Wi-Fi networking will move to the next generation in May, when Netgear begins shipping its first 802.11ac Wi-Fi router, the R6300.
Netgear's new router will enable gigabit wireless speeds, the company said, letting data to move three times faster than today's 802.11n routers. The R6300 will be priced at $199.99, Netgear said.
Specifically, the dual-band Netgear router will download files at speeds of 1.3 Gbits/s on the 5-GHz frequency and 450 Mbits/s on the 2.4-GHz frequency. The 2.4-GHz frequency is shared by legacy 802.11b and 802.11g, while legacy 802.11a products operate on the less-congested 5-GHz bands. The 802.11n standard straddles both, using an array of MIMO antennas to improve both signal coverage and throughput.
Netgear's R6300 is backwards-compatible with today's 802.11a/b/g/n devices.
What does this mean? Netgear's "AC1750" technology (as opposed to the N150, N300, N600, or N900 technology that differentiates the various tiers of 802.11n throughput) will allow users to send multiple streams of HD video across the wireless network, a capability that 802.11n technology doesn't allow, Netgear said.
Although Netgear is the first to make a formal 802.11ac product announcement, rivals may quickly throw their hats into the ring. In January, Broadcom announced its first 802.11ac silicon, following RedPine, TrendNet, Buffalo, and D-Link, which all showed off prototype routers. D-Link, for its part, claimed that its first 802.11ac products would be available in the second half of 2012.
Like the first 802.11n products, the first 802.11ac routers will be "pre-standard," designed to what the manufacturers believe will be the final standard. To ensure compatibility and interoperability, they will likely be updated via a firmware upgrade when the standard is finally ratified.
Broadcom is marketing the new chips as "5G Wi-Fi," playing off the constant upgrades in cellular technology, and those are the chips that Netgear has included.
"802.11ac is the next-generation of WiFi connectivity and is set to revolutionize the way we consume content wirelessly by delivering Internet speeds up to three times faster than consumers are used to experiencing," said David Henry, vice president of product management, retail products at Netgear, in a statement. "Netgear's leadership in the industry, and collaboration with Broadcom to introduce the first 802.11ac router, will future proof your network by ensuring your home is capable of supporting new faster 802.11ac devices as they begin to roll out this year."
Netgear's R6300 will include a pair of USB ports for attaching a printer or a storage devices, and will include ReadyShare technology that networks the attached USB printer as well as AirPrint, or printing from an iPad or iPhone.
The router is also DLNA-ready, and can detect multimedia files that can be played on a DLNA device elsewhere in the home via its MyShare app.
Netgear also said that the router's security will be turned on by default, and that it will not require a CD for installation. Parental controls are also included, covering PCs and Macs, but also smartphones and tablets.
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