Netgear Ships Nighthawk X6, Tri-Band Wireless Router with 3.2Gbps Speeds

By Ken Brown

NETGEAR SHIPS NIGHTHAWK X6, INDUSTRYS FIRST TRI-BAND WIRELESS ROUTER OFFERING BREAKTHROUGH 3.2 Gbps COMBINED SPEEDS

Nighthawk X6 delivers more WiFi to more devices so your family can enjoy faster streaming and gaming throughout your home.

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SAN JOSE, Calif. June 25, 2014 NETGEAR, Inc. (NASDAQGM: NTGR) (www.netgear.com), a global networking company that delivers innovative products to consumers, businesses and service providers, has once again set a new industry standard for router performance by adding to its award-winning Nighthawk family of 802.11ac routers. The new Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router (R8000) (www.netgear.com/R8000) is the first tri-band WiFi router available for purchase incorporating the powerful new Broadcom 5G WiFi XStream platform. With six high-performance antennas and three network bands, one 2.4GHz and two 5GHz, the Nighthawk X6 delivers the industrys fastest combined WiFi speed, up to 3.2 Gbps* (1300+1300+600 Mbps*). It balances the network load to ensure the best WiFi performance for each device and deliver the maximum wireless range available today.

Todays homes that combine many new and old WiFi devices need tri-band routers such as the Nighthawk X6 to optimize the speed of each device, whether it is an old laptop or the newest smartphone. Nighthawk X6 intelligently segments slower and faster devices into the most appropriate WiFi band. This network load balancing and segmentation enables the X6 to mitigate interference and more effectively support all WiFi devices, including more Internet of Things (IoT) devices.

In a typical dual band router, for example, the video streamer and the Internet gamer have to effectively time-share the 5GHz band. With the Nighthawk X6 Tri-Band Router, however, video streaming and Internet gaming traffic can each operate on separate 5GHz bands so that each of them gets double the speed of a dual band router.

Home networks are being weighed down by an exploding number of WiFi devices demanding bandwidth for more and more video content, said Sandeep Harpalani, NETGEARs director of product marketing for Retail Network Products. Nighthawk X6 solves these issues by not only providing more WiFi bandwidth but also segmenting slower and faster devices across different WiFi bands, and balancing the number of devices in each band to deliver the best-in-class experience for streaming, sharing and gaming.

Powered by a 1GHz dual core processor with three additional offload processors, Nighthawk X6 soars above the competition so youll enjoy a blazing-fast WiFi experience using the latest 802.11ac wireless technology, such as the innovative 5G WiFi XStream technology from Broadcom. By optimizing speeds for all your WiFi devices, youll be able to game on, stream away, and download mega-sized files without network lag from inside and outside your house, garage and yard.

Nighthawk X6 supports NETGEAR Beamforming+, a smart, signal-focusing technology that improves WiFi connections by locking onto a wireless device on the network and pinpointing WiFi signals directly at the device. As you move, Beamforming+ adjusts for distance, delivering the best experience for fast downloads, clearer Voice over Internet (VoIP) calls, uninterrupted HD video, and lag-free gaming. The boost in speed, reliability and range of WiFi connections is delivered on all three WiFi bands.

Nighthawk X6 offers superior capabilities for sharing, storing and securing your treasured files and multimedia content. Content on a storage device attached to Nighthawk X6s SuperSpeed USB 3.0 port can be easily accessed and transferred quickly across the network, making it ideal for streaming video to screens around the home that are DLNA-enabled or AirPlay-compatible. Your content will also be kept safe with NETGEAR ReadySHARE Vault, free application software that takes automatic backup of incremental changes on all PCs in your home network and saves them to a USB hard drive connected to the Nighthawk X6. This new NETGEAR router also offers you peace of mind with VPN support for secure remote access by using a customized free URL, SPI and NAT double firewall, and separate guest network access.

The tri-band WiFi technology that powers the NETGEAR Nighthawk X6 router provides real-life benefits to todays consumers, whose homes have an increasing number of devices simultaneously streaming HD video to TV, laptop and tablet screens, said Linley Gwennap, principal analyst of The Linley Group, a leading source of independent technology analysis on semiconductors. Capable of delivering up to twice the total data rate of WiFi routers currently in the market, it significantly improves the video-streaming experience for these consumers.

Technical Benefits of Nighthawk X6

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NETGEAR has packed Nighthawk X6 with best-in-class technology to offer an unmatched WiFi experience for your WiFi-enabled devices smartphones, notebooks, tablets, smart TVs, gaming consoles, Blu-ray players, and media servers.

