Netgear scores 802.11ac basestation first

Networking hardware maker Netgear will have its next-gen Wi-Fi machine, the R6300 router, out next month. Not only Netgear's first 802.11ac product - it's the first 802.11ac router there is, the company claimed. The so-called "Gigabit Wi-Fi" delivers speeds of up to 1.3Gbps, way faster than three-antenna 802.11n can manage, …

[Andrew James]

Why

Why do they have to make them so massive and shiny. I dont want it to be the focal point of my room. I want it to be almost un-noticed. Its there to serve a purpose, not as a design statement.

[Lee Dowling]

Re: Why

Who cares what it looks like?

My last router I hung above the back of a cupboard door. Cupboard was central in house and had power, and tucking it all out of sight means I never have to see it or its wiring. It flooded the whole house with strong signal (and even pickupable in the garden as normal), and I put it with LED's facing down so I could see anything wrong by going in the cupboard and looking up.

Wiring it too meant I could admin it remotely but, to be honest, after initial setup I only ever had to reboot it once in 5 years. When I moved, I nearly forget it was still there, it was so out-of-sight and low-maintenance. It's currently in the house still, after a move, but is sitting behind a chest-of-drawers with the rest of the IT gumph because I can't drill holes in this house. Still perfect signal everywhere, still not had a configuration change, still works flawlessly.

Take a fiver off the price and gimme a square plastic box, by all means, but to be honest, I'd probably just go for whatever's cheapest and then stick it in a cupboard.

[Antidisestablishmentarianist]

Re: Why

Man-cupboards rule.

That is all.

[Andrew James]

Re: Why

Who cares what it looks like? Well, I care, for one.

[Dave 126]

Re: Why

At least it isn't like the Virgin modem that flashes blue when shunting data... I don't find flashing blue lights at all relaxing, no idea why 'designers' are so smitten by them. TV makers know this, and go with red LEDs, Apple have a civilised very small white light... but blue?

[tomban]

>> and getting speeds rather less the a gigabit.

What?

>> Adaptor are on their way of course.

Just the one?

[Antidisestablishmentarianist]

Good on them

Someone has to be the chicken, and someone the egg.

[Dave 126]

Re: Good on them

Indeed, like the old jokes about fax machines!

[Gerhard Mack]

no need for a dongle

Most laptops have the WiFI as an addon via PciE either on a hatch on the back or under the keyboard.

They really aren't expensive and it is how my 4 year old laptop has 802.11n.

[phuzz]

Re: no need for a dongle

Yup, their so easy to upgrade, I'd almost feel confident talking my mum through doing it...

er, on second thoughts, maybe not, but on your average Dell, it's one screw to open the little hatch, then five minutes of trying to plug the bloody fiddly antenna cables into the new card.

[phuzz]

Re: no need for a dongle

*they're

apologies, can't believe I let that one slip through.

[P. Lee]

We don't need no stinkin' theoretical speed increase!

Ok, it would be nice, but, with two walls between me and my AP, speeds drop down to 2-11mb/s.

So I have cat-5e, which is far better until I pick up my tablet. I'd be happy with a lower top speed and more torque.

[Andrew James]

Re: We don't need no stinkin' theoretical speed increase!

Another AP to get a decent signal at the other end of your cat5 then?