D-Link takes wireless-n access points to work

D-Link is going to the office. The company announced on Monday its first wireless-n access points for small to medium businesses. The APs offer a much larger coverage area, as well as better bandwidth, than those designed for home users.

The new APs include the AirPremier N Dual Band Access Point DAP-2590 and the Dual Band Access Point DAP-2553. They support 5GHz and 2.4GHz frequencies, as well as multiple wireless standards (a, n, and g). They also have Power over Ethernet (PoE) capability.

PoE lets the device draw power directly from the network cable and therefore be mounted where power outlets may not be readily available. The DAP-2590 is encased in rugged metal housing and is Plenum-rated, meaning it meets the fire codes for placement in air passageways.

Both new APs feature three detachable antennas to provide optimal coverage with maximum wireless signal rates of up to 300Mbps in either the 2.4GHz or 5GHz wireless band. They also support Wi-Fi Multimedia quality-of-service features and are able to handle all data, video, and voice applications.

For security, the APs support both personal and enterprise versions of WPA and WPA2 wireless encryption with support for Radius server backend. They also implement Microsoft Network Access Protection, which restricts access based on a client PC's identity and compliance with corporate governance. Additional safety measures include MAC address filtering, wireless LAN segmentation, disable SSID broadcast, rogue AP detection, and wireless broadcast scheduling.

The DAP-2590 is available now for an estimated $410. The DAP 2553 will be available later this year with a significantly friendlier price tag of $180.