Ascend Communications' Pipeline 75 is a versatile SOHO ISDN product that gives you fast, solid connectivity on demand. Add the Secure Access Firewall, and you have security as well. A call-routing feature connects incoming calls to the correct device, such as a fax or telephone. Pipeline also acts as a DHCP server for the local network and will perform NAT (network address translation) for outgoing calls.

Pipeline 75 uses profiles to configure connection parameters on a per-call basis. If you connect to sites with different authentication and access controls, then you can set up the profiles individually.

You can set up and manage Ascend's Pipeline 75 through an easily navigable VT-100 screen or through the Java Configurator. The VT-100 screen logically orders all the configuration options according to the task at hand. The configurations are set dynamically without rebooting the device, for nonintrusive management.

As easy as the VT-100 terminal is for configuration, the Java Configurator is even easier and hides much of the complexity of configuration.

Pipeline 75, $995,
Ascend Communications,
(800) ASCEND4, (510) 769-6001.
www.ascend.com