CES Ushers in Enhanced Wi-Fi for Multimedia

A wide variety of vendors at the Consumer Electronics Show this week in Las Vegas are unveiling new Wi-Fi-related products with broader reach, the ability to support multimedia services and simplified installation.

For example, NETGEAR at the show introduced a new router called RangeMax with an antenna technology that dynamically adapts to changes in environment to achieve better coverage. RangeMax’s seven antennae offer 127 possible permutations for sending a signal and constantly are assessing the best scenario, says David James, director of broadband services products, adding that enables quality of service for Wi-Fi. The antennae can detect if a physical barrier comes into view and work around it.

RangeMax will be available starting in March and initially sold through retail channels. NETGEAR would not divulge pricing for the new product.

In other CES Wi-Fi news, U.S. Robotics showed its new wireless MAXg product family, which it says offers up to 50 percent greater range and 40 percent faster throughput over standard 802.11g products.

"For the first time, users can expect secure, whole home or office coverage from the MAXg product line compared to other 802.11g devices on the market today," says Jim Thomsen, senior product manager for U.S. Robotics. "Where standard 802.11g devices typically operate up to 150 feet indoors, MAXg is capable of delivering an extending range up to 225 feet and maintaining faster wireless connections at greater distances in typical home and small business environments. This eliminates many so called ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ spot issues."

He notes that MAXg line does not require a proprietary environment to reap the benefits of maximum overall range improvements, but will provide range improvement to any 802.11g device.

The MAXg products, available this quarter, include the Wireless MAXg Router (USR5461) for $69.99; the Wireless MAXg USB Adapter (USR5417) for $59.99; the Wireless MAXg PCI Adapter (USR5421) for $59.99; the Wireless MAXg PC Card (USR5411) for $59.99; and the Wireless MAXg Wireless Access Point (USR5451) for $79.99.

U.S. Robotics says its MAXg technology also “helps to install products effortlessly” with the SureStart installation wizard and protect networks with a complete set of improved security measures.

Separately, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. has come out with what it calls “the first wireless AV entertainment local area network.” HiWAVE – high-throughput wireless AV entertainment – delivers distortion-free connectivity over a 20 meter range, according to Samsung.

With high-throughput MIMO (multiple input multiple output) technology as the foundation for its WLAN, HiWAVE eliminates channel distortion and interference, enabling network devices to transmit data streams reliably over great distances. The system has been designed to effectively service multiple AV streams for the home network environment. As a result, users can share broadband connections between consumer electronics devices supporting a range of new applications such as live broadcasting and room-to-room streaming services.

HiWAVE's throughput of more than 60Mbps also enables streaming of high-definition video anywhere within the home. The new system is backwards compatible with 802 products. Various products with Samsung's new HiWAVE technology are scheduled to launch in the second half of 2005.

Belkin, meanwhile, has a new Wireless A+G networking line including a router, notebook network card, desktop network card, and USB network adapter that are compatible with all the 802.11 standards. Operation in both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency bands allows people to segment their wireless home networks for improved performance and reliability.

Communication in the uncrowded 5GHz band enables a reliable wireless connection free from potential interference within the crowded 2.4GHz band. People can stream photos, movies and music over the 5GHz 802.11a network without being affected by 2.4GHz devices such as microwave ovens, cordless phones, and 802.11b and 802.11g networks.

"Our new Wireless A+G line lets users achieve high levels of quality by transferring multimedia audio and video files over the 802.11a network with no interference. Simultaneously, they can use their 802.11g network for lower-bandwidth applications such as e-mail and Web surfing," says Eric Tong, vice president of marketing and product development of Belkin, whose new products are based on Atheros Communications Inc.’s technology.

The products offer Dynamic Turbo with Adaptive Radio technology, packet bursting, fast frames and data compression to increase the throughput and range of wireless networking products. The technology supports link rates up to 108Mbps and enables user throughput of more than 60Mbps.

The Belkin Wireless A+G line also incorporates Atheros' eXtended Range technology, Atheros XR, which provides more stable and reliable network connections in heavy wireless environments. With XR, range can be improved by up to 2x that of standard 802.11a or 802.11g products, according to the companies.

"When it comes to home entertainment networking, customers want a high-quality, glitch-free experience. Their wireless networks must be able to support reliable A/V streaming throughout the home," says Craig Barratt, president and CEO of Atheros. "We're pleased to be supplying Belkin with advanced wireless chipset technology that supports dual-band operation, using both the 802.11a and 802.11g protocols, as well as value-added features that enhance networking performance and range."

Broadcom Corp. and Linksys, a division of Cisco Systems Inc., at CES released a new technology they say will “revolutionize Wi-Fi installation and stimulate the development and deployment of new classes of wireless products for home networks.” The companies have collaborated to promote SecureEasySetup, which enables consumers to set up their wireless networks and activate Wi-Fi Protected AccessT (WPAT) security by simply pushing a button. Linksys and HP plan to offer the first Wi-Fi products with the new push-button solution powered by Broadcom SecureEasySetup software and 54gT chipsets.

Manual Wi-Fi installation requires the use of a keyboard and/or display, making it difficult to configure non-PC devices. The SecureEasySetup push-button eliminates the need for a user interface. This allows manufacturers to embed high-performance Wi-Fi capabilities into even more products, including consumer electronics without screens or keypads, such as printers and digital cameras, and non-Windows devices, such as VoIP phones and digital video equipment.

"Enabling secure, wireless networking is a unifying element across HP's product portfolio and the foundation of our vision of the digitally-connected home," says Gregg Patterson, vice president of solutions and technology for the consumer imaging and printing organization at HP. "By working with Broadcom and Linksys to simplify wireless networking setup, we're not only improving Wi-Fi customer satisfaction, but expanding the universe of products with Wi-Fi capabilities beyond PCs to include printers and consumer electronics devices."

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