WebProNews

Tag: Netgear

  • Qualcomm Chips Central to Wave of 5G Home Internet Devices

    Qualcomm Chips Central to Wave of 5G Home Internet Devices

    While Apple may be looking to end their dependence on Qualcomm, the future is looking bright for the semiconductor company. In a press release issued today, Qualcomm announced that Netgear, LG, Sharp and Samsung are among 30+ companies building plug-and-play home internet gear based on Qualcomm’s 5G chips.

    According to the FCC, some 19 million Americans still lack access to broadband. One of the most anticipated benefits of 5G deployment is the ability to offer broadband-class home internet wirelessly, otherwise known as fixed wireless access.

    5G home broadband holds the promise of gigabit-per-second speeds, far greater than the speed of current 4G technology, as well as many traditional broadband providers. The wireless tech is also a boon for established neighborhoods, since it doesn’t require excavation of roads and yards to lay fiber optic lines.

    “Our comprehensive Snapdragon X55 5G Modem-RF System architecture, which supports virtually any combination of 5G spectrum bands and modes, from sub-6 to extended-range mmWave, will empower global mobile carriers and OEMs to offer best-in-class 5G performance to homes and businesses, including those in previously underserved areas,” said Cristiano Amon, president, Qualcomm Incorporated. “The widespread adoption of our modem-to-antenna solution translates into enhanced fixed broadband services and additional opportunities to utilize 5G network infrastructure for broad coverage in urban, suburban and rural environments. Due to the development ease of our integrated system and industry movement toward self-installed, plug-and-play CPE devices, we expect OEMs will be able to support fixed broadband deployments beginning in 2020.”

  • CES 2014: Netgear Announces HDMI Dongle Chromecast Competitor

    The success of Google’s Chromecast surprised many industry watchers. Google had tried to enter household living rooms in the past through Google TV and saw very limited success. It turns out, though, that a small, inexpensive solution is exactly what customers seem to want from their TV streaming devices.

    Today at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) Netgear announced a new competitor to Google’s Chromecast. The Netgear NeoMediacast (NTV300D) is HDMI dongle that heavily resembles the form-factor of the Chromecast.

    Like the Chromecast, the NeoMediacast is based on Android. Also like the Chromecast, Netgear is keeping the NeoMediacast strictly on lockdown. Approved apps and service providers will be able to release their software for the NeoMediacast or enable TV support for their mobile apps. Netgear explicitly stated in its announcement that the NeoMediacast will have support for DRM and let content companies know that the NeoMediacast would not circumvent TV content restrictions in any way.

    “Consumers are clamoring for new options for accessing digital content across their screens, including their wide-screen HD TVs,” said Michael Clegg, GM for Service Provider Business at NETGEAR. “With the NeoMediacast HDMI dongle, our service provider customers have the means to provide a plug-and-play solution to their subscribers that also provides opportunities for additional revenue stream. The NTV300D platform supports seamless integration with other NETGEAR home connectivity devices so that service providers can offer a worry-free connected media solution to their subscribers, knowing they can trust the NETGEAR reputation for quality, reliability, and ease of use.”

    The NeoMediacast will be available sometime during the first half of 2014. So far Netgear has only announced that the device will be available through service providers.

  • Netgear Introduces Better Wi-Fi Solution

    Netgear has created a Universal Dual Band WiFi Range Extender to combat dead spots and other obstacles to wi-fi coverage in and around the home. If you’re tired of spotty coverage and constant internet buffering, this device might be helpful to you. This wireless router promises you coverage in the garage, on the porch, and in the backyard.

    Essentially it will work to either replace your current wireless router or upgrade you to wireless wi-fi if you don’t have the service. It is designed to work well with existing cable or DSL gateway equipment. It will cost you about $80, but it may be worth it if you do use wireless devices around the house or stream a reasonable amount of video.

    Spotty coverage always seems to be an issue with wireless devices around my home and this could be a reasonable upgrade for me. Also, many of us pay the cable and DSL companies at least $5 per month for the rental of their equipment. Check your bill, this could save you some cash in the long run.

    Damir Skripic, product line manager for connected entertainment at NETGEAR had this to say about the device:

    “The proliferation of mobile devices in the home — laptops, tablets and smartphones — has lead to people uncovering more WiFi dead spots in and around their homes. The NETGEAR WiFi Range Extender solves that problem and broadens WiFi connectivity and performance at an affordable price and with minimal setup,”

    I think i’m gonna give it a try, I’d like to have reliable wi-fi in my backyard while i’m barbecuing this summer. I’ll let you know if it is a worth while upgrade. Actually, now that I am viewing a pic of the device, I wonder if this isn’t the device Time Warner supplied me with when they hooked me up last week?

  • Netgear Talks Ramifications of Transition to IPv6

    It was recently revealed that the pool for IPv4 addresses had been depleted, meaning that the protocol for the Internet as we know it has been used up, and the transition to the next-generation IPv6 is beginning. 

    Drew Meyer, Senior Director of Marketing for Networking product vendor Netgear shared some thoughts on the transition with WebProNews. 

    "It’s a big deal for companies of all sizes because it is a fundamental change in the way the Internet works, but it is also a very subtle transition for most users," says Meyer. "Small businesses that keep older networking hardware in service longer may find they need to upgrade – but only once their networks break down. Channel partners play a key role in educating small and midsized customers."

    Drew Meyer Talks IPv6 transitionOn what kinds of techniques businesses can embrace while they gear up for the switch to IPv6, Meyer says, "The old and the new (IPv4 and IPv6) will coexist in most networks. Modern servers and software have provisions for dual mode support, but older equipment may require replacement since it cannot support the latest software patches and firmware upgrades. We expect this to happen invisibly as network equipment is refreshed driven by other solutions, like virtualization or mobile access."

    "We see it as a side benefit of modernizing midmarket networks and have plans for it across our entire product line of managed, smart and unmanaged switches," he adds.

    "Developing markets like China and new applications like mobile devices and home automation demand more Internet connectivity than ever before, so first movers are positioned to become the new leaders of the next generation Internet," he says. "Winners offer simple ways for smaller companies to adopt, and losers will be those vendors who do not educate their channels and end users on the availability of the new function. Midmarket customers purchasing reliable, affordable and simple solutions will be automatically prepared for the IPv6 transition."

    World IPv6 Day has been set for June 8. On that day, major web properties like Google, Facebook, and Yahoo will join content delivery networks like Akamai and Limelight Networks for a 24-hour global trial of the new protocol.