3Com Drives Remote Office WAN to Next-Generation Intranets and Virtual Private Networks.

MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 10, 1997--

New OfficeConnect NETBuilder 13x Routers Add Functionality

and Flexibility to Remote Office Solutions

Global networking leader 3Com Corp. (NASDAQ:COMS) today announced the OfficeConnect NETBuilder 13x series of routers with full routing and security features designed to help enterprises extend cutting-edge Intranets to the remote sites and develop Virtual Private Networks (VPNs).

The newest routing solutions are part of the OfficeConnect NETBuilder line of routers, aimed to deliver enterprise-level WAN flexibility and robustness in a price and form-factor suitable for small remote office environment.

The announcement of the newest members of the OfficeConnect NETBuilder family follows on the heels of 3Com's December 8 announcement of another new router platform, the SuperStack II NETBuilder SI router, which has also been optimized for deployment in public and private data networks.

"The OfficeConnect NETBuilder family of routers has been designed for users whose corporate networks are evolving into next-generation Intranets and Virtual Private Networks," said Chandy Nilakantan, 3Com vice president and general manager. "By including additional connectivity options and a robust software architecture in the OfficeConnect NETBuilder family, users now have more choices available when building cutting-edge networks -- regardless of the WAN technologies available."

New OfficeConnect NETBuilder Solutions Extends Options

The latest addition to the OfficeConnect NETBuilder family, the 13x series, provides one Ethernet interface and two FlexWAN serial ports for customers who require connectivity for multiple external devices such as CSU/DSUs and serial controllers or environments where ISDN is not an optimal WAN solution.

Existing OfficeConnect NETBuilder routers include one Ethernet LAN port, one FlexWAN serial port and either one ISDN BRI port (both U and S/T versions) or one DDS port with integrated CSU/DSU (56/64kbps). The new OfficeConnect NETBuilder 13x family will be available in three variants, the 131 (with Boundary Routing architecture), 132 (IP/IPX router), and the 137 (Full protocol router).

The complete protocol suite which is offered on the OfficeConnect NETBuilder 137 router includes support for IP, IPX, AppleTalk and IBM/Legacy protocols. 3Com's exclusive Boundary Routing architecture lowers deployment and management costs by providing a plug-and-play routing solution at the remote site. 3Com also announced plans to further expand the WAN choices and expand investment protection in the OfficeConnect NETBuilder family with delivery of a FT1/T1 variant.

The FT1/T1 option will be available as an installed option or an upgrade module that will allow users to upgrade all domestically available OfficeConnect NETBuilder routers to T1 speeds. This new high speed option will allow users to migrate higher speed links as network bandwidth demands increase.

Enterprise Software Robustness Delivered to Remote Office Environments

Like all OfficeConnect NETBuilder routers, the new 13x family is offered in a "clippable" desk-top form factor ideal for small, remote office environments where space is limited.

At the same time, it offers users the same advanced software features found in all 3Com NETBuilder router platforms, many of which are only offered as expensive options on competitive solutions. The new 13x family includes the standard OfficeConnect NETBuilder router software that features an extensive suite of security features such as the NCSA certified integrated firewall and Network Address Translation (NAT) support.

3Com's firewall implementation makes security features easy to configure and maintain, offering network managers a selection of application specific commands to allow or deny activities such as Internet browsing traffic, FTP, Telnet and e-mail on each individual network port. NAT support enhances the security level by hiding internal IP addresses from outside connections, preventing hackers from accessing an inside host.

These two security features, shipped at no additional cost on all OfficeConnect NETBuilder routers with the IP software load, gives network administrators the power to manage the information and the control to maintain the integrity of the network.

In addition to security features, the OfficeConnect NETBuilder routers incorporate a suite of bandwidth management capabilities, such as compression and protocol reservation, designed to optimize WAN utilization between Intranet connections, minimizing costs and network down time through improved WAN quality of service.

And the new OfficeConnect NETBuilder routers offer a fully upgradeable memory and software component, providing the customer with investment protection as their corporate network expands.

Availability

Shipping immediately, the OfficeConnect NETBuilder 13x family featuring one Ethernet interface and two FlexWAN serial ports, ranges from $1495 to $2995 U.S. list price, depending on software load.

3Com Corp. enables individuals and organizations worldwide to communicate and share information and resources at any time from anywhere. As one of the world's preeminent suppliers of data, voice and video communications technology, 3Com has delivered networking solutions to more than 100 million customers worldwide.

The company provides enterprises, network service providers and carriers, small businesses and consumers with comprehensive, innovative information access products and system solutions for building intelligent, reliable and high performance local and wide area networks.

For further information, visit 3Com's World Wide Web site at http://www.3com.com, or the press site at http://www.3com.com/pressbox . -0-

Note to Editors: 3Com, Boundary Routing, NETBuilder, OfficeConnect and SuperStack are registered trademarks of 3Com Corp. AppleTalk is a registered trademark of Apple Computer.

CONTACT: 3Com Public Relations 

Rich Black, 408/764-8486

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