Product of the Day: ImageStream Rebel Router

Product: Rebel RouterManufacturer: ImageStream Internet SolutionsAddress: 7900 E. 8th Road               Plymouth, Indiana 46563Telephone: 800-813-5123URL: www.imagestream.com

ImageStream Delivers the Industry's Lowest Cost DS3/E3 Router The new Rebel from ImageStream is a modular 1U router with two 10/100 Ethernet ports and two expansion slots for WAN and LAN card expansion. The Rebel can accommodate up to 16 T1 or E1 ports, but it is promoted as the world's lowest cost DS3 and E3 router. This claim is supported by the router's list price of $1,999, or $3,526 with a single port DS3 or E3 card.

Despite its low price, the new Rebel is also a top performer. ImageStream guarantees wire-speed performance specifications with a single DS3 or E3 circuit. This performance claim was confirmed recently by Network Computing magazine in a Sneak Preview published in the May 27th issue.

Like all ImageStream routers, the Rebel runs on Enterprise Linux which includes an extensive feature set. At the core of the distribution, Enterprise Linux provides ImageStream's driver component technology called SAND. SAND provides support for each interface card, real-time performance monitoring, and link protocols including PPP, Cisco HDLC, frame relay and ATM. Enterprise Linux also features ImageStream's advanced interface bonder software which allows multiple links to be bonded into a single logical circuit.

The Rebel's Enterprise Linux distribution also supports a wide range of standard Linux networking packages and tools. The distribution features SNMP monitoring, secure telnet (ssh), quality of service (QoS), dynamic routing, port forwarding, packet filtering, bandwidth limiting, GRE tunneling, IPsec VPN, bridging, IPv6 and more.

The Rebel is a part of ImageStream's Industrial Series router line. Industrial Series routers use standard PCI network adapters, so you can start out with a router like the Rebel and then move your network cards into a larger chassis like the Gateway or Enterprise if you outgrow the Rebel down the road.

The Rebel includes a 1-year warranty on parts and labor, ImageStream's exclusive 31-day Performance Guarantee, 1 free year of 24/7 technical support, and free software upgrades for life. The combination of the Rebel's price, performance and feature set represents one of the best values available in a router.

The Rebel outperforms many routers that cost more than twice the price. If you are in the market for a router, you can do your budget a big favor by considering ImageStream. And be sure to check out the latest review of the Rebel in the historic 100th issue of Linux Journal.