1/8/2008 -- Cisco Systems Inc. made a splash at this week's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, announcing new television set-top boxes, a new IP "Home Gateway" offering, a new DOCSIS 3.0-compliant cable modem (which Cisco says can deliver speeds up to 100 Mbps) and -- on the Linksys front -- a new triple-play router along with a host of other Linksys consumer offerings.

It's the latest indication that Cisco, a perennial power in the enterprise and carrier segments, is becoming -- or, at any rate, is trying to recast itself -- as a force to be reckoned with in the consumer segment, too.

For the record, Cisco announced new additions to its 8500HDC Series of set-top boxes, which it says deliver additional features and technology innovations. "The 8500HDC DVR is vastly improved and has new features that surpass the PC you bought two years ago," said Bob McIntyre, chief technical officer of Cisco's Service Provider Group, in a statement.

Elsewhere, Cisco unveiled its new IP Services Gateway, which it says consolidates network-based and home-based applications in one device. The idea, according to Cisco, is that consumers can use their set-top and flat-panel televisions to watch videos, listen to downloaded music and view photos stored on their PCs.

"The Cisco IP Services Gateway represents a significant inflection point where consumers can use a single device to access both the Internet and all of its user-generated content, and the service providers' managed video content network," said JT Taylor, director of product marketing at Cisco's Scientific Atlanta subsidiary, in a prepared release.

Cisco also announced a new DOCSIS 3.0 cable modem offering, the Cisco Channel-Bonded Cable Modem, Model DPC3000. It boosts access to on-demand services, delivers feature-rich entertainment and communication capabilities, and also lets service providers optimize existing bandwidth.

Cisco's Linksys subsidiary also had a busy CES. For starters, Linksys announced the Wireless-G Broadband Router with 2 Phone Ports, also known as the WRP400. Linksys positions the WRP400 as "an ideal addition" for consumers and SOHOs that want to make the most of triple-play networking capabilities, along with service providers interested in broadening their networking offerings.

Linksys plans to debut a number of new "Ultra RangePlus" products at CES, including:

• Wireless-N Gigabit Router (WRT310N)
• Wireless-N Broadband Router (WRT160N)
• Dual-Band Wireless-N USB Notebook Adapter (WUSB600N)
• Dual-Band Wireless-N ExpressCard Adapter (WEC600N)
• Dual-Band Wireless-N Gaming Adapter (WGA600N)

In addition, Linksys is showcasing its EasyLink Advisor (LELA), an enhanced network setup and management tool that serves as a "network advisor in a box" for consumers. --Stephen Swoyer