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When Network Computing tested 3Com Corp.'s CoreBuilder 3500, it changed our minds about the future of Layer 3 switches. CoreBuilder 3500 hit a grand-slam in our Real-World Labs® and our pick as the Well-Connected Hardware Product of the Year. The CoreBuilder 3500 is blazing the trail for other vendors to follow, pushing forward with enterprise-class support for IP, IPX and AppleTalk. No other Layer 3 switching vendor has committed to delivering a Layer 3 switch that is truly an intranet router replacement. While competing products merely route IP, CoreBuilder 3500 does it all.

CoreBuilder 3500 is heavily laden with features. Designed to take the place of existing LAN routers, it supports the OSPF routing protocol in addition to RIP. IP and IPX routing are handled in hardware, while the CPU provides high-speed AppleTalk support, ensuring your legacy users retain support after an upgrade.

3Com makes it easy to use CoreBuilder 3500 as a migratory tool for your future network. With interface support for Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, FDDI and future ATM support, CoreBuilder 3500 can be dropped into almost any network to provide instant wire speed routing. These additional media types put CoreBuilder 3500 in a class of its own.

CoreBuilder 3500 lets you take extensive advantage of VLANs (virtual LANs). The 3500 allows VLANs to be defined by physical port, MAC address or protocol. When managed with 3Com's Transcend management suite, CoreBuilder becomes a powerful tool for managing Virtual LANs at Layer 2 and Layer 3 in your enterprise network.

3Com's switch features a full suite of Layer 2 and Layer 3 diagnostic tools. Many competitors offer four groups of RMON (Remote Monitoring) and little or no RMON version 2 support, but the 3500 soars in this crucial management capacity, supporting seven groups of RMON, and a full suite of RMON2 statistics. A roving analysis port provides port mirroring locally or across your entire network. By transporting analysis data across the network, 3Com makes the life of the network administrator considerably easier. Just another cutting-edge feature for a cutting-edge product.

Other industry-leading features present in CoreBuilder 3500 include RSVP (Resource Reservation Protocol) support, IGMP (Internet Group Management Protocol) snooping and Web-based management. Combine these features with 802.1p and 802.1Q VLANs, RMON analysis and a full suite of IP, IPX and AppleTalk routing protocols, and you've got a Layer 3 switch that is unparalleled in the market.

CoreBuilder 3500 Layer 3 High-Function Switch, starts at $9,000,
3Com Corp.,
(800) NET-3COM, 408-764-5000.
www.3com.com