Symplex Provides Automatic Network Recovery; Automatic Network Recovery Insures Network Availability.

ANN ARBOR, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 5, 1997--Symplex Communications, a worldwide provider of internetworking solutions, announces Automatic Network Recovery (ANR). A unique option of Symplex's remote switching access routers, Automatic Network Recovery, ensures the highest availability for Wide Area Networks.

ANR provides ISDN backup connections of up to 512 Kbps for existing routers or bridges, overcoming the potential for a single point of failure in dedicated connection (leased line) or frame relay networks. Automatic recovery occurs without user intervention in the event of a line outage or hardware failure.

ANR is accomplished by the Symplex Network Information Protocol (SNIP), which monitors the availability of the network. SNIP automatically detects network failure and establishes a switched digital connection at up to 512 Kbps and transparently forwards packets to the remote network. The powerful compression technology incorporated in the ANR platform typically provides data throughput over ISDN up to or higher than the original T1 rate.

"The cost of a network outage of even an hour can be extremely high, especially to such industries as financial and health service," commented George Nagy, Executive VP of Marketing and North American Sales at Symplex. "Automatic Network Recovery will pay for itself many times over if it prevents just one outage a year."

Automatic Network Recovery

The ANR platform is connected to a LAN via an ethernet segment, it enters a one minute "learning period" where it learns about both the local and remote networks via Routing Information Protocol (RIP) packets. After the learning period, it monitors local RIP packets. Should it receive a RIP packet from a local router advertising the existence of a remote ANR system, it sends a SNIP packet to the remote router every five seconds.

If an ANR system fails to receive eight consecutive SNIP packets, it triggers Automatic Network Recovery and begins to use ISDN to forward appropriate packets to the remote network. In addition, ANR will continue to send SNIP packets to the default router. When it begins receiving SNIP packets, indicating that the default path is operational, it automatically sends packets to the local workstations informing them to use the default router.

About ANR Pricing

ANR is available on several DirectRoute and Datamizer platforms.

DirectRoute with ANR Option Price Availability

DR-1/BRI with Integral NT-1
 256K/2 BRIs                              $4,995.00   July 1, 1997
DR-1/BRI with Integral NT-1
 512K/4 BRIs                              $5,995.00   May 1, 1997
DR-1/PRI with Integral CSU                $8,995.00   May 1, 1997

Datamizer pricing to be announced June 1, 1997.

For more information, call 313/995-1555 or visit Symplex's World Wide Web site at http://www.symplex.com .

About Symplex Communications

Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Symplex specializes in internetworking solutions that provide enhanced performance and scalability for enterprise networks. Its flagship product line is DirectRoute, a family of remote switching access systems designed specifically for high-speed internet and intranet access. The company's routers also enable organizations to accommodate switched, frame relay and dedicated connectivity from the same box at the same time, provide automatic failover recovery and create virtual IP networks using a single IP address. Symplex also markets the Datamizer, a Dynamic Throughput Processor which combines sophisticated inverse multiplexing, bandwidth on demand and data compression, allowing worldwide users to optimize leased line circuits.

CONTACT: Symplex Communications

George Nagy, 313/995-1555

or

S & S Public Relations, Inc.

Liza Beresford, 847/291-1616