Dax LAN Extender (DX-4044FW)

Looking for a low-cost solution to connect your campus area network? DX-4044FW is a pretty good option. This Bridge/Router is based on the SHDSL technology (Single-Paired High Speed Digital Subscriber Loop) with built-in firewall and VLAN capabilities. Being G.SHDSL, the device's WAN link can be connected over a dead copper cable to give LAN-to-LAN connectivity up to 4.9 km at 4 Mbps and 12.8 km at 64 Mbps speed. Its firewall provides security at Basic, Automatic and Advanced levels. Plus, it has four-port switch/hub to connect your office LAN. To set up, place the DX-4044FW and connect it to your LAN through its RJ-45 port. Then place another DX-40044FW to the other site in the same manner. Both the devices will be interconnected over a dead copper wire through its RJ-11 port. Its Web-based interface makes it easily configurable. We tested the device in bridge mode and interconnected both the devices on a two-wire dead copper telephone wire. We configured the devices for the maximum speed of 4 Mbps at 4.9 km on a four-wire copper wire. And since we used a two-wire copper wire, we got a speed of 2 Mbps. The NetIQ Check gave us a throughput of 1.834 Mbps. Streaming test gave 927.440 Kbps with a 6.7 % packet loss and 3 ms response time. The device maintained the same speed as mentioned. 

The Bottom Line: A little costly given its applications compared to a normal DSL router.

Sanjay Majumder