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Western Digital has jumped on the 802.11AC bandwagon, revealing a new flagship wireless router selivering speeds up to 1,300 Mbps and promising no drops in your online gaming performance even under heavy load. The WD My Net AC1300 HD Dual-Band Router – and its My Net AC Bridge sibling – promise the fast speeds the latest generation of WiFi can deliver, as well as super-straightforward setup.

The AC1300 router has a 3×3 antenna array and can simultaneously run 2.4GHz and 5GHz band networks for up to 450 x + 1300 Mbps rates. It also uses WD’s FasTrack automatic bandwidth prioritization system, which makes sure streaming applications like YouTube and Netflix video, VoIP such as Skype, and online gaming, have a stable connection no matter what other uses your broadband is being put to.

WD also equips the router with four gigabit ethernet ports and two USB 2.0 ports, allowing external storage, printers, or scanners to be hooked up and shared across multiple devices. The My Net AC Bridge, meanwhile, is intended to get wired ethernet devices – such as your smart TV, console, or cable box – online without a cable snaking across your living room, and has four gigabit ethernet ports.

Both WD models are on sale now in the US. The My Net AC1300 router is priced at $189.99, while the My Net AC Bridge is $149.99.

Western Digital outs 802.11AC My Net router and bridge is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
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If you need to borrow a couple of bucks to tide you over until payday, then the folks over at Broadcom should be feeling altruistic. The chip maker’s latest financials show that it pulled in $2.13 billion turnover and a cool $220 million profit. While that’s more than the $160 million it pulled in in the second quarter, it’s a little off the $270 million it made in the same period last year. Given that the company’s innovating with both 802.11ac chips and branching out into the wireless headphone business, they might even lend you some cash next month, too.

Continue reading Broadcom’s 2012 Q3 sees $2.13 billion sales turn into a $220 million profit

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile

Broadcom’s 2012 Q3 sees $2.13 billion sales turn into a $220 million profit originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Oct 2012 10:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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5G WiFi, aka 802.11ac, aka muy rapido. We don’t just want it in routers and laptops, we want it everywhere — which is why Broadcom’s firm date of Q1 2013 for its BCM4335 mobile chip is good news. The add-on belongs to a mainstream line of 40nm combo radios that handle WiFi (including regular 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands), Bluetooth 4.0 and FM, which means there’s every likelihood it’ll appear in numerous smartphones and tablets soon after production starts. Broadcom promises tripled transfer speeds, “dramatically” improved range and “six times greater” power efficiency compared to Wireless N, but then again, so does the competition — and a company like Qualcomm may be able to deliver it in even fewer nanometers.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablet PCs, Wireless

Broadcom promises triple-speed 5G WiFi for mobiles in early 2013 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Jul 2012 07:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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D-Link has fulfilled its promise to support the newfangled 802.11ac wireless standard. The company has pulled the curtain back on its first router that’s compatible with the aforementioned tech in the Cloud Router 5700. Boasting performance of up to 1,750Mbps (that’s 1,300 ac + 450 n), the kit implements a 5Ghz band for cutting out the clutter and houses four Gigabit Ethernet ports alongside a single USB receptacle around back. A handful of apps are included to help you get the most out of the purchase — like the Cloud App for home network monitoring and the D-Link SharePort mobile software for streaming from USB storage units. Looking to snag one for the purposes speeding up your home network? You can do just that from either Amazon or Newegg for $189.99 as fast as your fingers will click.

Filed under: Household, Wireless

D-Link Cloud Router 5700 marks the outfit’s first foray into 802.11ac WiFi, now shipping for $190 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Jul 2012 02:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cisco won’t be the fastest out of the gate with an 802.11ac WiFi router, but it’s certainly one of the most ambitious. The dual-band Linksys EA6500 and a companion, single-band Universal Media Connector network bridge hike the bandwidth up to 802.11ac’s 1.3Gbps peak, each of them carrying their own quartet of gigabit Ethernet jacks. A pair of USB ports on the EA6500 should make sharing storage that much faster as well. If you ask Cisco, however, the real highlight is the new Cisco Connect Cloud app platform. Not unlike Novatel’s MiFi apps, the software helps either manage the router itself (think parental controls) or tap into other devices around the home, including AirPlay sharing and remote camera monitoring. There’s even a new SimpleTap hardware integration platform that will pair third-party WiFi gear like Onkyo receivers to a router through Android and iOS smartphone apps. Eventually, that should include a gentle NFC-based nudge.

A Linksys Developer Community is starting now with six app developers already lined up, and support is due for any access point Cisco deems worthy of the Smart Wi-Fi Router name. That said, you’ll have to wait awhile if you want the 802.11ac tag attached to that router at the same time. The currently-without-a-price EA6500 doesn’t hit shops until early August; you’ll have to wait until September for the equally priceless Universal Media Connector.

Continue reading Cisco rolls its first Linksys 802.11ac WiFi router and bridge, kicks off Connect Cloud app platform (video)

Cisco rolls its first Linksys 802.11ac WiFi router and bridge, kicks off Connect Cloud app platform (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Jun 2012 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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