Featured Threads Archive

TP-Link announced its budget-friendly Deco W2400 dual-band Wi-Fi system - a $99 AC1200 two-node mesh kit that can be purchased exclusively in-store at Walmart or on Walmart.com.

The product looks like a re-branded bundle of the three node Deco M4, announced last month, with per-node pricing reduced to $50 from $60.

TP-Link says the Deco W2400 kit covers up 3,000 sq. ft., connecting up to 100 devices. Additional nodes can also be added for expanded coverage.

Through Walmart, TP-Link is able to introduce mesh networking features, such as seamless roaming, adaptive path selection and self-healing, to a broader audience that would usually not consider mesh networking as a cost-effective home solution.

Other Deco W2400 features include user profiles, parental controls (set time limits and content filtering),...

Composed of EnGenius’ recently announced ESR530 wireless mesh router and a single EMD11 (AKA MESHdot) wall-pluggable mesh node, the AC1300 MESHdot Kit wireless system is now shipping and priced at $99 MSRP.

Powered by Qualcomm’s 717 MHz quad-core processor and a 4x ARM Cortex A7 processor, respectively, and armed with omni-directional antennas, the ESR530 and EMD11 produce maximum link rates of 400 Mbps @ 2.4 GHz and 867 Mbps @ 5 GHz. For larger spaces, the MESHdot Kit can expand up to eight EMD11 MESHdots nodes.

MESHdot Kit works with two EnGenius apps; the EnMesh app is used for setting up the MESHdot kit and managing features such as Parental Control, while the EnFile app lets customers create their own cloud-like file services using USB storage attached to the ESR530 router.

Interfaces on the ESR530 include two GbE ports...

The first Wi-Fi performance test standard will change the way we test Wi-Fi products.

Continue reading on SmallNetBuilder.

TP-Link’s new set of compact-sized USB adapters include the Archers T3U, T2U Nano, and T2U Plus. All three products are dual-band wireless AC devices, support WPA and WPA2 encryption protocols and are Windows 10/8.1/8/7/XP and Mac OS X compatible.

Starting with the T3U, this new mini wireless USB adapter is the only one in this set supporting MU-MIMO and USB 3.0 ports. An AC1300 device, the T3U is also the fastest of the three new adapters with maximum link rates 400 Mbps @ 2.4 GHz and 867 Mbps @ 5 GHz.

TP-Link also introduces two AC600 T2U models. The T2U Nano is a low-profile version of this USB adapter line, while the larger T2U Plus is the larger wireless adapter that includes 256QAM support and an adjustable 5dBi high-gain multi-directional antenna. Both T2U models have maximum link rates of 200 Mbps @ 2.4 GHz and 433 Mbps @ 5 GHz.

As for availability, all three TP-Link USB adapters can be bought online in April, starting with...

The next-generation Wi-Fi Protected Access protocol released 15 months ago was once hailed by key architects as resistant to most types of password-theft attacks that threatened its predecessors. On Wednesday, researchers disclosed several serious design flaws in WPA3 that shattered that myth.
Continue reading on ArsTechnica

With an MSRP of $69.99, EnGenius’ new ESR530 is a dual-band wireless AC router that can grow up to an 8-node wireless mesh network.

Powered by Qualcomm, the new mesh product was designed for the consumer market and includes seamless roaming and self-healing - functions typically found in today’s mesh wireless systems.

Customers can attach a USB storage device to the ESR530 and use EnGenius’ EnFile app to access their stored data from their mobile devices, giving them remote access from where ever they are. A second app, EnMesh, is a management tool that lets customers set up and manage their ESR530-based network remotely, letting owners manage features like guest networking and parental controls. Additional ESR530 nodes are easily added with the router’s auto-connect feature, simplifying the growth of a bigger wireless network.

The EnGenius ESR530 is available...

NETGEAR today took the wraps off its low-cost draft 802.11ax router, based on Intel's Wi-Fi 6 platform.

The RAX40 Nighthawk AX4 4-Stream AX3000 is a dual-band two-stream Wi-Fi 6 router supporting maximum link rates of 600 Mbps in 2.4 GHz @ 40 MHz bandwidth and 2400 Mbps in 5 GHz @ 160 MHz bandwidth. The RAX40 runs on Intel's WAV600 Home Wi-Fi chipset platform that includes a "powerful" (no clock rate was given) dual-core processor, 512 MB of RAM and 256 MB of flash. Port complement includes one WAN and four switched LAN (all Gigabit Ethernet) and one USB 3.0 port for storage sharing.

The RAX40 is the second Intel-based draft 11ax router to be announced, but will likely be the first to ship. ASUS announced its RT-AX58U at CES...

TP-Link’s new dual-band Deco M4 is a 3-node Wi-Fi system targeting customers looking for full home coverage, up to 5,500 sq. ft – per TP-Link, at an affordable price.

