Product: Barricade broadband router
Manufacturer: SMC
Written by Anthony Sims

Introduction - What’s the Situation?

Running a home or work network adds another dimension to everyday computing. Workers can now combine their diaries with others to arrange meetings with ease, or arrange that all-important Friday lunchtime drink!

Now but with the Internet revolution, companies and home users now have a connection to the biggest dynamic encyclopaedia we have ever seen. Now we have two great resources that are just dieing to get together on Friday lunchtime. Until very recently the most cost effective way was to run a PC as a host to the Internet world. Working on the Host Client topology. The problem is, some small companies and virtually all home users don’t have the ability to have a PC running this service 24/7. So what’s the answer?

We have two answers.

1.  A cheap computer running Linux and ICS. They are pretty stable a serve the purpose quite well. However if there is a problem, you need to have basic knowledge of how Linux and ICS works. Not something that is easy to market

2.  A piece of kit that will provide a stable 24/7 Internet connection sharing facility. And not to mention, at reasonable cost.

We have a few such pieces of equipment floating around online shops and decent PC stores now-days. One of which is our test subject. The SMC Barricade.