2Wire’s HomePortal® 4000 series iNID (intelligent Network Interface Device) mounts to the side of the subscriber’s home in a hardened, weather-resistant enclosure that is easily accessible by carrier technicians. This decreases the complexity and cost of carrier “truck roll” technical installations, which are required for VDSL2 and FTTP deployments.
By transferring intelligent gateway functions and all service and network terminations to the side of the house, the 2Wire iNID eliminates the need to bring DSL into the house, thereby preventing the signal loss that is typical of in-home wiring. The location at the side of the house, near the existing telephone Network Interface Device, also allows for an easy connection to be made between the iNID’s integrated voice over IP function and the home’s existing phone wiring.
The outdoor location also provides carrier technicians with easy access to home coaxial cable wiring which can be reused to distribute high speed LAN technologies throughout the home to video set-top boxes and other networked consumer devices.
A customer-installable power module inside the home powers the iNID through the home’s existing phone wiring, while the iNID’s integrated battery provides backup power. The customer installs the power module inside the house by simply plugging it into a power outlet and a nearby phone jack. The power module includes service-indicator LEDs for troubleshooting and status notifications of services and functions.
“By moving the residential gateway to the outside of the subscriber’s home, the HomePortal iNID blurs the line between the home network and the carrier’s infrastructure,” said Pat Romano, 2Wire’s chief technology officer. “The gateway becomes part of the service provider’s network, which removes the burden of maintenance and management from the subscriber, and allows the carrier to provide uninterrupted or ‘warm’ services during tenant or homeowner turnover. It is a win-win proposition for both service providers and their subscribers.”
Like the 3000 series HomePortal residential gateway, the 4000 series HomePortal iNID combines an industry-leading home networking platform with the latest developments in VDSL2 modem technology to create a powerful solution for the delivery of IP video and other high-bandwidth applications for the home. Home networking options include high speed coaxial networking (HomePNAv3), Ethernet, and an optional customer-installable 802.11g Wi-Fi module. The gateway itself is packed with value-added applications such as Content Screening, Internet Access Control, Firewall Monitor, and Web Remote Access.
