ACC's Danube Remote Access Router Links Branch Offices For Under $2,000

Price and Performance Make New Plug-and-Play Router Ideal Solution to Bring
Remote Office Environments into the Enterprise

CUPERTINO, Calif., Advanced Computer Communications, Inc., (ACC) today
introduced the Danube, the company's newest LAN/WAN connectivity solution
designed to give Ethernet networks at remote sites direct access to
corporate resources. The Danube features full support for a wide range of
bridging and routing protocols, and includes ACC's exclusive Bandwidth
Optimization technology to maximize WAN data throughput and minimize
recurring connection costs. Best of all, the Danube is priced for less
than $2,000, making it the most attractive remote access router in the
market today.

The easy to install Danube features a single, autosensing Ethernet
connector which allows connectivity to a 10BASE-T network through an RJ-45
connector, or a 10BASE-5 network through an AUI connector. The Danube can
also accommodate a variety of WAN interfaces, including RS-232 (V.24),
V.35, RS-422, X.21, and ISDN BRI, all of which are supported in the first
product release. All WAN connections are made through a series of
quick-change modules that ACC employs in its Nile bridge/router system and
can be readily installed on-site. The interface status is indicated
through LEDs mounted on the WAN card.

"We designed the Danube to incorporate the best of our wide area technology
in the most compact, competitively priced bridge/router on the market,"
said Lionel Geretz, Senior Product Marketing Manager for ACC. "The Danube
is not only inexpensive to install, but features such as Data Compression
and Express Queuing will allow customers to realize extensive savings on
WAN connectivity charges over time. Overall, the Danube's
price-performance is going to be hard to beat for users looking to link
remote sites to their enterprise networks."

Versatility and Routing Power

The Danube's software includes routing support for a full complement of
protocols. Network-level routing is supported by TCP/IP (Transmission
Control Protocol/Internet Protocol), Novell IPX (Internetwork Packet
Exchange), and AppleTalk. Routing protocols supported include OSPF (Open
Shortest Path First), both TCP/IP and NetWare RIP (Routing Information
Protocol), EGP (Exterior Gateway Protocol), and Apple RTMP (Routing Table
Maintenance Protocol). Concurrent 802.1D transparent bridging is also
included.

For wide area connectivity, the Danube's software accommodates a variety of
protocols, WAN link protocols included with the Danube are Frame Relay,
PPP (Point-to-Point Protocol), HDLC/LAPB, CCITT X.25, and DDN X.25. The
Danube is capable of supporting WAN link speeds up to 2.048 Mbps.
Redundant FLASH Memory, which stores the software to support various
protocols and configuration information, can be upgraded across the
network using TFTP (Trivial File Transfer Protocol), or using a dial-up,
out-of-band connection through the console port. The Danube's standard
memory configuration includes 2-Mbytes of RAM, although optional memory is
field upgradable to support up to 8Mbytes. With the expandable memory, the
Danube can handle the address information stored in the routing tables of
the largest enterprise networks.

"Out Internet connection is our lifeline," explains Neil Cutcliffe, Senior
Software Engineer for Tenon Intersystems of Santa Barbara, Calif. Tenon
Intersystems offers UNIX software solutions for the Macintosh and is using
ACC's Danube to support Internet access. "A significant percentage of our
user community is on the Internet, and we need to provide them with access
to an anonymous FTP server, on-line technical support, and other services.
Even in its minimal configuration, ACC's Danube is the ideal solution
since it offers targeted Internet deployment: one Ethernet link to one 56
Kbps WAN link means we don't have to pay for more WAN access than we need.
And as our bandwidth requirements grow, the Danube's modulare design makes
it easy to upgrade.

ACC's Exclusive Bandwidth Optimization Included

Like ACC's other WAN connectivity products, the Danube includes support for
Bandwidth Optimization, a combination of connectivity features that help
to optimize the cost of wide area links. The Danube supports Data
Compression, which can not only reduce WAN connectivity charges but can
obviate the need to migrate to a higher speed link. The Danube's data
compression is based on the Lempel-Ziv algorithm, which supports links up
to 64 Kbps, and which can improve data throughput by an aggregate factor
of 4:1. For example, with data compression, a 64 Kbps data link can
deliver the same throughput as a 256 Kbps link. In fact, the efficiency of
ACC's data compression algorithm was responsible for ACC recently being
awarded a Tester's Choice award by Data Communications Magazine.

