Zoom Announces Home LAN Product
Low-cost networking solution allows Internet sharing, multi-player gaming and peripheral sharing.

Boston, MA - Zoom Telephonics has begun shipping the Zoom/HomeLAN™ PCI to allow networking of computers through a home's existing phone lines. Two or more PCs equipped with Zoom/HomeLan PCI cards can share an Internet connection, swap files, play networked games or share peripherals such as printers and storage devices.

With Zoom/HomeLAN, voice calls can be made while the network sends data on the same phone line. Zoom's superior filtering ensures voice calls remain clear as the network operates at peak capacity.

The Zoom home network is easy to install with Plug and Play hardware and a powerful software "wizard" for network setup. With an estimated retail price of less than $50, the Zoom/HomeLAN PCI is affordable for any family with two or more computers. The Zoom/HomeLAN PCI fully supports the HomePNA standard, which assures interoperability with HomePNA compliant products from manufacturers like Intel and Compaq.

The Zoom/HomeLAN PCI supports phone line networking at one megabit-per-second data rates, powerful enough for nearly any home network use. It also works in a standard Ethernet network at a ten megabit-per-second data rate.

"Zoom is focused on providing flexible networking solutions for the millions of homes with two or more personal computers," said Terry Manning, Zoom's Vice President of Sales and Marketing. "The Zoom/HomeLAN, along with Zoom's wireless LAN products, meet the need for powerful networking solutions which can be installed by the consumer without new wiring."

A two-user version of Sygate 3.0 Internet sharing software is included with the Zoom/HomeLAN PCI. With Sygate 3.0, networked computers can simultaneously use one Internet account through a single analog modem, ISDN, xDSL, or cable modem.

Unlike other Internet sharing software, SyGate enables any PC on the Zoom/HomeLAN network to initiate a dialup connection to the Internet using America On Line's AOL 4.0. Sygate also supports the broadest range of Internet application software, including NetMeeting, ICQ, InternetPhone, Net2Phone, and VPN (PPTP) by using industry-standard Network Address Translation (NAT).

Zoom Telephonics, a communications leader since 1977, designs, produces and markets wired and wireless LAN products, faxmodems, routers and ISDN products. Zoom is a member of the Home Phoneline Networking Alliance (HomePNA). Zoom Telephonics is publicly traded on NASDAQ (NASDAQ: ZOOM). Zoom products are produced in Boston, Massachusetts and sold worldwide. The Zoom Web site is at www.zoomtel.com.