As tipped earlier this week Linksys has announced a range of 802.11n networking devices that the Company claims will deliver four times the range and up to 12 times the throughput of Wireless-G.
The move will hurt Belkin who for the last 12 months has been the only vendor selling an 802.11 pre N router, however many retailers such as Harris Technology found the devices expensive and removed them from their shelves. as they failed to sell.
The Linksys range includes the new Wireless-N Gateway (WAG300N), Wireless-N Broadband Router (WRT300N) and Wireless-N Notebook Adapter (WPC300N), the first in a line of Wireless-N products available from Linksys that will be built to the 802.11n Draft Specification.
The WAG300N, WRT300N and WPC300N promise to deliver wireless networks with the capacity to surf the web, enjoy multiple streams of high definition video, listen to digital music collections and make Internet phone calls – all at the same time.
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“The emergence of high-definition video, along with the growing use of Voice over IP, online gaming, and other applications by consumers requires network bandwidth that greatly exceeds what is available from 802.11g,” said Mike Wolf, principal analyst, ABI Research.
“With these products based on the IEEE 802.11n draft specification, Linksys is enabling users to transform their home networks into media distribution platforms and access premium content around the home over a wireless network.”
Expected to become the next standard for wireless networks, the 802.11n draft specification includes a number of mandatory features that help to improve the overall user experience.
These features include enhancements to both the speed and range of wireless networks and calls for mixed mode operation and backward compatibility.
The WAG300N, WRT300N, WMP300N and WPC300N will be available in late May or June at a recommended retail price of $379.95, $279.95, $229.95 and $229.95 respectively. Additional products from the Linksys Wireless-N family designed for both the home networking and small business will be launched in the second half of 2006.
