Sunday, April 29

Netgear Launches world's first “802.11ac Wi-Fi” Router



To gear up the wireless market, Netgear recently declared the release of the world's first router which will use Broadcom's 5G Wi-Fi 802.11ac chips. These chips are apparently capable of delivering higher data rates of around 1.5Gbits/sec on wireless links. However, there aren't any compatible devices out in the market yet.

The WiFi Router R6300 is believed to be up to 3 times faster than today's 802.11n routers, with striking speeds up to 1.3Gbps on 5GHz band and 450Mbps on 2.4GHz band. Though the company hasn’t yet specified anything about the Broadcom chip model on which its routers will be based, but the mentioned speeds indicate that it will probably use the high end BCM4360 chips.
Though the Broadcom's 802.11ac chips should provide 40 to 60% better range compared to today’s 802.11n but practically the overall throughput will vary contingently by the environment as well as the surrounding blockades.
Talking about the software aspect, the router will be expected to provide the following features:
  • Netgear Genie - which will be used to configure and monitor the network through a computer or even a smartphone.
  • MyMedia – along with DLNA, will support to stream video and photos.
  • ReadyShare Printer – which will be used to turn any printer into a fully operational network as it hosts two built-in USB ports.
  • Pre-configured wireless security – which will employ latest security tools to keep Wi-Fi intruders away from the network.
  • AirPrint
  • Parental controls


It seems that the Wi-Fi Alliance is not likely to officially ratify the 802.11ac specification till sometime around Quarter 1, 2013. However, this revolutionary Netgear R6300 WiFi Router will likely to be available by May this year, with starting price of about $199.99.

No comments: