Netgear, the maker of all things networking, has launched what it claims is the world’s first Tri-Band WiFi router — the US$299 “Nighthawk X6.”
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With a name like that, it could easily be mistaken for an actual gaming console, or the eponymous aircraft made by Lockheed, rather than a router. It’s apt as well, as the Nighthawk is powered by a 1GHz dual-core CPU, with three offload CPUs spreading additional load.
While supporting the 802.11ac standard, the router houses five ethernet ports, six antennas and three wireless transmission bands — two 5GHz and one 2.4GHz — while “Smart Connect” technology places connections in the respective bands based on networking load.
Beamforming+ also ensures that the router pinpoints connected devices and sends the strongest WiFi signal in its direction. A maximum capacity of 3.2Gbps is also more than enough for even the most avid of multimedia connoisseurs, however it is a tad excessive for the average household. If these stats don’t impress though, the movie-style trailer surely will:
Serving data quickly is undoubtedly what this router was made to do. While paired with one USB 3.0 ports, the Nighthawk can be used as a network storage solution or print server by simply plugging in a large external HDD. DLNA and Apple AirPlay support ensures users can stream audio and video wirelessly to supported devices in the household as well.
Some may deem the need for another 5GHz band for home networking pointless, but Netgear thinks it’s necessary to solve the bottle-necking from the ever-growing number of WiFi devices in the market today. Device marketing head at Netgear, Sandeep Harpalani, believes that the router will solve these issues while “balancing the number of devices in each band to deliver the best-in-class experience for streaming, sharing and gaming.”
Netgear’s Nighthawk X6 is now available for preorder on their product website.
