3com 3CRWE52196 User Guide

Welcome to the world of networking with 3Com

®

. In the modern 

business environment, communication and sharing information is crucial. 
Computer networks have proved to be one of the fastest modes of 
communication but, until recently, only large businesses could afford the 
networking advantage. The OfficeConnect

® 

product range from 3Com 

has changed all this, bringing networks to the small office.

The products that compose the OfficeConnect range give you, the small 
office user, the same power, flexibility, and protection that has been 
available only to large corporations. Now, you can network the 
computers in your office, connect them all to a single Internet outlet, and 
harness the combined power of all of your computers.

The OfficeConnect Cable/DSL Gateway and the OfficeConnect Wireless 
Cable/DSL Gateway are designed to provide a cost-effective means of 
sharing a single broadband Internet connection amongst several wired 
and wireless computers. The Gateway also provides protection in the 
form of an electronic “firewall” preventing anyone outside of your 
network from seeing your files or damaging your computers.

As you can see in the example in 

, without a Gateway only one 

computer is connected to the Internet. This computer must always be 
powered on for the other computers on the network to access the 
Internet.