New Sophos access point provides WLAN for remote offices

Sophos has announced the availability of the Sophos AP 5, its newest wireless access point, which acts as an accessory to the Sophos Remote Ethernet Device (RED) and creates a secured wireless branch office solution that is quick and easy to set up.

Supporting up to five users, the AP 5 connects to the Sophos RED via a USB port and, within minutes, provides secure wireless access for the branch office. Sophos UTM (unified threat management) controls wireless security at the main office, ensuring the branch office's wireless security complies with company policies.

"One of Sophos' most requested feature enhancements was to extend the Sophos RED devices by adding WLAN capabilities. The AP 5 is meeting this demand, and small branch offices can now experience the same level of wireless security as larger branch offices and headquarters," says Brett Myroff, CEO of Sophos distributor, NetXactics.

By offering a dedicated wireless access point that connects to the Sophos RED, rather than developing a RED device with internal wireless capabilities, existing RED customers can also take advantage of these capabilities. In the future, UTM appliance customers will be able to add WLAN capabilities by connecting the AP 5 device to the UTM, further extending the AP's versatility.

The Sophos AP 5 supports the 2.4GHz frequency band and is compliant to the IEEE 802.11 b/g/n WLAN standards. It can transmit a single SSID and delivers wireless data rates up to 150Mbit/s.