Command Communications, Inc. -the inventors of the original fax switch -offers several cost-saving solutions targeted for the consumer and commercial communications market.

Command-comm's telephone line sharing devices (such as ASAP® 104, ASAP® 2080, ASAP® DR40, COMSWITCH® 3.0, COMSWITCH® 7500, and COMSWITCH® 5500) are designed to allow line-sharing. These devices are designed for the home office (SOHO) to automatically route incoming calls to a variety of telephone devices (typically telephones, fax machines, and/or computer modems).

Using one of these (rather inexpensive) devices can save you significantly in terms of multiple telephone line charges that you would have to pay otherwise to your local telephone company.

Some of the above mentioned devices allow your to connect three to four devices (telephone, answering machine, fax, and your data modem) to a single phone line. The later models work seamlessly with your DSL broadband signal provisioned using your good old POTS voice line.

All 3Com Firewall Routers, and Cable/ADSL Wireless Internet Gateways are delivered with factory default username, password; and have a preset IP address (e.g. 192.168.1.1, 192.168.2.1, or 192.168.254.254) bound to their network interfaces.

As you may see from the following documentation, configuration screens for most of these products can be accessed (using wired access or remotely over the air) using one of these methods: HTTP, Telnet, Serial Communication Port (using a Null Modem Cable), SNMP, etc.

It would not be prudent, therefore, to operate your 3Com wireless hardware using its factory default configuration settings. Considering how well known aforementioned factory default authentication settings are, operating your 3Com gear in factory default settings mode would effectively leave you with a completely insecure network.