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back to article Netgear extends next-gen Wi-Fi into 5GHz band

Netgear today launched a raft of 802.11n Wi-Fi networking devices that take the technology into the uncrowded 5GHz band. The new kit also incorporates clever new “metamaterial” antennae to cram up to eight aerials inside each box. Netgear Rangemax Dual Band Wireless-N router Netgear's Rangemax Dual Band Wireless-N router: …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
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    xbox 360

    would this work with aformentioned consoles wifi adapter or would i have to fork out for one of these mahoosive hd/gaming boxes

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  2. alex dekker

    An audacious claim, if ever there was one

    It's not every day a company claims its products to be exempt from the laws of physics, is it?

    "The snag with 5GHz is reduced range, but Netgear claimed its new metamaterial antennae ... more than compensate, effectively eliminating the limitation"

    Perhaps in the next version they could "eliminate the limitation" of needing an external power source, by the use of metapixiedust to keep the thing running?

    PS Where's the icon for "just cut and pasted a press release without adding any value to it"?

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  3. Ian

    hmmmm

    FUD aside, its nice to see Netgear roll out new products...

    Now all they need to do is roll out one with this tech, gigabit lan and a fricking ADSL modem and I'll upgrade!

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  4. paul brain
    Coat

    concrete

    I'm sure these devices will work spectacularly well outoors, but 5Ghz is still 5Ghz and concrete walls are still concrete, so no matter how many dilithium powered metaantenna's you have it will still suck unless you live in a timber frame house with no furniture.

    The article also makes no comment on the fact that although there may be 20 non overlapping channels, only CH36,40,48 may be used indoors at very low power. The rest are split up for outdoor ( nomadic ) use only and at the top of the 5GHz spectrum ( 5.8GHz ) is reserved for licensed operators only at point to point connections.

    The restrictions are there to protect RADAR, so the number of channels available to domestic 5GHz users is the same as 2.4GHz hardware and although this represents a doubling of the available capacity, assuming that everyone bought this new kit, we'll be back to the same issues we have in built up area's with interference.

    What I would like to see is a range of low cost and very very low power wifi access points, operating Ethernet over mains (EoM) , but if that proliferates, do we end up with different technical challenges, but effectively the same problem ?? ( power line noise ? )

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  5. Myself
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    802.11a compatible?

    No mention of whether it works with, or stomps on, or is bothered by, existing 5GHz gear. C'mon, guys!

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