ASUS today announced the RT-BE88U, the world's first WiFi 7 router that offers up to 34 Gbps of combined wired network capacity. With a 10 Gbps LAN / WAN port, a 10 Gbps LAN / WAN SFP+ port and four 2.5 Gbps ports, the RT-BE88U stands ready to deliver massive amounts of Ethernet performance for online gaming, media streaming and more - now and well into the future. It also offers up to 7200 Mbps of cutting-edge WiFi 7 networking, bringing the enhanced data rates of 4K-QAM and dual-band Multi-Link Operation to compatible devices. Plus, Guest Network Pro, subscription-free security features and site-to-site VPN support help to make an RT-BE88U-based network flexible, safe and easy to manage.

The WiFi 7 advantage
With WiFi 7 cornerstones such as the boosted data rates of 4K-QAM and dual-band Multi-Link Operation (MLO), the ASUS RT-BE88U ushers in a whole new wave of networking possibilities. 4K-QAM increases speeds by packing signals more tightly, which increases bandwidth efficiency. Thus, data rates can be up to 20% higher than what a WiFi 6 network can achieve. Meanwhile, Dual-band Multi-Link Operation (MLO) lets a WiFi 7 device connect to both a 2.4 GHz and a 5 GHz network to increase throughput and minimize latency. This future-proofs the network, giving users the capacity to handle even more connected devices without sacrificing performance

NETGEAR, Inc., the leading provider of networking products that power businesses of any size, today launched the most compact WiFi 7 access point on the market. The tri-band WBE750 is designed for businesses heavily reliant on wireless internet and delivers up to 18.4Gbps1 total WiFi throughput, supported by a 10 Gbps/Multi-Gigabit PoE++ port.

The WBE750 Insight Manageable Tri-band WiFi 7 Access Point provides the deep capabilities that today's complex businesses need, including real-time responsiveness, low latency, and increased capacity. Employees are using an increasing number of connected devices at work - including laptops, cell phones, tablets, on top of office-wide connected devices such as collaboration systems, portable POS systems, smart lighting, and more, all of which can eat up precious bandwidth. Limited bandwidth can lead to decreased productivity and inefficiencies within a company, ultimately impacting the bottom line. The WBE750 access point with its high WiFi throughput and ability to support up to 600 concurrent devices is among the most advanced available today.

Semtech Corporation, a high-performance semiconductor, IoT systems, and cloud connectivity service provider, today announces the AirLink XR60 5G Router Solution, a breakthrough in networking technology designed to offer 5G and Wi-Fi 6 performance in an ultra-compact and ultra-rugged design for highly demanding environments.

"Celebrating this release is particularly special for us at Semtech, formerly Sierra Wireless. The AirLink XR60 isn't just any router - it's the next evolution in 5G technology. Rising 5G adoption is paving the way for a more diverse array of applications, underlining the need for versatile and easy-to-install solutions. Our customers, particularly those in public safety and utilities, have expressed a clear requirement for routers that aren't just technologically advanced, but are also small, rugged and reliable under extreme conditions. The XR60 embodies our continued commitment to these sectors, ensuring that we're not only meeting but exceeding the expectations and demands of those who rely on us the most," explains Tom Mueller, EVP and GM of IoT System Products Group at Semtech.

ASUS today announced the RT-AX57 Go tri-mode travel router, a dual-band model that offers ultra-fast WiFi 6 up to 3,000 Mbps. It provides tri-mode connectivity for travel, work and home, including 4G and 5G mobile tethering, public WiFi mode (WISP), router mode, subscription-free security and multiple VPN features. With support for 160 MHz WiFi channels, RT-AX57 Go can also support up to 70 devices, four times the capacity of previous models.

