Bay boasts more Ethernet gear

Everyone's doing it.

Adding to the glut of Ethernet-based gear hitting the networking equipment market these days, Bay Networks (BAY) launched a series of new offerings and cut prices on some existing models.

In some respects, the market has been reacting to Bay's success with a product called the 350T that includes 16 ports with an auto-sensing function for Ethernet speeds. The company has also shown strength in other Ethernet-based switching segments.

Ethernet is the dominant networking technology for businesses who are connecting PCs and servers together in a network. Ethernet started at speeds of 10 mbps (megabits per second) and has since been improved to carry data at 100 mbps. An emerging standard called Gigabit Ethernet promises to speed packets at 1,000 mbps once it is finalized in the next few months.

Bay executives expressed confidence that the path they have paved in mid-range Ethernet-based gear can continue. "The 10/100 mbps means an enormous amount to us," said Paul Woodruff, director of product management for workgroup switches at the company.

To expand on the success of the 350T, the company has introduced a new 24-port version, available next month, that will be offered for $149 per port, in line with other upcoming introductions from the likes of 3Com.

Bay also rolled out three new 10/100-mbps shared hubs, to ship in March, with prices starting as low as $75 per port, and four new 100-mbps hubs that are available now. Prices on existing 300 series switches also were reduced.