Thursday, May 19, 2016

TP-LINK Rolls Out Ultra Fast, 802.11ad Router

Need to supercharge your wireless network? San Dimas-based wireless networking equipment maker TP-LINK has launched what looks to be the industry's first, 802.11ad router, which runs in the 60GHz band, and provides wireless speeds that the company says can even exceed that of Gigabit Ethernet. TP-LINK's new router also supports 5GHz and 2.4GHz Wi-Fi bands, and features an array of eight, high gain antennas. The 802.11ad, 60GHz speeds can reach up to 4600Mbps, compared with typical 433Mbps capability of an 802.11ac link. TP-LINK says 802.11ad allows users to download a full 4K movie in less than eight minutes. The only downside of the new 60Ghz, 802.ad standard? It's limited to a single room, because the high frequency signals of the new standard do not penetrate walls. In fact, TP-LINK said it is using "beam steering" technology in its router to help overcome obstructions from such things as a chair or a couch, which can disrupt 60Ghz signals.