Want to know about external routers?
    Zoom talks about the ADSL X4 and the world of routers
by Michael Lafferty

It can be a game player’s most loathsome task. You are about to sit down, enjoy a friendly online game when you realize that the platform you are about to use is not hooked up to the broadband router.

Unless you care nothing for the aesthetics of your home, chances are you have tucked away all the connection cords and getting to them, making certain everything is properly plugged in and set up may result in finding pockets that a dust mop seldom sees, strange body contortions, a banged head, and maybe a flashlight.

The folks at Zoom have a solution that will take the fuss and muss out of the setup process and get gamers right into the games. The Zoom ADSL X4 is an external router, which allows multiple platforms to use the limited IP addresses granted users by Internet Service Providers.

The small unit has connections for ADSL, phone, Ethernet and USB connections. With an external Ethernet hub, you can connect several different platforms up to the unit to enjoy a full range of gaming.

The cost of the unit is $99.

Zoom’s Gordon McConarty, support engineering, and Larry Hancock, marketing director, took time to talk about this device.

Question: In today's society, gamers are spreading their wings and not confining themselves to one or even two systems. Broadband plays an integral part of the online gaming experience. In your opinion, to start at the core, what should a game player be looking at in terms of choosing the right ISP for playing online games?

Larry: "The bottom line here is exactly how much bandwidth the service provider provides not only for downloading but for uploading.  Service has been generally packaged and priced to address general Internet usage e.g. WEB browsing and that approach tends to provide much higher bandwidth for downstream.

"Gamers should ask for the services providers speeds for both upstream and downstream and then compare those in terms of which provider gives them a better balance ­ or at least higher speeds upstream for interactive gaming.  Also, all ‘broadband’ is certainly not the same and most basic services are far slower than the actual capability of the modem.  Users should be sure of how much speed they are actually buying so that their expectations match their service rather than generic figures for broadband which they may have read about or see in the modem literature.  If the service does not deliver it the modem will simply operate at the actual speed of the service.

Q: Some ISPs offer external routers with broadband connectivity. (Ok, I know the answer to this, but want your quotes) Why should a gamer buy an ADSL X4 router?

Larry: "The question here is partly one of renting from the service provider rather than buying your own equipment.  That may be a matter of personal preference, many people like to own and install their own equipment to make sure they know exactly what they are getting  - and to ensure that they don’t get locked into a lease agreement that may end up costing them money.

"Also, the equipment provided by many service providers may not be the best fit for the user.  As an example, most service providers at this time rely on earlier Ethernet only attached devices which are a good deal less flexible that the Ethernet/USB combination found on the Zoom X4 ­ which happens to be a better match to the way most gamers would actually use the Xbox with existing computers at home or school."

Q: In layman's terms, can you explain what NAT is and how the ADSL X4 allows players to have multiple connections through either one or two IP addresses?
 
Gordon: "NAT(Network Address Translation) on the X4 is really NAPT(Network Address Port Translation) which allows multiple clients on the LAN side of the X4 to all share the same IP information from the WAN port of the X4.

"All clients can then access the Internet and appear to be just one client based on the single IP address used.

"The X4, as do all NAT routers, receive TCP or UDP packets from a Client to open a session. These packets will contain a source IP address (IP address of the Client) and a Source Port number. The Source Port number remains the same during an open session. When the session is closed and another is started then a different Source Port number is used. The X4 receives these packets from each client and changes the Source IP address in all of them to the IP address of its WAN port. It also changes the Source Port number used by each client and assigns it a different Source Port number. This information is then stored in a "Reverse Translation" table that is stored in the X4's memory. All incoming/returned packets will all have the same destination IP address (X4 WAN port address) but will have a destination port number that the X4 had assigned. Using this port number all of the packets are matched up in the reverse translation table and sent to the correct LAN client. "

Q: Please share your opinions of the value and/or importance of having a Firewall in place for online gamers? What kind of firewall does the ADSL employ? Does this firewall negate the need for other firewalls or do these walls stack? If I play Xbox Live or hook up my PS2 for online gaming, why should I care about a firewall?

Gordon: "It is sensible practice to have a firewall for any connection to the Internet. A firewall is a security system that acts as a protective boundary between a network and the outside world by blocking network traffic on certain ports. The X4 blocks all unsolicited incoming traffic. This is especially important if you are sharing the Internet connection between a gaming device and other machines. The X4 uses NAPT, which will block all incoming traffic that does not match up to entries in the Revers Translation Table (see #3 above). Also the X4 will display all Ports in Stealth mode when any Port Scan is performed against it's WAN IP (Internet connected) address. Connecting anything to the Internet without this kind of protection would be a bad idea."

Q: Can you tell us a little bit about the thinking that went into the design of the ADSL X4? What did it need to do that was essential for gamers and does it have value to nongamers?

Larry: "The X4 was designed to be a more flexible router/gateway with the combination of both USB and Ethernet.  This lowered the price over several other design approaches and specifically addressed users with USB port equipment.  It is that flexibility that supports gaming and particularly gaming products like the Xbox.  And of course we built in a full rate ADSL modem that can take advantage of maximum ADSL bandwidth/speeds in both directions.  Other than that the X4 was not designed specifically for gaming and delivers the same advantages to any user with a mix of USB and Ethernet devices."

Q: If a game player has more than two units hooked up to this router, will they experience any file transfer degradation if more than one unit is being used simultaneously?

Gordon: "If multiple devices (gaming or machines) are accessing the Internet through the same single connection then yes,  there will be some performance degradation as the router must scan all outgoing/incoming packets and make the necessary adjustments. This will slow overall throughput. However, in our testing we noticed no noticeable slowdown in data throughput."

Q: In order to hook up multiple units, users will need an Ethernet hub? Are these all alike? What should a user look for in a hub?
 
Gordon: "Hubs can be passive or active. Active hubs being the ones that use power and will ‘amplify’ the signal. The majority of hubs now are Active and should be what is used.

"The X4 supports 10/100 Ethernet. Most hubs today do support the same and should also be what is used.  Also a user should acquire a hub with an Unlink or cross-port. This allows connection to other hubs. The X4 Ethernet connection is the same as a hub (DCE). Therefore when connecting the X4 to a hub you will need a Cross Ethernet Cable or a hub with an Uplink or Cross-port available. These ports can often be switched between straight and crossed so that the straight Ethernet cable that ships with the X4 can be used eliminating the need to obtain a Cross cable."

Q: The gaming world is ever changing. Online games are getting bigger, requiring more from the host system (whether PC or other platform). Do products like the ADSL X4 have staying power or will users need to upgrade them to keep pace with the evolving broadband and gaming technology?

Larry: "The X4 was designed to support full rate ADSL broadband and operates completely independently of the PC, being controller based.  This means that the X4 will deliver as much bandwidth as the user can obtain or wants to pay for from their service provider.  Games may demand more from the host system but that is not a factor for the X4 ADSL gateway; it simply delivers as much bandwidth as the user decides they need and can do that to the maximum rate of ADSL systems that are currently available from service providers."

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