Netgear has announced a lineup of new products that will not only facilitate high-definition multimedia streaming, but will also be easy for the technically challenged. According to this PC World report, Netgear’s latest broadband routers and adapters draw on the latest WiFi and HomePlug (News - Alert) AV powerline technologies and are targeted at the home networking sect.

The company’s new WiFi offering, the N750 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router (WNDR4000) promises a theoretical throughput of 450 megabits per second, which is the highest yet for a WiFi (News - Alert) router. This device surpasses the N600 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router Premium Edition (WNDR3800), also announced by the company, which tops out at a theoretical maximum of 300 mbps.

The WNDR3800 is considered to be a refresh of the company’s WNDR3700, although the latest version boasts a few consumer-focused features not previously available, including technology for steaming media remotely from a USB drive, all-in-one printer support, and a new “Genie” interface to help non-technical users.

The Netgear (News - Alert) Universal WiFi Range Extender (WN3000RP) enables users to plug into an electrical outlet within the router’s range of coverage to boost its signal. This device also offers an Ethernet port to allow it to function as a bridge for connecting network devices that don’t already support WiFi.

A mix of network technologies can also deliver value to the consumer. Netgear has introduced a hybrid of sorts with its WiFi/powerline router, known as the N300 Wireless Router+Powerline AV (WNXR2000). This router supports 2.4ghz 802.11n Wi-Fi and comes with a powerline network adapter based on the latest version of the HomePlug AV standard to support theoretical speeds of 500 mbps.

The adapter will plug into a wall outlet and has two cables: one to connect to one of the router’s four 10/100 Ethernet ports and another to provide power to the router. With Netgear’s product, an electrical outlet is freed as the router and the adapter both draw power from the same outlet.

By using existing wiring, powerline networks enable the user to connect to any device with an Ethernet port to the network without installing new wires. The router allows for the addition of a network device by purchasing a HomePlug AV adapter, plugging it into any free wall outlet and connecting the cable to the Ethernet port. In having both powerline and WiFi, the user can select which source makes the most sense when in use.

Netgear has also introduced a powerline kit for those who already have a WiFi router, but want to hook up several home entertainment components using powerline technology. Known as the XAVB5004, it consists of a single HomePlug AV adapter (XAV5001) that will connect to the user’s router as described above, and a HomePlug AV switch (XAV5004) with 4 gigabit Ethernet ports for network-ready devices.

For the technologically-challenged individual who still wants to be totally connected, Netgear has a full range of options to create the optimal environment.
Susan J. Campbell is a contributing editor for TMCnet and has also written for eastbiz.com. To read more of Susan’s articles, please visit her columnist page.

Edited by Stefanie Mosca

(source: http://it.tmcnet.com/topics/it/articles/131972-netgear-intros-routers-adapters-the-consumer-market.htm)