Mushroom Networks announces new wireless "Broadband Bonding" technology
Mushroom Networks has been in the "broadband bonding" business for quite a while now, but we're guessing they're going to find a few more fans with their new wireless broadband gear, which promises the fastest cellular-based internet connection to date. Like the company's previous PortaBella device (pictured above, not exactly to scale), its new rig can combine up to four different cellular data cards into a single high-speed connection, but this one is fully portable (just over a pound) and, perhaps most importantly, it has an optional battery pack that'll let you be truly mobile with it. That, Mushroom says, makes the device ideal for a whole range of applications that can be a bit tricky with a single modem, like mobile TV broadcasting or temporary offices set up in a disaster area. Unfortunately, there's no word on pricing just yet, but it doesn't exactly take much guesstimating to figure out that it's likely not the most cost-effective solution around.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Chad @ Jun 30th 2009 3:56PM
"there's no word on pricing just yet, but it doesn't exactly take much guesstimating to figure out that it's likely not the most cost-effective solution around"
Unless you have an office full of salesmen who are constantly out on the road and all need mobile broadband. You could set this up in the office and when you actually come in you just plug your MBB device into this where it is shared by everyone in the office until you head back out on the road. You wouldn't need to have a regular internet connection in the office since if someone is there so is a MBB connection. Still $$$$$ but if your going to have the MBB anyway might as well use it.
Cole @ Jun 30th 2009 4:32PM
This is not new. They have been hawking this stuff on dslreport.com forums for the past few months. I believe the box itself is less than $2000 but there are many unresolved networking questions. First, it is not really bonding them unless you take advantage of their service. Otherwise it's basically round-robins the downlink. So you won't see 4xN (or whatever) speeds because each card presents its own IP address to the outside.
It has applications, thats for sure. But it's not killer, that's for sure.
Andy @ Jul 1st 2009 5:04AM
My company had been looking at getting a backup ADSL line also with the view to amalgamating the traffic with the existing line. The only company we found who are bonding the network traffic rather than "round robining" are a company called SharedBand http://us.sharedband.com/tech-info.