Thanks to an email today, I've just begun learning about a new product from Actiontec that I didn't know existed previously.

The Wireless FMC Router from Actiontec allows owners of hybrid mobile/WiFi phones to use their home WiFi network to make and receive cellular calls, automatically switching calls from the cellular network to the home WiFi network whenever the cellular signal strength drops below a certain level. Plus, it is the first Fixed Mobile Conversion router that intelligently detects other hardware connections and then configures itself.



Perfect for Homes with Weak Cellular Signals
If you have problems receiving cellular calls while you are home, fret no more. With the Actiontec Wireless FMC Router you can now receive all of your cellular calls clearly, using your home WiFi network. Once you arrive at home, the phone will detect the presence of the WiFi signal and once the signal strength reaches a preset value (configurable by the provider), your hybrid phone will switch over to your WiFi network, allowing you make and receive calls using your stronger WiFi network.

Switches Calls Transparently
At home, your hybrid phone will automatically and transparently switch from the cellular network to your Wi-Fi connection using the FMC Router, even while you are talking on the phone! On the phone but need to head out of the house, your hybrid phone will switch from its Wi-Fi interface to the mobile interface as the signal strength drops below a certain level. As this happens, the phone automatically switches from the Wi-Fi to the cellular interface and the FMC Router will gracefully comply and transfer the call, disconnecting itself from the conversation.

Plug 'n Play Install with new Software
The FMC Router can be installed painlessly, even when you may have an existing router and/or broadband modem in your network. When attached to another router or other hardware, the router will automatically detect the other device and extract the necessary settings. For example, if it is connected to another router, it turns itself into a switch. If it is connected to a DSL modem, it automatically populates itself with the settings and passwords originally used for modem setup. If it is attached to another wireless router, it configures itself with a unique SSID (Service Set Identifier) and will channel hop to avoid signal interference. Alternatively, the Actiontec router can replace an existing router as a standalone broadband connectivity solution with built-in support for hybrid phone operation.

Security Comes First
Security features include a robust firewall; 64/128-bit WEP, WPA and WPA2 encryption; and the ability to establish different virtual WiFi networks for each phone, laptop or other device to protect against eavesdroppers.

Features
Integrated Wired/Wireless Networking with 802.11n
Access Point

• 4 Port 10/100 Mbps Ethernet Switch
• 802.11n enabled to support speeds up to 200 Mbps wirelessly
• 802.11b/g backward compatible, communicating with 802.11g wireless products at speeds up to 54 Mbps and with 802.11b products at speeds up to11 Mbps

Supports all major cellular carriers
Extensive power management features such as WMM.
Support for NAT and PAT functionalities according to RFC 2766
Robust Firewall including:

• Stateful packet inspection
• IP source address filtering
• IP destination address filtering
• IP Protocol filtering
• Port filtering
• DMZ
• ALGs
• Port Forwarding
• Denial of Service protection
• Firewall rule partitioning per VLAN/IP subnets

Remote Management

• TR-069
• Provisioning/monitoring of VoIP app (TR-104)

Adaptive (0-80ms) Jitter Buffer with statistics (over run, under run, dropped packets, etc), VAD, Silence Suppression, Packet loss concealment.

Other features include:

• DCHP Client/Server
• DNS Server/Relay
• IGMP
• LAN IP & WAN IP Address Selection
• Port Forwarding
• QoS Support (End to end Layer 2/3) - Diffserv, 802.1p/q Prioritization, Configurable Upstream/Downstream Traffic Shaping, Random Early Detection
• Reverse NAT
• Static NAT
• Static Routing
• Time Zone Support
• VPN IPSec (VPN passthrough only)

All in all, this device looks like a pretty hot addition to the market. I'm reaching out to my friends at Actiontec to see if they'll ship an evaluation unit my way for testing. This looks like something I'd like to add to my technical arsenal.


Technorati Tags: Actiontec, FMC Router, fixed mobile convergence, mobility, FMC3000