Geekspeak: December 10, 2001

If radio-frequency wireless links are too insecure for your taste, why not move up the electromagnetic spectrum to nearly intercept-proof point-to-point laser? This Freespace Lite laser node, shown at Comdex by British vendor Akhter Computers (www.akhter.com), is ready to keep you connected at Ethernet speed across distances of up to 1,000 feet; high-end Freespace Turbo nodes carry up to 155M-bps ATM or 100M-bps FDDI or Fast Ethernet traffic for as far as 2,500 feet.

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For rapid deployment, claimed as only 2 hours from box to connection, each node includes a telescopic sight and electronic alignment aids; an automatic lens defroster kicks in below 37 degrees Fahrenheit. The system is built by SilCom Manufacturing Technology, of Mississauga, Ontario (www.silcomtech.com).