Bigfoot brings Killer bandwidth management to laptops via Wireless N module
Good news for the Bigfoot faithful -- the bandwidth management technology that's been making your desktop gaming experience smoother for years is just about ready for the laptop sector. When we spoke with the company's leadership back at Computex, they hinted strongly that infiltrating the mobile gaming space was a top priority, and it seems as if the stars have finally aligned for that to happen. The company's new Killer Wireless-N 1103 and 1102 half-size mini-PCIe adapters are suited for use in pretty much any laptop on the market, with the primary difference between two being available streams: the former utilizes three-stream MIMO for data rates as high as 450Mbps, while the latter relies on a two-stream MIMO setup capable of pushing 300Mbps. Both units will have Advanced Stream Detect and Visual Bandwidth Control, which should make your wireless gaming and videocall sessions smoother, more reliable and more predictable, regardless of what the network situation is. We're still waiting in tense anticipation for who Bigfoot plans to partner with here, but we're guessing that the gaming mainstays will be all over this in no time flat. Keep it locked for more as we get it.
Update: Looks like Bigfoot has come clean with its partner lineup. Killer Wireless-N adapters will be introduced this month inside gaming and media notebook PCs from leading vendors including AVA Direct, CyberPower, iBuyPower, Maingear, Origin PC, Sager, The V-Machine, Velocity Micro and others.
Show full PR text
BIGFOOT NETWORKS KILLER™ WIRELESS-N ADAPTERS DELIVER
BREAKTHROUGH WI-FI® PERFORMANCE FOR NOTEBOOKS
Killer™ Wireless-N Pushes Boundaries of Wi-Fi® for Online Games, HD Video and High-Quality Audio
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – March 1, 2011 – Bigfoot Networks, the technology company behind the Killer™ line of networking products for online games, today introduced its new Killer™ Wireless-N family of high-performance Wi-Fi® adapters. Leveraging Bigfoot Networks' exclusive Killer™ Wireless Technology and the latest 802.11n features, Killer Wireless-N adapters perform up to five times faster than competing products, combining superior wireless networking speeds with intelligence and control. Bringing unprecedented networking capabilities, Bigfoot Networks delivers the optimal experience to the notebook PC for online games, HD video and high-quality audio.
Killer Wireless-N adapters are designed to fulfill consumers' growing appetite for online gaming, on-demand media and other time-sensitive applications. Recent studies forecast that worldwide consumer Internet traffic related to online gaming, IP communications, online video and audio will grow 500% by 2014 . 47.5 million people already play online games in the United States , and online video viewing is up 45% over last year . Skype, meanwhile, expects users to spend 190 billion minutes per year on online communications, with 40% of those calls using video .
The popularity of online applications is pushing existing network solutions to the limit, which results in freezing, stuttering, lower-quality audio and video and a generally poor user experience. Killer Wireless-N adapters tackle these challenges with technology Bigfoot Networks perfected for the demanding and competitive PC gaming market.
"Popular online applications like gaming, Voice over IP (VoIP) and HD video are some of the most sensitive to latency and packet loss over Wi-Fi connections," said Bigfoot Networks CEO Michael Howse. "With our innovative networking technology and advanced 802.11n hardware, Killer Wireless-N adapters not only accelerate performance for online games, they also reduce stuttering, excessive buffering and other annoyances in video chat and on-demand entertainment services. You can watch Internet TV, listen to streaming music or play a first-person shooter while downloading a huge e-mail attachment, and not miss a thing. It's a powerful new online experience for notebook users."
Killer Wireless-N adapters support IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n standards, operate on 2.4 GHz and 5GHz frequency bands and come in a half-size mini-PCIe form factor for integration with the latest notebook models from leading PC manufacturers. Killer Wireless-N 1103 and 1102 adapters deliver industry-leading data rates of up to 450 Mbps and 300 Mbps, respectively, using range-enhancing 802.11n technologies that yield higher data throughput rates over longer distances. Killer Wireless-N adapters also offer reduced power consumption and Wi-Fi Direct™ peer-to-peer technology to ensure heightened flexibility for today's mobile lifestyle.
Exclusive Killer™ Wireless Technology optimizations give Killer Wireless-N adapters the unique ability to adapt to flows of data from different applications. Advanced Stream Detect™ technology automatically classifies and prioritizes latency-sensitive network traffic for online games, HD video and high-quality audio, providing better control and fewer interruptions. Teamed with Bigfoot Networks' Visual Bandwidth Control™ technology, it enables users to view and control network traffic for each application in real time using a simple, intuitive interface. The result is an unrivalled online media solution for notebook computers.
Key technology features include:
• Cutting-Edge 11n Performance – Up to five times better latency than leading competitors and enhanced rate-over-range performance. 3-stream MIMO on the Killer Wireless-N 1103 adapter enables data rates up to 450 Mbps . 2-stream MIMO on the Killer Wireless-N 1102 adapter enables data rates up to 300 Mbps .
• Advanced Stream Detect™ – Automatically classifies and prioritizes online games, HD video and high-quality audio for better quality and fewer interruptions in your online experience.
• Visual Bandwidth Control™ – Lets users see which applications are hogging bandwidth and tune performance for each, so they don't interfere with online gameplay or multimedia applications. Offers the freedom to download files or watch a video or browse the web simultaneously.
• PC Monitor™ – Monitor and manage wireless notebook PC health and performance with graphical displays and detailed logging via an intuitive user interface.
About Bigfoot Networks
Bigfoot Networks is a leading networking technology company that develops hardware and software solutions that significantly improve the online gaming experience. Its products are designed to provide maximum network performance for online gaming and other real time applications. To learn more, visit Bigfoot Networks at http://www.bigfootnetworks.com.
