News & Events
KarlNet's New Dual-Band Access Point Provides 20 Percent Better Throughput using Intersil's PRISM Indigo 802.11a Wireless LAN Solution

-- KarlNet's firmware is optimized to increase radio performance in the 5 GHz band~-- PRISM Indigo™ technology provides best performance at 54 megabits per second (Mbps) data rates

IRVINE, CA, October 10, 2002 – Intersil Corporation (NASDAQ: ISIL), a world leader in the design and manufacture of high performance analog and wireless networking solutions, announced today that KarlNet, Inc., a leading provider of wireless software, firmware and hardware reference designs, successfully demonstrated a new dual-band (2.4 GHz & 5 GHz) Wireless Local Area Networking (WLAN) Access Point (AP). By integrating Intersil’s PRISM Indigo 802.11a and PRISM® 802.11b WLAN technology, the KarlNet AP reference design supports dual radios, dual Ethernet interfaces, and Power over Ethernet (PoE) while operating with power outputs of 30mW, 100mW, and 200mW.

“The Prism Indigo WLAN solution gave us better throughput than our most optimistic expectations,” said Doug Karl, President/CTO of KarlNet. “The Karlnet firmware is optimized to increase the performance of these high bandwidth radios and I’m pleased to announce that our tests have confirmed this.” Initial test results have shown a 20 percent increase in throughput compared to comparable 802.11a equipped access points. Test results also showed the PRISM-based AP also worked well in a non line-of-sight office environment.

The KarlNet Access Point is available as a reference design with a full list of software features including: bridging, IP Routing, MAC address authentication, protocol filtering, NAT/DHCP, IP firewall, SNMP management, link level testing, Radius authentication, authorization & accounting; VLAN decoding, VLAN passthrough, 802.1x, WEP, link-level encryption with DES and Blowfish, and e-coin box features.

“KarlNet’s new AP is setting the performance standard for new dual-band WLAN applications,” said Larry Ciaccia, vice president and general manager for Intersil’s Wireless Products Group. “We are very pleased that KarlNet has selected our PRISM 802.11b and PRISM Indigo (802.11a) WLAN solutions for their new dual-band access point.”

Intersil’s PRISM Indigo WLAN solution is designed to meet the market’s escalating demand for high-speed wireless connectivity. PRISM Indigo delivers fast 54 Mbps throughput and is the industry’s lowest priced IEEE 802.11a-compliant WLAN solution for the 5 GHz band. Intersil’s IEEE-compliant 802.11b PRISM chip sets are optimized for high data rate (11 Mbps) performance. PRISM-based systems are feature-rich and provide fast, reliable performance in all types of networking environments. Advanced design and process technologies reduce power consumption, design complexity and total system cost.

About KarlNet, Inc.
Since 1993, KarlNet, Inc. has grown from one of the first IP Firewall companies to one of the leading providers of wireless software, firmware and hardware reference designs. Delivering a highly differentiated suite of software solutions and features, KarlNet’s products are represented in many of the world's WiFi certified access points and 802.11b (2.4 GHz) fixed wireless broadband products. Many KarlNet software-based products have been judged “Product of the Year” by leading technology publications. KarlNet has also been instrumental in helping to develop several major products with one being the Apple Airport®. The KarlNet team provides expertise in all aspects of wireless networking, including enterprise, hotspot, residential, and fixed wireless solutions, each delivered with the security that allows for widespread implementation. KarlNet continues to demonstrate the focused commitment required to be a leader in the fast growing wireless market.

For more information on KarlNet, Inc., please visit (www.karlnet.com) or contact Doug Harman,
Director of Business Development, KarlNet, Inc., 525 Metro Place North, Suite 100, Dublin, OH 43017, 614 822-5275, 614 822-0024 fax, email: dharman@karlnet.com

Intersil + Elantec Means More for Our Customers
Intersil Corporation is a global semiconductor leader in the design and manufacture of high performance analog and wireless networking solutions. The acquisition of Elantec Semiconductor, Inc., expanded Intersil’s product portfolios to address four fast growing markets – flat panel displays, optical storage (CD and DVD recordable), power management, and wireless networking. Intersil brings added customer value in providing complete silicon, software and reference design solutions to new products that enhance the computing experience for people wherever they live, work or travel. For more information about Intersil or to find out how to become a member of our winning team, visit the company's web site and career page at www.intersil.com PRISM is a registered trademark and PRISM Indigo is a trademark of Intersil Americas Inc.
All other trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners.