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SMC and Cogency Semiconductor Team to Bring Easy to Install and Use HomePlug Networking Products to Market (6/11/2003)

SMC's Newest Family of Easy Home Networking Products Leverage Cogency's Advanced HomePlug(R) Chipset

SMC(R) Networks (www.smc.com), a leading provider of networking solutions for the Enterprise, the SMB and all the way home, and Cogency Semiconductor, a leading provider of high-performance semiconductors for powerline home networking and media distribution, today announced that SMC's new line of HomePlug-compliant home networking products incorporates the Cogency chipset.

SMC's new line of HomePlug-compliant products give users everything they need to set up a brand-new network or extend an existing one without running expensive CAT-5 cabling. The only HomePlug solution on the market with configuration software that runs on Mac OS, SMC's new HomePlug solution comes with two versions of the EZ Configuration Manager software: one for the Windows OS and one for the Mac OS, making it a great solution for Macintosh-only networks, Windows-only networks and mixed networks. The versatile new product line includes two new HomePlug-compliant adapters: the EZ Connect(TM) 14Mbps HomePlug to USB Desktop Adapter and the EZ Connect 14Mbps HomePlug to Ethernet Desktop Adapter; and a new EZ Connect 14Mbps HomePlug Starter Kit, with everything it takes to set up or extend a network using HomePlug technology. SMC's new family of easy networking HomePlug products will begin shipping in November.

At the core of these new products is the Cogency HomePlug 1.0-compliant chipset, a performance-enhanced silicon design for efficient networking via electrical outlets. An exciting technology for easy, reliable networking, HomePlug lets users make network connections over existing electrical wiring. HomePlug 1.0-certified to ensure compatibility with the various types of wiring used in homes and offices, SMC's new products take advantage of the Cogency chipset's auto-sensing, rate-adaptive technology to maintain the best connection available. And, its throughput is complemented by 56-bit Data Encryption Standard (DES) and Dynamic Key Management, so users have speed and security. Ease of installation is further advanced by the product family's Plug-and-Play compliance and the included SMC EZ Installation Wizard for fine-tuning on Windows and Mac platforms. And, its form factor makes it easier, too -- no bulky adapters to find space for, because SMC's HomePlug networking products are desktop units with internal power supplies.

"HomePlug technology is a great complement to our other networking solutions for the home: WiFi and wired Ethernet solutions," said SMC's Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Tom Rizol. "Cogency's expertise in HomePlug technology is well-known, so when we decided to develop a line of easy-to-use HomePlug networking products, Cogency's was the natural choice for the chipset."

"We're pleased that a leader in home networking like SMC elected to introduce HomePlug products based on Cogency's chipset," said Peter Wilson, Cogency's Vice President of Marketing, "the exciting features of these new products, like broad OS support and the EZ Configuration Manager, are testament not only to Cogency's flexible silicon offerings but also to SMC's focus on a high quality home networking experience for consumers".

The EZ Connect 14Mbps HomePlug to Ethernet Desktop Adapter (HP1D-ETH) makes extending a network easy -- just plug it into an existing Barricade(TM) or other standards-compliant Ethernet/Broadband router, plug its power cord into an electrical outlet, and the electrical wiring becomes Ethernet-enabled, so any outlet in the house is an Ethernet connection port for sharing Internet access, files, printers and even home entertainment devices. It is a great way to bring Internet connectivity to a game console, like an Xbox(R) or PS2(R) for online game playing. It is also available in a two adapter HomePlug to Ethernet Starter Kit (HPKIT-ETH), and as a USB Desktop Adapter (HP1D-USB) that facilitates connection of any Windows 98, ME, 2000 or XP device to the HomePlug-enabled network using a USB port, so that even devices that are not Ethernet-ready can connect to the network.

SMC's new EZ Connect 14Mbps HomePlug to Ethernet Desktop Adapter and HomePlug USB Adapter will both be available beginning in mid-November, both at an MSRP that's 20% below the competition, at $79.99 each. The new EZ Connect 14Mbps HomePlug to Ethernet Starter Kit takes value even further, packing two HomePlug Ethernet Desktop Adapters at an MSRP of $149.99.

www.smc.com
www.cogency.com
www.homeplug.org