A Core Competence Product Evaluation

The Bottom Line

The WaveRunner’s physical limitations (one Mwave device per system, limited support for COM ports and IRQs) make installation impractical in a system which already has a LAN card or analog modem. Newer WaveRunner cards support additional COM ports; this is a step in the right direction. The exceptionally wide variety of configuration options and protocols above the ISDN level make the WaveRunner an extremely versatile ISA card. In addition to features we’ve already noted, this card supports a diversity of APIs (CAPI, WinISDN, NDIS), multilink PPP, and Microsoft’s data compression to boost throughput. The IBM 7845 Extended NT-1 provides access to ISDN custom calling features (N-way calling, call waiting, redial) that might prove useful for a small business, but requiring an external NT-1 is quite unusual for an ISA card and raises the overall complexity and cost of the product. This richness of features, relative complexity of installation, and total cost ($845 for an ISA card packaged with the Extended NT-1) make the WaveRunner most appropriate for small business, rather than residential, use.

-- Reviewed by Lisa Phifer, May 8, 1997



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