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Netgear launches bevy of new 802.11n products
While router manufacturers (we're not going to name any names here) seem to still have quite a bit of trouble ensuring one out of five of their products aren't complete duds, the inevitable march of "progress" continues. Netgear's latest foray into 802.11n draft spec RangeMax Wireless-N products packs "metamaterial" technology into its MIMO antennas, which Netgear claims gives its new lineup the best range and throughput in the industry. Naturally, the WNDR3300 RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N Router is the most direct application of this tech. The router has an array of eight metamaterial antennas, plus 5GHz 802.11n for avoiding interference with the myriad of products hanging out in the 2.4GHz spectrum. Next up we have the RangeMax Wireless-N Gigabit Router WNR3500, which packs five gigabit Ethernet plugs, the RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N USB 2.0 Adapter WNDA3100, for bringing these fancy metamaterial speeds to your laptop or desktop. Finally, Netgear is launching its Wireless-N MoCA Router WNMR834, which provides high-speed home networking over existing coaxial cables, in addition to 802.11n. The WNDR3300 will run you $130, the WNR3500 is $160 and the WNDA3100 goes for $99, all should be available soon.
Netgear gets 802.11n draft 2.0 certified with RangeMax NEXT routers
Surely bitter after being one-upped by D-Link by a matter of hours (strictly in terms of time to press, of course), Netgear is still tooting its own horn over being the second to receive the Wi-Fi Alliance's 802.11n draft 2.0 certification. The firm's first two devices to include the newfangled seal are the RangeMax NEXT Wireless-N Router Gigabit Edition (WNR854T) and the RangeMax NEXT Wireless-N Router (WNR834B; seen after the break), both of which are fully backwards compatible with the slower flavors of 802.11. Thankfully, citizens who currently own a RangeMax NEXT 802.11n Draft 1.0 product can upgrade their device free of charge via a firmware download, and Netgear even proclaims that the rest of its Wireless-N products are "being tested" and should be up to snuff soon.
Buffalo's WLI-U2-G144N does 802.11n over USB 2.0
With 802.11n slowly seeping into our homes via rogue laptop cards and routine router upgrades, it might be a good time to look for a desktop 802.11n solution that doesn't involve the sacrifice of a PCI card. Buffalo's new WLI-U2-G144N is just such a thing, grabbing those hefty 802.11n waves and piping 'em into your computer via USB 2.0. No word on when exactly you can you pick one of these off of your local store shelf, or for how much, but at least we know they're on the way.
Apple put its supa-spicy 802.11n into the MacBook, too?
There's still no word from on high on this whole 802.11n biz, but it doesn't look like Apple is letting up on its "secret" insertion of 802.11n chips into its computer models, with the latest member of the wireless-n family naturally being the new Core 2 Duo MacBooks. We guessed as much, and ThinkSecret just spotted the telltale Atheros AR5008E chipset, the same one inside the C2D MacBook Pros. Of course, most people are pretty certain that Apple is doing this without updating drivers so that it can have a fancy unveil of its iTV device, with enough bandwidth to pull everything off, but our secret desire is that Apple just can't spare the manpower to write up a driver when everybody is busy coding away on that touchscreen / iPod / phone / time machine that we all know is just around the corner. And when have we ever steered you wrong?[Thanks, iData]
Linksys rolls out draft 802.11n gear for networks and laptops
Add Linksys to the growing number of companies rolling out products that adhere to the draft 802.11n standard. The company's new additions are the Wireless-N Broadband Router ( WRT300N) and Wireless-N Notebook Adapter (WPC300N ). As you've probably already figured out, the WRT300N can connect your equipment to your broadband network and serve as an access point for wireless devices -- such as a laptop equipped with the WPC300N (or, of course, most 802.11b/g devices). The WRT300N is expected to retail for about $150, while the WPC300N should go for about $120. Seems a small price to pay for 100 mbps throughput -- if you can really get that kind of speed, that is.
