Tech Shout!

Linksys, a sector of Cisco Systems, has released its WRT300N Wireless-N Broadband Router, WPC300N Wireless-N Notebook Adapter, and WMP300N Wireless-N PCI Adapter.

All the three chief Wireless-N products are based on the 802.11n draft specification, which includes several improvements to the speed and range of wireless networks, as also calls for mixed mode operation as well as backward compatibility.

The WRT300N, the WPC300N, and the WMP300N sport up to four times the range, and up to 12 times the throughput of Wireless G, and are balanced to bestow wireless networks with the capability to surf the web, enjoy multiple streams of high definition video, listen to digital music collections, and make internet phone calls - all at the same time.

The three new products each use multiple radios to simultaneously transmit two streams of data over multiple channels, thereby maximizing network performance. Thanks to the 802.11n draft specification, the products can transmit over two available channels simultaneously, thus creating a 40MHz channel that doubles the capacity for applications, including high definition video, audio streaming, online gaming, and voice over IP.

In addition, the Linksys products deliver both mixed mode operation and backward compatibility with 802.11g and 802.11b. While mixed mode operation dictates that unlike previous networking technologies, 802.11n networks must maintain optimum speeds whilst operating with legacy products; backward compatibility demands that existing standards-based wireless products must work at their respective highest performance levels for that environment.

The WRT300N encodes wireless transmissions with industrial-strength WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) encryption to help protect data and privacy. It serves as a network DHCP server, supports VPN pass-through, and features a powerful SPI (Stateful Packet Inspection) firewall to protect against intruders and common Internet attacks.

Sanjeev Gupta, regional sales director, Linksys, said, “A substantial number of products for both homes and businesses will soon depend on compatibility with Wireless-N to reach their full potential. Because of the importance of the technology, we have taken the unique step of conducting extensive testing with multiple vendors, to ensure that the greatest possible number of them will perform at peak levels when interacting with our 802.11n products.”

The three flagship Wireless-N products will be available through Linksys’ channel partner network in India. Wireless-N Broadband Router (WRT300N), Wireless-N Notebook Adapter (WPC300N), Wireless-N PCI Adapter (WMP300N) are priced at Rs 9,995, Rs 7,269, Rs 7,996, respectively.