Networking Leader’s New Gigabit Solutions Offer
Revolutionary Speed, Highest Throughput and Whole-home Coverage
NETGEAR, Inc., a worldwide provider of
technologically innovative, branded networking solutions, today announced the
addition of two next-generation HomePlug, AV-certified powerline
kits to its award-winning family of powerline networking solutions: the compact
Powerline AV 500 Adapter Kit (XAVB5001) and the Powerline AV+ 500 Adapter Kit
(XAVB5501) with a filtered “pass-through” power socket. With revolutionary
speeds of up to 500 Mbps, whole-home coverage and groundbreaking throughput,
these new powerline kits offer performance that is unsurpassed by any consumer
networking product on the market today.
The adapters incorporate the latest in technology innovations and are
designed to be compatible with the draft international IEEE P1901 powerline
standard. Thus, these solutions provide greater speeds for bandwidth-hungry
applications such as lag-free Internet gaming, Voice over IP (VoIP), large file
transfers to networked devices, and even simultaneous 1080p HD video streaming
to multiple TVs throughout the home. NETGEAR will display these new products at
the CeBIT trade show in Hannover, Germany, March 2-6, in the Wick Hill booth
(Hall 11, Stand D03) of the Hannover Exhibition Hall.
“With the dramatic increase in Internet-connected devices across the
industry, such as TVs, Blu-ray players, DVRs, gaming consoles and set-top
boxes, consumers now require networking solutions that enable multiple devices
to be running simultaneously,” said Chris Geiser, product line manager for
NETGEAR in-home distribution consumer products. “Until now, consumers haven’t
been able to seamlessly stream multiple Blu-ray quality HD videos to different
TVs in their homes. We are proud to be the first to market with a compelling new
technology that will provide uncompromising performance, higher speeds and the
greatest throughput for these applications.”
This latest generation of powerline technologies enables consumers to create
a Gigabit Ethernet connection from any ordinary electrical outlet. NETGEAR has
an unmatched track record of bringing the latest in powerline technologies to
the market, offering a broad portfolio of powerline connectivity options
optimized to deliver the highest performance, including single-port,
pass-through, 4-port, and wireless extensions.
NETGEAR is the only networking company that offers the full range of in-home
distribution technologies to the retail and service provider markets, including
powerline, MoCA coax and wireless.
“Today’s consumers are looking for networking technologies that offer speeds
to support their abundance of Internet-connected home theater devices and ensure
uninterrupted connectivity in wireless problem areas,” said Stephen Baker, vice
president of industry analysis at The NPD Group, a leading market research
company. “Powerline technology operating effectively at 500 Mbps is not only an
ideal solution to complement consumers existing wireless networks, but it’s also
a terrific solution for small business owners who are looking for an easy and
cost-effective way to expand their network without having to run additional
Cat-5 cabling or install additional network nodes. Companies, like NETGEAR, that
offer high-end networking solutions for these customer segments are well
positioned to capitalize on a profitable market opportunity.”
Powerline AV 500 Adapter Kit (XAVB5001)
The NETGEAR
Powerline AV 500 Adapter Kit (XAVB5001) is distinguished by its compact size,
smaller than a deck of cards and up to 50 percent smaller than competing
products. It is thus an excellent choice for consumers who are concerned that a
powerline device might block an open power outlet.
Powerline AV+ 500 Adapter Kit (XAVB5501)
The
HomePlug-certified NETGEAR Powerline AV+ 500 Adapter Kit (XAVB5501) shares the
same performance and design benefits as the Powerline 500 AV Adapter Kit
(XAVB5001), but differs from its sister product in offering a cutting-edge
integrated filtered power socket for “pass-through” capability. This ensures
that customers do not cannibalize an existing wall power socket with the
adapter, which enables them to connect a wide range of power-hungry and
electrically noisy devices while still maintaining the highest performance.
Revolutionary Speed, Unprecedented Performance, Industry-leading
Design
Both new NETGEAR kits contain two adapters and are designed to provide
customers with industry-leading features at an affordable price. Highlights
include:
- Among the highest throughput of any consumer networking product available,
with 500 Mbps PHY rates and Gigabit link rates, enabling greater coverage for
every home outlet and making every room HD-capable. - Backwards compatibility with other HomePlug AV products from NETGEAR, as
well as the millions of installed HomePlug AV-certified products from other
vendors. - Designed for compatibility with the draft IEEE P1901 global standard for
high-speed powerline communications. - Compliance with the stringent European Code of Conduct (CoC) on Energy
Efficiency and the European Union’s Energy-using Products (EuP) Directive for
low power, green energy operation. - Ideal for use with Internet-connected devices that demand high bandwidth,
such as the NETGEAR Digital Entertainer Express (EVA9100), Elite (EVA9150) and
Live (EVA2000) digital media players, Blu-ray players, TiVo, AppleTV, Xbox
360, PlayStation 3, DVRs and network-enabled TVs. - Multi-colored “pick-a-plug” LEDs indicate current network performance, so
the customer can determine the strength of the powerline connection without
having to look at a computer. - Advanced energy management and standby capabilities provide wake-on-activity
functionality to reduce overall energy usage. - Prioritized Quality of Service (QoS).
- Simple “push-and-secure” functionality enables average users to easily
install and secure the devices with 128-Bit AES encryption — no software
configuration, no knowledge of networking, and no PC required, all with the push
of a button.
Availability
Backed by 24/7 technical support from
NETGEAR, both powerline kits will be available in Q3 of 2010 via leading
retailers, direct marketers, e-commerce sites and value-added resellers. Single
adapters will be sold separately for customers who want to further expand their
powerline networks. Prices for the two-adapter kits and for single adapters will
be announced at the time of market availability.
