Netgear release first 802.11ac router

[BenMcr]

http://www.reghardware.com/2012/04/2..._router_first/

Networking hardware maker Netgear will have its next-gen Wi-Fi machine, the R6300 router, out next month.

[thenry]

thats nice looking

[RB2004]

Now all it needs is a vm casing, a broadband modem and to be branded superhub 2

Not forgetting a range of 802.11ac devices to make use of it

[qasdfdsaq]

Only problem is under current regulations it'll take 10 minutes to power up, that's if we're allowed to use it at all. We're going to need a change in regulations before 802.11ac can become mainstream.

[ZrByte]

Originally Posted by qasdfdsaq

Only problem is under current regulations it'll take 10 minutes to power up, that's if we're allowed to use it at all. We're going to need a change in regulations before 802.11ac can become mainstream.

Really? Why 10mins? Im guessing the change in regulations is due to the frequency range?

[qasdfdsaq]

Most 5Ghz channels require the router to monitor the channel for 60 seconds for radar signals before being allowed to use it. 802.11ac uses 8 channels so 8 times that, plus the channel switch time, and additional time to find an entire block of 8 free channels with nothing else using the whole range.

Which presumably would be fine until a reboot, power cut etc.

[qasdfdsaq]

No, it also has to continue constantly monitoring the channels for radar pulses as long as it's on, and as soon as something is detected it must stop transmitting and repeat the whole process to find another channel.

I didn't know that, thank you. In which case, sounds like a somewhat premature release of product no?

[Jayster]

Originally Posted by RB2004

Now all it needs is a vm casing, a broadband modem and to be branded superhub 2

You forgot the part where virgin cut corners to try and make it cheaper.

[ZrByte]

Originally Posted by qasdfdsaq

Most 5Ghz channels require the router to monitor the channel for 60 seconds for radar signals before being allowed to use it. 802.11ac uses 8 channels so 8 times that, plus the channel switch time, and additional time to find an entire block of 8 free channels with nothing else using the whole range.

Wow, I've never heard that one before. Could it not just monitor all 8 channels simultaneously? Or at least 2 channels at a time to cut down that start time?

[qasdfdsaq]

Originally Posted by jempalmer

I didn't know that, thank you. In which case, sounds like a somewhat premature release of product no?

Depends on your definition of premature.

For one, the standard hasn't even been finalized, and secondly there are no clients available that can actually connect to it.

---------- Post added at 18:45 ---------- Previous post was at 18:43 ----------

Originally Posted by ZrByte

Wow, I've never heard that one before. Could it not just monitor all 8 channels simultaneously? Or at least 2 channels at a time to cut down that start time?

It could theoretically, depending on both how the hardware and software are implemented.

Given Netgear's recent track record, I have my doubts, but it's not impossible.

Part of it's funny regulatory kerfuffle though that only allows certain channel pairs to be used together - e.g. 44 and 48 can be combined, as can 52 and 56, but not 48 and 52. Not sure if that's just a US-only peculiarity though.

---------- Post added at 18:47 ---------- Previous post was at 18:45 ----------

Originally Posted by Jayster

You forgot the part where virgin cut corners to try and make it cheaper.

Funny enough the Superhub comes with most of it's 5Ghz functionality disabled, and only allows you to use 4 out of the 24 available channels. Looks like they simply skipped over radar detection entirely and didn't even bother to implement it.

[BenMcr]

Originally Posted by qasdfdsaq

Funny enough the Superhub comes with most of it's 5Ghz functionality disabled, and only allows you to use 4 out of the 24 available channels. Looks like they simply skipped over radar detection entirely and didn't even bother to implement it.

Or what you said:

Originally Posted by qasdfdsaq

4 channels is actually fairly realistic on 5Ghz - there's only really a few channels on 5Ghz you can use without DFS and considering how bad VM got everything else wireless on the SH wrong I wouldn't be surprised if they had to switch off the extra channels for legal reasons.

Or maybe they're trying to cut down on the number of standards they're violating in order to maybe one day achieve wifi certification for the thing... Like that'll ever happen

[qasdfdsaq]

Two ways of saying the same thing...