Priced at $179.99, Deco M4 is a Qualcomm-powered AC1200 wireless system using two internal antennas per Deco unit that run at maximum link rates of 300 Mbps @ 2.4 GHz and 867 Mbps @ 5 GHz.

Each Deco unit also includes two GbE ports which support Router/AP modes and an optional Ethernet Backhaul function. Being a mesh network product, the Deco M4 Wi-Fi system supports both seamless roaming (IEEE 802.11k/v/r) and self-healing operations.

Other features include compatibility with Amazon Alexa and IFTTT, adaptive path selection (APS), AP steering, band steering and beamforming. Deco M4 also uses TP-Link’s Deco app, for iOS and Android, to set up the wireless network, as well as for adjusting parental controls.

The...

One of two EnGenius 802.11ax APs we posted about in late 2018, the Qualcomm-powered EWS357AP will launch today, targeting SMBs wanting to journey into Wi-Fi 6 territory. The new low-profile access point will feature OFDMA, uplink and downlink of MU-MIMO, BSS coloring tags and power-saving target wake time, as well as enterprise level deployment and management tools.

Available now, the EnGenius EWS357AP has an MSRP of $189. As for the second previously announced AP, the 4x4 802.11ax SMB EWS377AP, details were not available.

ON announced the acquisition Wednesday afternoon, saying it was buying Quantenna for $24.50 a share.

The acquisition will bolster ON Semiconductor’s connectivity portfolio.

As of the end of last year, Quantenna had 415 employees, up from 380 a year earlier. It turned a profit of about $3 million in 2018 on $220.5 million in revenue.
[Full story on Phoenix Business Journal]
[Quantenna press release]

TP-Link is introducing a six-product Wi-Fi 5 Archer A wireless router family. Marketed as being priced 20% to 30% less than their competitors’ routers, the Archer A Series wireless routers range from $39.99 to $199.99 each.

Maximum link rates, interfaces, pricing and highlighted features for TP-Link’s Archer A Series include:

• Archer A5 AC1200 Wireless Dual-Band Router – 300 Mbps @ 2.4 GHz and 867 Mbps @ 5 GHz, five Gbps ports (four LAN, one WAN), $39.99.
  • Two external antennas
  • Access Point mode
  • Bandwidth Control
  • Parental Controls
  • Access Control

• Archer A6 AC1200 Wireless MU-MIMO Gigabit Router – 300 Mbps @ 2.4 GHz and 867 Mbps @ 5 GHz, five Gbps ports (four LAN, one WAN), $49.99.
  • Four external antennas and one internal antenna
  • Beamforming
  • Access Point mode

...

Powered by NetDuma’s DumaOS, a dual-core 1 GHz processor, and 128 MB Flash and 512 MB RAM, NETGEAR’s new dual-band Nighthawk Pro Gaming XR300 Wi-Fi Router includes several features catering to improve customers' overall gaming experience.

Features designed to minimize lag include a customizable gaming dashboard used to tweak the router’s controls, including QoS to prioritize gaming devices, Geo Filtering, and identifying bandwidth hogs with network monitoring, as well as other known features like Beamforming, VPN support, ReadySHARE Vault, and the Nighthawk app used for setup and remote management.

Aside from having a wireless maximum link rate of 1750 Mbps (450Mbps @2.4GHz and [email protected]) , the XR300 includes four Gigabit LAN ports, a single Gigabit WAN port, and an unspecified USB port for file sharing.

Available next month, NETGEAR’s AC1750 Nighthawk Pro Gaming XR300 WiFi Router will...

If you have a spare $600 lying around and want to jump into the swirling waters that are today's draft 11ax/Wi-Fi 6 router market, you might be interested in NETGEAR's new Tri-Band draft 11ax router.

The Nighthawk RAX200 Tri-Band AX12 12-Stream Wi-Fi 6 Router joins ASUS's "AX1100" class ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 in the Wi-Fi 6 three-radio router rodeo. But the RAX200's $600 price point is $150 higher than ASUS's current $450 for the GT-AX1100.

Both are based on Broadcom's draft 11ax platform, with three four-stream draft 802.11ax radios supporting maximum link rates of 1.2 Gbps in 2.4 GHz and 4.8 Gbps on each 5 GHz radio. The heart of the RAX200 is a 64 bit quad-core processor running at 1.8 GHz backed by 1 GB of DDR3 RAM and 512 MB of flash.

Port complement includes five Gigabit and one 2.5/1 Gbps...

The Qualcomm Mesh Networking Development Kit was created to facilitate integration of Amazon’s Alexa Voice Service, the key component driving Amazon's portion of the smart home market. Designed to help quickly develop Alexa integrated mesh Wi-Fi systems, the new development kit adds additional components to the existing Qualcomm Mesh Networking Platform, including:

• IPQ4019 integrated network processor
• Integrated audio decoding and post-processing
• Multi-microphone FFV (far field voice) and WWD (wake word detection)
• Support for various I/O technologies
• Full software stack of the Qualcomm Mesh Networking Platform

Using Meeami Technologies’ ClearVoice far-field voice enhancement software to integrate Alexa, OEMs can use Qualcomm’s newest development kit to build products that can take advantage of higher quality speech recognition, and capable of working in noisier home environments.

