3Com Expands Its Line of Ethernet Switching Solutions With New High Performance, Low Cost Additions.

Business/Technology Editors

New Offerings Include Both Managed and Unmanaged Switches, Giving

Customers the Choice of Solutions that Best Fit Their Network

3Com Corporation (Nasdaq: COMS) today expanded its line of 10/100 managed switching solutions with the addition of the SuperStack(R) 3 Switch 4200 family for businesses that are building or upgrading their networking infrastructure. These new, standards-based switches offer affordable, flexible, and easy-to-use solutions for enterprise workgroups and wiring closets as well as small business networks.

"3Com continues to deliver innovation and value to customers ranging from the small business to large enterprises," said Kathy Rocha, vice president and general manager for the Product Group in 3Com's Business Networks Company. "We are offering the SuperStack 3 Switch 4200 for users looking for reliable, practical high performance 10/100 switches at affordable prices while we concurrently evolve our exciting XRN(TM) technology for core networks."

The SuperStack 3 Switch 4200 family includes two configurations:

-- the 26-port SuperStack 3 Switch 4226T with 24 10/100 ports and two 10/100/1000 downlink ports, and

-- the 50-port SuperStack 3 Switch 4250T with 48 10/100 ports and two 10/100/1000 downlink ports.

These switches are wirespeed as confirmed through independent testing with The Tolly Group in June 2002. In addition, the switches offer business-quality Layer 2 features including link aggregation and support for both 802.1Q VLAN tagging and 802.1p traffic prioritization. The SuperStack 3 Switch 4200 family can be automatically connected via the gigabit ports for easy "stacking" with no additional configuration or hardware required and those same ports can be used for 10/100 connections, offering even higher density.

3Com(R) Network Supervisor, a powerful yet easy-to-use management application, is included with the purchase of each switch. The software application graphically discovers, maps, and displays network links and IP devices, including 3Com NBX(R) telephones and products from other vendors. It also maps devices and connections to easily monitor stress levels, set thresholds and alerts, view network events, generate reports in user-defined formats, and launch device configuration tools.

New Unmanaged Offerings

For businesses or departments that do not require network management, 3Com is continuing to evolve its line of unmanaged switches and hubs, the SuperStack 3 Baseline family. These simplified switches can be used to create Ethernet LAN configurations to suit various networking applications whether in a small business, branch office, or enterprise divisions.

Today, 3Com is also announcing the SuperStack 3 Baseline 10/100 Switch 48 port with two 10/100/1000 ports. Joining the SuperStack 3 Baseline family of products, this new switch is designed for offices with a growing numbers of users and higher bandwidth requirements. The switch offers a compact form factor and simplifies set up by automatically detecting the Ethernet cable being used and eliminating most common cabling errors.

Pricing and Availability

The SuperStack 3 Switch 4226T is priced at $995 (U.S. list) and the SuperStack 3 Switch 4250T is priced at $1,995 (U.S. list). Both products are expected to begin shipping worldwide in mid July. Integrated stack management is expected to be available as separately sold software upgrade in late 2002. The SuperStack 3 Baseline 10/100 Switch 48 Plus 2x10/100/1000 is priced at $1,195 (U.S. list) and is expected to begin shipments in mid-August. All are backed by 3Com's lifetime limited warranty.

About 3Com Corporation

3Com is a global leader in functionally-rich, easy-to-use networking products that connect businesses to their employees, customers and suppliers anytime, anywhere. 3Com is also a leader in Internet protocol (IP) service platforms and access infrastructure for the network service provider market. In 1979, the company was founded by one of the inventors of Ethernet technology on which virtually all local area networks are based. Since then, 3Com has sold more than 360,000,000 Ethernet connections. 3Com has headquarters in Santa Clara, California and offices around the world. For further information, please visit www.3com.com, or the press site www.3com.com/pressbox.

3Com, the 3Com logo, NBX and SuperStack are registered trademarks and XRN is a trademark of 3Com Corporation. All other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective holders.