D-Link introduces robust outdoor Access Point to ensure connectivity, whatever the weather

D-Link has updated its range of Access Points to include a hardened model designed for delivering high-speed Internet access in harsh environments such as industrial locations, convention halls, school campuses, airports, golf courses, marinas and other outdoor venues.

The D-Link DAP-3690 Wireless N Dualband Outdoor PoE Access Point enables businesses to provide a highly manageable and extremely hardy wireless network. Its IP67 compliance protection means it is guaranteed to withstand a wide range of weather conditions and temperatures from -40 to 60°C, thanks to features such as a built-in heater and weather- and dust-proof housing. Wall and pole-mounting options, combined with Power over Ethernet (PoE) support, now make installations in a variety of areas possible, even where power outlets are not readily available.

Thanks to its robustness and versatility, the DAP-3690 delivers the same high performance expected of an indoor product. It also has support for the latest networking standards, with concurrent dualband technology and a pair of Gigabit ports delivering high-speed connectivity to and from the device with  four detachable antennas that can provide optimal wireless coverage in both 2.4GHz (802.11g and 802.11n) and 5GHz (802.11a and 802.11n) bands.

Wireless networks remain uncongested thanks to the Load Balancing mechanism, automatically optimising high network traffic volume. Furthermore, Quality of Service features make this device an ideal Access Point for audio, video and voice applications providing customisable priority settings to automatically manage traffic. Multiple SSID and VLAN support further segment the wireless network for granular access control to the company's resources.

"D-Link strives to deliver an entire end-to-end network environment, and providing access in harsh environments is a key part of that," said Kevin Wen, President of D-Link Europe. "The DAP-3690 combines the latest networking technology and features with stringent environmental protection compliance to enable businesses to easily deploy or expand a wireless network with extended coverage and simple management, whatever the weather. Only D-Link provides this complete level of robustness, functionality and performance."

For extra flexibility, the DAP-3690 has four operation modes, allowing it to be used as a standard Access Point, a Wireless Client, a network Bridge or jointly as a Bridge and an Access Point.

Similarly, network administrators have multiple options for securing and managing the DAP-3690. Support for the latest security, authentication and network management features are all delivered through an intuitive web-based interface. For advanced network management, administrators can use one of D-Link's management modules to configure and manage multiple access points from a single location as well as conduct regular maintenance checks remotely, eliminating the need to send out personnel to physically verify proper operation.