TALKING BUSINESS
I
n today’s always-on mobile
business world, wireless connections
are essential to keeping companies
running optimally. However, despite the
fact that the use of mobile terminals
in the office is continually increasing,
peripherals such as scanners,
multifunctional printers, dongles and
USB hard drives frequently do not have
a wireless interface.
Specialist solutions provider Silex has
solved this problem. Silex has developed
network connectivity solutions for
devices without network capability,
making ‘dumb’ devices ‘smart’.
Providing Wi-Fi connectivity for a wide
range of devices, Silex allows them to
be flexibly connected in any location.
“The Silex range allows users to share
any peripheral device through a wired/
wireless network. This means that USB
devices can be used in a LAN or W-LAN
environment and LAN devices can also
be used in a wireless environment.
Silex also allows for interactive audio
and video distribution across both
types of networks,” explains Frikkie
Koegelenberg, CEO of PDC, Silex’s
representative in Africa.
The latest product in the Silex
range, the DS-520AN wired/wireless
USB Device Server, provides high
performance and reliable connections
to help turn any network-ready device
into a wireless device. Koegelenberg
points out that this means the days
of cabling challenges are long gone,
because devices can be placed where
they are needed, not where the
cable is.
“Whether you are running an office,
airport, warehouse, factory, school,
or shop, installing a printer or other
peripheral devices has traditionally
been a challenge. The LAN cabling has
to be in place to connect the device
and this often requires additional
cabling to be done. As a result, once
the location of the installation has
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been chosen, moving the
device is difficult. With the
Silex solution, peripherals
can be moved as needed,
and all mobile devices
can be connected on the
same network.”
In addition, the DS-
520AN replaces a USB
cable with a radio or LAN
connection. This means
that the distance of the
device from the nearest
computer is no longer an
issue. It also allows the
same device to be used by
several people in sequence
via the wireless network,
allowing for optimal
utilisation. Thanks to software which
automatically detects all USB devices
and USB device servers on the network,
any device can be used as if it was
locally connected.
With the functionality offered by
the DS-520AN, devices that require
continuous and almost real-time
data transfer, such as industrial USB
cameras and audio devices such as
loudspeakers, can also be used in a
network environment. The DS-520AN
also functions as a wireless print
server. The RAW and LPR network print
protocols are supported and printers
with fitted LAN cards can have an extra
WLAN interface added. This allows the
printer to be used by several people,
even from different network segments.
“The most common application of the
wireless capabilities Silex offers is for
printing. Despite the fact that most of
today’s business printers are network-
capable, there is still an important need
for print servers in a number of different
areas. Similarly, scanners are relatively
expensive devices that are usually only
connected to a single PC. In many
cases, the PC user actually only uses the
scanner for a limited amount of time
each day, and connecting the scanner
to the network allows for greater
efficiency,” Koegelenberg says.
He adds that one industry in particular
is finding great value in Silex’s
specialist device network connectivity
solutions: healthcare. “A trend toward
networking various devices to those
in the medical field has been steadily
spreading. Medical devices, such as
EKG monitors and blood pressure
monitors, have had serial interfaces
for connection to a computer for a
number of years. Now, they can be
used when and where they are needed
over the network.
However, medical device connectivity
has many unique requirements beyond
what is demanded by the typical
wireless installation. Silex makes it easy
to implement a Wi-Fi solution that
addresses these specific needs.”
Regardless of industry, Koegelenberg
says that enabling wireless network
capability for peripheral devices
enhances productivity and saves on
costs. “Silex’s solutions are simple
to install and use – whether you
want to use a USB device in a virtual
environment or network a scanner.
With in-built security, it’s a must-have
for any environment using a
wireless network.”
INTELLIGENTCIO
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