The Danube also supports Express Queuing, which was developed by ACC to
create a predictable network response for all WAN link users. Normally,
bridge and router systems have to be manually manipulated to prioritize
connections according to the type of protocol. With Express Queuing, the
Danube automatically senses which sessions have been established and
maintains those sessions, allocating the appropriate amount of bandwidth
until the session is finished. With Express Queuing, Telnet and other
types of interactive sessions will not time-out due to large file
transfers sharing the same link.

Danube's Bandwidth Optimization also features Dial on Demand. With Dial on
Demand, the Danube establishes a switched connection when applications
generate LAN packets that need to cross the WAN. When no packets cross the
WAN for a user-defined period of time, the Danube will take down the
switched connection. Thus, the cost of WAN link is directly related to the
usage of the link.

The Danube also features SNMP support for in-band, or out-of-band
management through the RS-232 console port. ACC's SNMP implementation is
MIB-II compatible, and includes the SNMP SET operation.

Designed for Remote Offices

The smallest unit in ACC's line of remote access bridge/routers, the Danube
measures only 10 1/2 inches by 7 inches and weighs only 3.8 pounds. In
addition to its compact size, what makes the Danube ideal for small
offices or intimate work environments is its silent operation -- the
Danube has no fan.

The Danube was designed specifically for the remote office where physical
space is at a premium. Unlike other solutions that are retrofitted to fit
in larger, rack-mounted chassis, the Danube was engineered from the ground
up with the branch office user in mind.

"We polled our customers and really worked to put ourselves in their
shoes," Geretz added. "So when we designed the Danube, we made sure that
it had a small footprint, was silent so it could function in smaller
offices without being intrusive, and it was fully functional for maximum
versatility at minimal cost."

Value Priced

"The remote office segment has the fastest growing sales volume in the
router market," said Melinda Le Baron, Research Director for the Local
Area Communications Service Group of The Gartner Group. "There are two
categories of remote office routers. The one that is being well accepted
is the one that offers a single price for functionality rather than
offering a starting price for the hardware and additional costs for
software and other options. Users prefer the low-end router products with
a low fixed price as opposed to unbundled pricing."

The Danube is available for immediate shipment with single unit pricing at
$1,995, complete.

"Unlike other router solutions that require you to select from an extensive
list of options, the Danube is a self-contained, plug-and-play
bridge/router with full protocol support, data compression, and our
Bandwidth Optimization suite of software," noted Gary Krall, Vice
President of Marketing for ACC. "For example, where other vendors are
asking customers to start at $2,500 for the chassis, then buy the
software, additional memory, and other options, we offer everything in one
fully functional device for less than $2,000."

About ACC

ACC offers a variety of internetworking designed for a wide range of
price/performance requirements. Products include Ring Access, for
organizations that want to migrate their SNA traffic onto their Token Ring
backbone; the ACCess/4500 Enterprise Hub, a fault-tolerant,
high-performance bridge/router hub; the ACS4200, a high-performance
multiprotocol bridge/router; the Amazon, a high-performance bridge/router
with an innovative modular architecture that supports both wide and local
area network connections; the Tahoe combination multiprotocol local bridge
and router; and the Nile, a remote, multiprotocol Ethernet and Token Ring
bridge/router.

Advanced Computer Communications develops and markets products that offer
corporate and institutional network managers the ability to interconnect
and manage local- and wide-area networks and gain mainframe connectivity.
ACC is committed to supporting popular industry standard protocols and
providing products that are designed to adapt to changing customer
requirements at the lowest incremental cost. ACC's bridge/routers and SNA
protocol converters are sold through 90 leading international VARs and
OEMs serving corporate customers, educational institutions, governments,
and PTT's in 27 countries around the world.

Advanced Computer Communications is headquartered at 10261 Bubb Road,
Cupertino, CA 95014; telephone (408) 864-0600;  FAX: (408) 446-5234

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