Note: The Freeway 500 is no longer in production. New installations should use a Freeway 3115, a Freeway 3215, or a Freeway 3415 instead.

Our smallest and lightest WAN server, the Freeway 500 supports up to 8 serial ports, but consumes only a 1U space (about 1.75 inch) in a 19-inch rack. A single 10/100 Ethernet LAN connection is standard, and a single PCI slot is available to accommodate either an Intelligent Communications Processor board (which manages the serial ports), or a second Ethernet interface. A hard disk or flash disk can be used for local storage of boot parameters and for custom network applications.

1. Intelligent Communications Processor boards (ICPs) manage the legacy protocols and contain serial ports that connect to the WAN. The Freeway 500 uses an ICP2432 board.


2. The maximum number of ports depends on the electrical interface. The larger number is the maximum ports when using the EIA-232 electrical interface. The smaller number is the maximum ports for all other electrical interfaces.


3. The optional second Ethernet interface occupies the PCI slot normally occupied by an ICP board. Therefore, when configured for Dual Ethernet, the Freeway 500 cannot have an ICP board installed, and thus cannot connect to any serial WAN lines. (This configuration might be used to convert and route data over IP LANs, for example).


4. The flash disk is optional; if specified, it replaces the IDE hard disk.


5. Weight excludes ICP board and second Ethernet interface.

The unit is encased in a black, 1U rackmount-type chassis which is 17 inches wide (19 inches to the outside of the rack-mount ears), 19 inches deep, and 1.75 inches tall. Airflow is from front to back, with two fans blowing air into the case from the front, and a single fan built into the power supply blowing air out of the case at the back.

A full-width door at the front of the unit swings downward to expose the power-on/off and reset switches and to give access to the floppy and CDROM drives. Power, hard-disk-activity, and LAN-activity LEDs on the front panel are visible either with the door open or closed. The reset and power-on/off switches, the floppy drive, and the CDROM drive are accessible only when the door is opened.

Connectors for a VGA monitor, a keyboard, a serial console, and a 10BaseT/100BaseTX Ethernet cable are available at the back of the chassis. The WAN connector or additional ethernet connector is also at the back of the chassis (WAN connector if an ICP board is installed; additional ethernet connector if a second ethernet interface is installed).

Refer to the Freeway 500 Installation Guide for further information.