Netgear Draft-N Products Labelled RangeMax NEXT.

Written by Adam Gosling

Wednesday, 12 July 2006

The NETGEAR draft-N family of wireless networking product is available in Australia from today offering a 270Mbps solution that includes a wireless router and notebook adapter, but no PCI desktop solution. The Draft 802.11n products are being made available what must be a year ahead of the standards process completion, but customer demand for solutions capable of streaming multiple video/audio/data feeds (and competitive pressure) is forcing all the SMB/consumer networking manufacturers to bring their products to market well ahead of schedule. The WNR834B RangeMax NEXT Wireless Router and WN511B RangeMax NEXT fall into this category and unless you are a real stickler about standards compliance, if you want faster Wi-Fi, you may as well go out and get your self hooked up with one of these Draft N spec'd devices. Linksys announced its own Draft N spec wireless gear a week or so ago and it will be interesting to see whether these two families interoperate together. The vendors are claiming extensive interoperability testing, so you could be okay. Where you might hit a sticking point is in a year's time when the final standard is ratified. Since nobody knows exactly what will come out at the other end of the standard process, there's no guarantee that the hardware you buy today can be upgraded to full standards compliance through a software upgrade. But as we've said before, the prices charged for WLAN gear these days means that unless you need to buy dozens of these things it could be worth upgrading now and then replacing them once the standard is finalised. Doing that will deliver 15 times the transfer speed and 10 times the range than sticking with the best standard on offer (802.11g) so if your environment and needs makes this worth while, you'll want to take a look at this new hardware. "Today's networking environment is extremely taxing on bandwidth capabilities and consumers are demanding products with faster speeds to better meet their IT requirements," said NETGEAR's Asia-Pacific Vice President, Ian McLean. "In addition to sheer bandwidth, it is especially critical for applications such as video streaming to have connections that are stable anywhere on the wireless network. NETGEAR's RangeMax NEXT products deliver the ultra-fast wireless speeds required to simultaneously support multiple bandwidth-intensive applications, high-definition video streaming and other signal-quality-sensitive applications, while providing high-quality connectivity throughout the home or office," he said. Unlike the Linksys access point we reported on here, the NETGEAR gear has an internal antenna system putting the WNR834B router into a neat and tidy form factor. The device maintains compatibility with 802.11b/g products In addition, NETGEAR's is using what it calls ‘Steady-Stream' technology which ensures the RangeMax NEXT wireless products deliver the most stable connection possible of any wireless networking solution available. The WNR834B RangeMax NEXT Wireless Router is priced at $299 (RRP) and WN511B Notebook Adapter is priced at $229 (RRP). Here are some more details on the WNR834B RangeMax NEXT Wireless Router: Facilitates backwards compatibility with 802.11b and 802.11g WiFi. Utilises advanced MIMO (Multi-In, Multi-Out) technology. Supports multiple simultaneous signal-quality-sensitive applications such as streaming high-definition videos throughout the entire home, making Internet telephone calls (VoIP), sharing files, downloading MP3s, and playing network games. Delivers stable, application-enhancing connections using Steady-Stream technology. Interoperates at up to 270 Mbps with other products powered with Intensi-fiTM. Includes the following robust security features: NAT and SPI firewalls, 64 and 128-bit WEP encryption, WiFi Protected Access Pre-Shared Key (WPA-PSK and WPA2-PSK), Denial of Service (DoS) attack protection, Intrusion Detection and Prevention (IDS), and Exposed Host (DMZ) for secure gaming. Related news items D-Link Boosts Draft N Range -30/07/2007 New ToughBook Hitting The Streets -25/02/2007 Aepona Announces Cellular to WiFi Roaming Solution based on VCC Specifications -13/02/2007 Linksys Releases Draft-N For SMBs -30/01/2007 Symbol Builds A Bridge Between RFID and WLAN -07/12/2006 Newer news items aql Offers Brits Free WoVLAN From Mobiles -05/09/2006 New Atheros Silicon To Lower Pre-N Cost -30/08/2006 The End Of Open WLAN Standards -16/08/2006 Linksys RangeBooster Plays Nicely With Other Nets -07/08/2006 WLAN Cams Get Tilt/Pan -23/07/2006 Older news items Draft n Gets Interoperability Showcase -31/05/2006 802.11n Hits Another Snag -03/05/2006 Netgear Goes Ahead With Draft 802.11n -07/03/2006 NEW NORTEL ENTERPRISE WLAN RANGE -19/02/2006 802.11N TO REACH 600 MBPS -08/02/2006 Tag This Now: