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Netgear D6300 mates 802.11ac WiFi with ADSL, risks one heck of a mismatch
When Netgear teased a next-generation cable gateway with 802.11ac WiFi, it seemed like a natural fit: WiFi that was a perfect complement to 100Mbps-plus internet speeds. Its new D6300 (not pictured here) isn't necessarily in quite in such equilibrium, depending on just who you have as an internet provider. The hardware is billed as the first ADSL modem and router combo with 802.11ac built-in, but you'll need to use the gigabit Ethernet WAN jack with a fiber or cable internet link to get the most out of that fast wireless at home -- stick to the ADSL2+ and you'll face the wonderfully lopsided combination of a 1.3Gbps WiFi router with a maximum 24Mbps internet pipe. If home network speeds trump what you'll need for the outside world, you'll still get many of the benefits of Netgear's flagship R6300, including USB printer and storage sharing. Netgear starts selling the D6300 through stores in October, although it may be just as likely to come in the arms of a DSL install technician as your own.
Demon aims to please British gamers with 'very low latency,' traffic-prioritizing broadband service
You could well be a pro at getting virtual headshots, but without a decent internet connection, your shooting is just as good as a baby weeing aimlessly at the ceiling. As such, Demon -- which may or may not be a hint about the operator -- reckons some obsessed gamers wouldn't mind switching over to its £21.99 ($34.19) per month Game Pro service, in return for a low latency ADSL2+ broadband connection of up to 20Mbps downstream and 1Mbps upstream. Sure, this is hardly a bargain compared to other 20Mbps offerings, but with traffic prioritization, a static IP address, and 24-hour support all in the box, you might actually start winning for a change.
Russia's Comstar officially launches HDTV
Following up on a soft launch back in February, Comstar has gone all out with its STREAM high definition IPTV service in Moscow. Coming hand in hand with a speed bump to 20Mb/s this is all a part of the company's ongoing fiber / ADSL2 rollout, offering three HDTV channels -- MelodyZen, Voom TV and Luxe TV -- for RUB 200 ($8 U.S.), and HD VOD movies for $4 U.S. each. Although the launch is a bit behind schedule, plans to reach 80% of subscribers by the end of '09 are still in motion, but we're left wondering why Discovery HD didn't make the final cut.
Russian IPTV provider Comstar launches HDTV service
As expected, Russia is getting an influx of HDTV, now that Comstar-Direct has soft launched its high definition service. Featuring the Discovery HD, MelodyZen, Luxe TV and Voom HD channels, plus 10 HD movies via VOD. The IPTV service runs over ADSL2+ modems and HDTV decoders Comstar plans to roll out over the next two years as part of its modernization project. The EngadgetHD Russia readership will hopefully be part of the 80% of Comstar subscribers expected to have HDTV access -- and some additional channels -- by the end of 2009.
