2Wire's HomePortal product line is sold to broadband service providers, who in turn offer them to their subscribers. The HomePortals are residential DSL gateways, facilitating connectivity to the Internet for home networks through the DSL services offered by the provider.

Multiple models of the HomePortals are currently provided, in two primary families: The 2000 series, for ADSL-based connections; and the 3000 series, for VDSL-based FTTP deployments.

Common features across the product line include Web based configuration and management; a stateful packet inspection firewall for the automatic detection of threats such as DDoS; a built-in router; and support for multiple home networking technologies, including Ethernet, HomePNA (some 2000 series models), USB, and wireless. On this last point in particular, the gateways can operate as 802.11b/g compatible wireless access points, and the vendor boasts the use of up to 400mW transmitters and three dedicated (one for transmit and two for receive) antennas in an attempt to increase the coverage reach of the devices in the home.

Within each family, multiple models are offered depending on desired features. Optional features in the 2000 series HomePortals include dual fixed VoIP lines, home powerline-based networking support, 1 or 4 Ethernet LAN ports, and an integrated ADSL (1/2/2+) modem. For example, the 2071 model is the smallest of the lot, including a single Ethernet port and without wireless, VoIP, or HPNA support; while the 2801HGV includes all of these features and four Ethernet ports.

In the 3000 series, the boxes offer Ethernet, wireless, or Multimedia Coaxial Networking for home network connectivity. The coax networking is offered in MoCA or HPNAv3 flavors, and each of the models can be ordered with or without dual dedicated VoIP lines. All of the 3000 series offerings include an integrated VDSL modem as well as support for a broadband Ethernet connection, four Ethernet ports, and two USB ports (1.1 slave, 2.0 host); and can also operate as a wireless access point.

Newly announced by the vendor is their "femtocell" technology, which allows a HomePortal device to operate both as a DSL gateway as well as a cellular base station with the ability to communicate with the mobile carrier's network through the DSL connection. The device could therefore service both WiFi and cellular devices in the home; with 2Wire noting support for both UMTS 3G voice and data (HSPA) services and CDMA-2000 EVDO 3G services (backwards compatibility with GSM/GPRS/EDGE and IS-95/1xRTT will also be provided). The vendor further states that the device will support seamless handoffs between the home network and the cellular network.

The femtocell technology isn't due until early 2008. The vendor expects to incorporate it in a new line of directly integrated HomePortals (called HomePortal BaseStations), as well as in separate femtocells that connect to existing gateways via Ethernet.

Visit the 2Wire Web site for further information.

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