A Core Competence Product Evaluation
Out of the Box: Hardware, Software, Documentation and Accessories
The ADC/Kentrox PaceSetter SOHO packs a lot of functionality into a
relatively small package (6" x 7" x 2"). The back of the unit offers
8 ports and one power input, fed by an external power supply "brick".
The SOHO's integrated NT-1 (network termination) provides a single RJ-45
port for connection to an ISDN subscriber line U interface (model
with S interface also available). Two RJ-11 POTS
(Plain Old Telephone Service) ports allow connection of analog devices
(telephone, fax, or modem). An integrated 4-port Ethernet hublet offers
10Base-T (UTP, RJ-45) connectivity for up to four hosts or a combination
of hosts and uplink from an external hub. The final RJ-45 port provides
a serial control port interface, used for
initial configuration of the SOHO using a PC terminal program.
The front of the SOHO provides LED status display for each port
(POTS, ISDN 2B+D, control port, Ethernet hub transmit/receive) and
an overall system status LED.
The SOHO arrives with all the necessary cabling for ISDN, the control
port (with DB-9 adapter), a single analog device, and a single 10Base-T
straight-thru Ethernet cable. To connect the SOHO with an external hub, you may
also need an Ethernet cross-over cable (not included). An excellent
QuickStart pamphlet provides instructions for determining network
topology, installation, and initial configuration. The PaceSetter SOHO
User's Guide offers additional detail, including easy-to-read
overviews of IP routing, IPX routing, and bridging.
The SOHO arrives with an installed software image, but new releases can
be obtained from ADC/Kentrox’s
web site. We tested the new features found in the latest SOHO release 6.4
by downloading this software from the web. The SOHO upgrade process is
fairly straight-forward, but does require a TFTP client on the PC or workstation
used to perform the upgrade. Since a TFTP client is not standard issue for
Microsoft Windows, ADC recommends a shareware utility,
the Walusoft TFTP Suite Pro, also available for download from ADC's web site.
What else do you need to install the ADC/Kentrox SOHO? You’ll need to
purchase an ISDN Basic Rate Interface (BRI) from your local telephone company
or other ISDN local access provider, and either have the inside ISDN wiring
installed or do it yourself. And you’ll need someplace to call – the phone number
of an ISDN access server and an appropriately configured dial-in account.
If you plan to use the ISDN to surf the web, you’ll need to purchase a
single-host ISDN dial-in account from an
Internet Service Provider.
If you plan to use the SOHO for remote access to an enterprise network,
you’ll need to chat with your friendly system administrator to obtain server
information. The SOHO QuickStart pamphlet provides a worksheet to be used for
gathering all the information you'll need before running through the initial
configuration process.
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