For more information on...

If you're looking for a smartphone to go along with your Wi-Fi 6 router, it looks like you'll be able to get one soon from Samsung.

The company today announced the Galaxy S10, S10 Plus, S10E and S10 5G. All are powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 that handles 4G radio duties. The 5G model uses a Qualcomm X50 5G modem that handles both both millimeter wave (28GHz and 39GHz) and sub-6GHz 5G bands.

For Wi-Fi 6, however, Samsung decided to use Broadcom's BCM4375 instead of the draft 11ax radio built into the Snapdragon 855.

The S10, S10 Plus, and S10E will be available for preorders tomorrow at 12AM ET (midnight), starting at $900, $1,000, and $750, respectively.

This is much more aggressive push to the U.S. market for Wi-Fi 6 than for Wi-Fi 5 (80211ac). It took about two years between the shipment of draft 11ac routers and 11ac phones in the U.S....

The two-node Covr-2202 tri-band Wi-Fi system, announced in 2018’s CES, has finally been released. The new AC2200 Wi-Fi system is a consumer mesh Wi-Fi product that includes Smart Roaming for seamless transitions between nodes using a single SSID, and Smart Steering that lets devices use the best possible band available.

Using built-in vertical and horizontal antennas, the Covr-2202 tri-band system boosts wireless performance by using its 2.4 GHz band and one of its 5 GHz bands for wireless devices, while using the remaining 5GHz band for backhaul communication between the two Wi-Fi system nodes.

Aside from a D-Link touted 6,000 square foot range, the Covr-2202 also includes MU-MIMO, parental controls, built-in compatibility for Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, an app-based management interface (iOS...

Amazon to Acquire eero to Help Customers Better Connect Smart Home Devices

Amazon announced today that it has signed an agreement to acquire eero, a company that offers products and services for high-performing, reliable, and simple home WiFi

SEATTLE & SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 11, 2019-- Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) and eero today announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Amazon will acquire eero. eero’s home mesh WiFi systems set up in minutes and blanket every room of a customer’s home in high-performing, reliable WiFi. eero is already delighting Amazon customers with its products and services, as indicated by eero’s 4.6-star product rating on Amazon.com.

Full press release

The dual-band TP-Link RE220 is a three-stream AC750 wireless range extender supporting maximum link rates of 300 Mbps at 2.4 GHz and 433 Mbps at 5 GHz. Compact in size, the TP-Link RE220 has a wall mount design that plugs directly into an electrical outlet.

Managing the RE220 is done via a cloud-based ID and by using TP-Link’s Tether app, also used for other TP-Link products as well, providing services such as parental controls, setup and security.

Other features include an wireless adapter functionality and AP-mode -both using RE220’s ethernet jack, dual-band backup, APS for seamless connections when traveling between the router and extender, WPS, and cloud-based firmware updates.

The TP-Link RE220 Wi-Fi range extender is available now, for 29.99, on Amazon.

Using USB 3.0 Type-C, QNAP’s 4-bay hardware RAID storage expansion device, the TR-004, can be attached to either a personal computer or a NAS, increasing storage while supporting RAID 0/1/5/10 and JBOD configurations. RAID settings, as well as disk health, logging, and firmware updates are all managed using QNAP’s External RAID Manager utility when the TR-004 is attached to a PC. Alternatively, users attaching their TR-004 to a NAS can manage RAID settings and storage pools using the Storage and Snapshots app included within the QTS operating system.

Other mentioned QNAP TR-004 features include exFAT support, sleep mode when the attached PC or NAS shuts down, sleeps or gets disconnected, status indicators, one-touch copy, ejection button for disconnecting from a PC/NAS, lockable drives, and lastly, physical dip switches that provide an alternative way to configure RAID settings on the TR-004.

Pricing for the...

Arris moved strongly into the growing Wi-Fi 6 consumer market with the announcement of its SURFboard mAX Pro Wi-Fi 6 Mesh Wi-Fi System.

The AX11000 class system will support maximum link rates of 1200 Mbps on its 2.4 GHz radio and 4800 Mbps on both 5 GHz radios. The second 5 GHz radio will typically be used as a dedicated backhaul link.

Aside from its four GbE ports and support for 2 GbE WAN link aggregation, the sleekly designed AX1100 is backwards compatible with 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, uses a SURFboard mAX Manager app for administration, has band steering, provides parental controls, and is compatible with Alexa.

Pricing for ARRIS’ SURFboard mAX Pro Wi-Fi 6 Mesh Wi-Fi System (AX11000) hasn’t been set yet, however ARRIS says its new Wi-Fi system will be available during the first half of 2019. ARRIS will also release a single router...