With IFA 2013 running at full tilt in Berlin, Germany, this week, consumer electronics manufacturer Belkin International Inc. and its network management subsidiary Linksys have made a slew of their own product announcements.
Belkin acquired Linksys from Cisco Systems Inc. in March, so this is the first time Linksys has launched products under Belkin. Today, Linksys released a wireless router as well as a USB adapter, aiming them at consumers and small to mid-sized businesses (SMBs).
Linksys Smart Wi-Fi AC1900 router
Getting top billing in Linksys’ line of routers, the AC1900 is the fastest one the company has released to date. The router provides speeds of up to 600 megabytes per second (Mbps) on Wireless-N, or up to 1,300 Mbps when running on Wireless-AC.
For performance, it’s using a 800 megahertz dual-core processor, and it has 4 gigabit Ethernet ports for wired networking. The product also has an interesting look, with three removable external dipole antennae that consumers or SMBs can take off, if they want to swap them for an upgrade.
Right now, Linksys’ new Smart Wi-Fi routers all run on 802.11 ac and are equipped with beamforming technology, which are more precise in adjusting, steering, and monitoring Wi-Fi signals within the home or the office. By running on 802.11 ac and using beamforming, these routers still work with older wireless devices and are slated to increase their range in finding a Wi-Fi signal.
The new AC1900 is supposed to be easy to set up as well – consumers just need to use a tablet, smartphone, or PC browser to install it. And as a bonus, Linksys customers can set up a free Smart Wi-Fi account to manage guest access, parental controls, and router settings. It’s available as an app for iOS or Android.
The router is slated to be available on Linksys’ Web site in October, with pricing at about $249.
Linksys Wireless-AC USB adapter
If you don’t have the most recent wireless-AC standard on your notebook or desktop PC, Linksys has a fix for that. With its USB adapter, it can boost your notebook or PC’s transfer speeds and range, with speeds of up to 867 Mbps on the 5 GHz band and up to 300 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band.
The USB adapter is available now online at Linksys’ Web site, with a price tag of $69.