieved at an average of 54.2Kbits/sec, while a dual modem link returned speeds of 84Kbits/sec.

Author: Dave Mitchell