  • AC3200 WiFi technology enables the fastest combined WiFi speeds currently available up to 3.2 Gbps.
  • Tri-band WiFi intelligently connects devices to the fastest WiFi band possible and increases overall network speed.
  • 6 high-performance external antennas and powerful amplifiers deliver maximum range around your home and yard.
  • 1 GHz dual core processor with three offload processors supports blazing-fast WiFi, wired and USB storage performance.
  • Beamforming+ improves range reliability by focusing and locking on 2.4 and 5 GHz device signals as you move.
  • Smart Connect intelligently selects the fastest WiFi for every device which helps your 802.11n and 802.11ac devices choose the appropriate 5GHz band for the best performance.
  • VPN support ensures secure remote access to your home network.
  • Five Gigabit Ethernet ports (one WAN and four LAN) offer fast wired connections.
  • SuperSpeed USB 3.0 port offers high-speed, storage-ready access up to 10 times faster than USB 2.0.
  • ReadySHARE Vault, a free software application, automatically backs up Windows-based PCs to a USB hard drive connected to Nighthawk X6.
  • NETGEAR MyMedia enables you to find and play your stored media from anywhere on your network to your DLNA-ready TVs and music system.
  • iTunes server support enables you to play music on AirPlay-compatible devices using iTunesor Apple Remote.
  • NETGEAR genie is a personal dashboard that makes it easy to install, monitor, control and repair your home network from PCs, Macs, and iOS and Android smartphones and tablets.

Pricing and Availability

Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router (R8000) is available for pre-order online today at an MSRP of $299.99 in the U.S.

More Information

Go to www.netgear.com/R8000 for more information on Nighthawk, and to www.netgear.com/fastestwifi for the full range of NETGEAR 802.11ac WiFi networking routers. Watch the Nighthawk X6 video at www.netgear.com/X6tour.

About NETGEAR, Inc.

NETGEAR (NASDAQGM: NTGR) is a global networking company that delivers innovative products to consumers, businesses and service providers. For consumers, the company makes high performance, dependable and easy to use home networking, storage and digital media products to connect people with the Internet and their content and devices. For businesses, NETGEAR provides networking, storage and security solutions without the cost and complexity of big IT. The company also supplies top service providers with retail-proven, mobile broadband solutions for their customers on the go. NETGEAR products are built on a variety of proven technologies such as wireless, Ethernet and Powerline, with a focus on reliability and ease-of-use. NETGEAR products are sold in approximately 49,000 retail locations around the globe, and through approximately 39,000 value-added resellers. The company’s headquarters are in San Jose, Calif., with additional offices in over 25 countries. NETGEAR is an ENERGY STAR partner. More information is available at www.NETGEAR.com or by calling (408) 907-8000. Connect with NETGEAR at twitter.com/NETGEAR and www.facebook.com/NETGEAR.

2014 NETGEAR, Inc. NETGEAR, the NETGEAR logo, NETGEAR genie, MyMedia, Nighthawk, ReadySHARE and ReadySHARE Vault are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of NETGEAR, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries in the United States and/or other countries. Other brand names mentioned herein are for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective holder(s). Information is subject to change without notice. All rights reserved.

* Maximum wireless signal rate derived from IEEE standard 802.11 specifications. AC3200 equals 600 Mbps @2.4GHz 802.11n -256 QAM + 1300 Mbps @5GHz 802.11ac + 1300 Mbps @5GHz 802.11ac. Up to 1300 Mbps wireless speeds achievable when connecting to other 802.11ac devices. Actual data throughput and wireless coverage will vary. Network conditions and environmental factors, including volume of network traffic, building materials and construction, and network overhead, lower actual data throughput rate and wireless coverage. NETGEAR makes no express or implied representations or warranties about this products compatibility with any future standards.

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 for NETGEAR, Inc.: This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Specifically, statements concerning NETGEAR’s business and the expected performance characteristics, specifications, reliability, market acceptance, market growth, specific uses, user feedback and market position of NETGEAR’s products and technology are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Safe Harbor. These statements are based on management’s current expectations and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, the following: the actual price, performance and ease of use of NETGEAR’s products may not meet the price, performance and ease of use requirements of customers; product performance may be adversely affected by real world operating conditions; failure of products may under certain circumstances cause permanent loss of end user data; new viruses or Internet threats may develop that challenge the effectiveness of security features in NETGEAR’s products; the ability of NETGEAR to market and sell its products and technology; the impact and pricing of competing products; and the introduction of alternative technological solutions. Further information on potential risk factors that could affect NETGEAR and its business are detailed in the Company’s periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. NETGEAR undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.