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Netgear's N900 dual-band router hits 900Mbps top speed, pats itself on the back

Joseph Volpe
Entertainment Editor
Updated ·5 min read

Stopping just short of bundling its announcement with an "Eye of the Tiger" MP3, Netgear's rolling out the hyperbole carpet for its now available N900. Heralding it as "the most advanced wireless home router," the sleekly-designed $180 box packs six antennas for an extended WiFi range, and is capable of speeds up to 900Mbps -- that's with both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands delivering data at a full 450Mbps. Sure, TRENDnet's already called First! with its own 450Mbps concurrent dual-band device, but the real focus here is on the added extras. In addition to the two USB ports -- capable of 30% faster transfer rates -- Netgear's thrown in a suite of goodies, like its Genie network monitoring application, Live Parental Controls, printer sharing, video stream optimization, DLNA, gigabit wired ethernet, guest access, WPA and WPA2 security protocols, usage meter and, lastly, a shutoff timer. Clearly, this isn't your ordinary wireless router, and that's exactly the company's point. Click on past the break for the official presser.

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NETGEAR Sets the New Benchmark for Home WiFi Router Performance, Range and Functionality

The new NETGEAR N900 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router delivers the fastest WiFi speed, at up to 900 megabits per second combined, along with maximum wireless range and premium features

SAN JOSE, Calif. – September 14, 2011 - NETGEAR®, Inc. (NASDAQGM: NTGR), a global networking company that delivers innovative products to consumers, businesses and service providers, is setting a new benchmark for speed, range and premium features in home wireless routers with the N900 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router (model number: WNDR4500). The NETGEAR N900 router, available now, leaps ahead with up to 900 megabits per second of combined WiFi speed and greater WiFi range for maximum performance with even the most demanding tasks, such as wireless 3D and HD video streaming, multiplayer gaming and backing up big files.
With up to 50 percent more speed in the 2.4 GHz band than the current generation of 750 Mbps routers, the NETGEAR N900 can support a full 450 Mbps in both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. The NETGEAR N900's six highly sensitive internal antennas, boosted by ultra-high-power radio amplifiers, provide more WiFi range – and more wireless speed at any given distance – than any other competing home router available today.
Beyond speed and range, the NETGEAR N900 offers a long list of advanced features that make home networks more useful and easier to manage. There are two USB ports, for example, to simultaneously share a printer and a USB hard drive or flash drive across the home network. Saving and retrieving files through the network from a USB drive is up to 30 percent faster with the NETGEAR N900 than any router now on the market, thanks to a more powerful processor.
Setting up the NETGEAR N900 is quick and easy. There's no CD required for installation, and the router can be configured through a browser on PCs, Macs, smartphones, the iPad and other tablets.
Also bundled with the NETGEAR N900 WiFi router is the NETGEAR GenieTM, a free utility for PCs and Macs, that presents a simple dashboard for monitoring, controlling and repairing home networks; viewing devices connected to the router through a network map; and accessing many router features.

NETGEAR Live Parental Controls on the NETGEAR N900 give parents a centralized, flexible and reliable way to establish what web sites their children visit and what times of day they can go online for all devices on the network, including Windows PCs, Macs, smartphones and tablets. Children and teenagers no longer need Mom and Dad looking over their shoulders, parents have peace of mind and – best of all – it comes absolutely free, with no subscription fee.
Among the additional premium features of the NETGEAR N900 are:

  • ReadySHARE® Printer – USB printers plugged into the NETGEAR N900 can be accessed by any computer linked to the home network. There's no need to buy a new printer with built-in WiFi to print wirelessly.

  • Guest network access. Through the browser interface or the NETGEAR Genie utility, it's simple to set up a guest network, so visitors can go online without having to be given the home network password and without gaining access to computers, printers, storage drives and other home-network devices.

  • DLNA. A USB hard drive plugged into the router becomes a powerful DLNA media server for sharing entertainment content stored on the drive – such as video, music and photos – to DLNA-certified, Internet-ready consumer electronic devices including televisions, Blu-rayTM players and game consoles.

  • Advanced Quality of Service. By prioritizing video streams over other home network traffic, advanced Quality of Service (QoS) provides the best possible viewing experience for online video.

  • Gigabit wired Ethernet. There are four high-speed gigabit Ethernet ports for ultra-fast wired connections.

  • Security. The router supports WPA and WPA2 protocols for WiFi, has double firewall (SPI and NAT) protection against Internet threats, and provides Denial of Service (DoS) attack prevention.

  • Scheduled WiFi off. To conserve power, the WiFi radios inside the N900 can be turned off on a custom schedule. In an office setting, for example, WiFi could be turned off automatically during weekends.

  • Access Point mode. Through the browser interface, the N900 can be set to function as a WiFi access point, which can be connected to any router. This allows the N900 to connect to a gateway from an Internet service provider, for example, to expand household WiFi coverage and significantly increase home network speed among networked devices.

  • Usage meter. Monitors Internet data consumption and can send customized alerts when usage is close to monthly bandwidth limits, avoiding costly overage fees for those with metered service plans.

"NETGEAR is very proud to introduce the world's most advanced wireless home router," said Sandeep Harpalani, Senior Product Line Manager for Wireless Networking at NETGEAR. "The NETGEAR N900 stands alone in delivering ultimate wireless speed, range and premium features, while the router's easy-to-use browser-based installation and NETGEAR Genie will help even the most non-technical users explore and enjoy all the possibilities of a modern home network."

Pricing and Availability
The NETGEAR N900 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router (WNDR4500) is available now in the United States at $179.99 and will be available worldwide this winter.
More information
To learn more about the NETGEAR N900 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router, please visit http://www.netgear.com/ultimatewifi.