Networking specialist Netgear is highlighting its suite of connectivity solutions for the smart home and small businesses at the MedPi trade show in Monaco, including the Powerline 500 Nano PassThru 1-Port (XAVB5401), a new-generation 500M bps product that extends Internet access to any electrical outlet, supporting faster speeds for applications such as HDTV, multiple HD or 3D video streams, streaming multimedia and multiplayer gaming.
The Powerline 500 Nano PassThru, which is making its debut at the trade show, includes one Ethernet port to connect any Ethernet-enabled device, includes an extra filtered power outlet so users can connect the device directly into the wall socket but still have space to plug in a power strip for all the home office or home theater devices, and is compliant with HomePlug AV and IEEE1901 standards.
A free app called Netgear genie enables home users to control, monitor, repair and manage their home networks, and allows them to see Powerline devices such as the XAVB5401 on the network. With a new Powerline Network map, users can measure the speed between Powerline devices and customize the device settings.
At MedPi, the company will also demonstrate Beamforming+, a smart, signal-focusing technology that extends coverage, reduces interference and dead spots, and boosts the speed of 802.11ac WiFi connections. The technology recognizes the location of a wireless device on the network and directs the WiFi signal directly at the device, constantly checking and tracking moving devices such as mobile phones and tablets.
Beamforming+ refers to Netgear’s implementation of the Beamforming standard with a fine-tuned WiFi design for improved WiFi range and performance. The Beamforming+ firmware update is available now for the R6300 WiFi Router and the A6200 WiFi Adapter and is anticipated for all other Netgear 802.11ac routers in early summer, a company release said.
“Our broad range of WiFi, powerline, storage and media networking products on display at MedPi is a testament to Netgear’s 17 years of championing connectivity to make your life easier, in your home as well as your workplace,” David Henry, the company’s vice president of product management for its retail business, said in a statement.
The company recently introduced a new portfolio of ReadyNAS networked-attached-storage (NAS) products, which run on the newly developed ReadyNAS OS 6, including the entry level ReadyNAS 100 Series (RN102xx, RN104xx), which is designed for home use and comes in two-bay and four-bay desktop models that are offered as either diskless or populated with drives.
The ReadyNAS 300 Series (RN312xx, RN314xx, RN316xx) is optimized for small business networks and remote or branch office needs, and offers two-bay, four-bay and six-bay desktop versions that are either diskless or populated with drives. Finally, the six-bay ReadyNAS 500 Series (RN516xx) offers the highest performance and is designed for small and midsize business (SMB) networks supporting up to 250 concurrent users, and also comes as diskless or populated desktop models with drives.