Frequent travelers often face situations where no WiFi is available. The RT-AX57 Go can provide an easy and secure connection through the mobile hotspot feature that can share WiFi with multiple devices. Travelers may also experience a limit on the number of devices that can connect to hotel or airport WiFi, and expensive connection fees. RT-AX57 Go can help sidestep these hassles by letting users easily set up private WiFi connections anywhere, whether in a hotel room, on a cruise ship, at an airport terminal, or even a recreational vehicle at a camp site.

Acer today announced two new gaming routers, leveraging the power of the Qualcomm Immersive Home Platform and tri-band Wi-Fi 7 for stable connections and enhanced wireless gameplay. The Predator Connect X7 5G CPE unleashes blazing-fast internet speeds through 5G and Wi-Fi 7, along with dual WAN connectivity to minimize disruptions. Fast, reliable, and vast network coverage is provided by the Predator Connect T7 Wi-Fi 7 Mesh Router with the expandability of its multi-link Wi-Fi mesh system, making wired-level latency possible in a mesh setup.

Powered by Qualcomm Technologies' advanced quad-core processor, the X7 and T7 provide gamers and streamers with accelerated online experiences, improved Spectrum Utilization with Wi-Fi 7, as well as enhanced MU-MIMO and OFDMA across connected devices.

MSI, a leading gaming hardware brand, is thrilled to announce the partnership with Ubisoft, a renowned game publisher. Excitement abounds as MSI and Ubisoft collaborate once again to present gamers with an unmatched experience in the highly anticipated game - Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora.

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora - Immerse Yourself in a World of Wonders and Dangers
Unfold the epic wonders of Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, a first-person action-adventure game that will allow you to journey through beautiful yet unpredictable open world regions, where lowering your guard can lead to deadly mistakes.

Linksys, an iconic Home and Small Office connectivity company, today announces its first WiFi 7 Mesh System home connectivity, Linksys Velop Pro 7. Purpose-built for the most efficient WiFi operating mode to date, the newest Linksys solution delivers incredible streaming, collaboration, and gaming experiences and can be setup in less than 10 minutes.

Linksys' fastest Mesh setup yet that's easy for all
Designed to make home connectivity simple and effortless for anyone, setup time has been reduced by 66% to less than 10 minutes so you can blanket your home with full coverage in less time than it takes to fold a load of laundry.

Franklin Wireless is thrilled to announce the launch of its JEXtream FX20 Parental Control Router and Mobile App, a dynamic duo designed to redefine the way families experience internet connectivity and manage online activities. This home solution not only provides fast Wi-Fi 6 speeds but also introduces a comprehensive parental control system that operates seamlessly on all connected devices within the home network and on mobile devices while away.

The JEXtream app remote management feature provides you with the ability to monitor and control activities on your FX20 router remotely, view which devices are connected, pause, or allow each device connection; having a profile will enable you to set scheduled connection limits, set categorized or customized keyword contents filtering to selected devices. With the FX20 Parental Control Router, you can enjoy peace of mind knowing that your family's internet access is both reliable and secure, all from the convenience of your mobile device using the JEXtream app.

Adtran today launched its next-generation Wi-Fi 6, 6E and 7 service delivery gateways (SDGs) for optimized in-home connectivity, the SDG 8600 and 8700 Series. Specifically designed as a revenue-generating vehicle for operators, the energy-efficient mesh routers combine a compact footprint with a processor twice as powerful as previous models, supporting over 250 devices simultaneously. With their ability to cater to diverse market segments, from low-cost broadband to premium multigigabit offerings, they effectively address the connectivity needs of households, multi-dwelling units and businesses. Ensuring lag-free cloud gaming, smooth 4K streaming and efficient remote working, the SDG 8600 and 8700 Series will help dramatically improve the in-home Wi-Fi experience.

"As market demands transition towards multigigabit services, seamless and robust Wi-Fi is becoming increasingly vital. With our SDG 8600 and 8700 Series, we're taking speed to the next level and delivering a superior Wi-Fi experience, all while ensuring homeowners enjoy a streamlined and unobtrusive setup free from unsightly network equipment. This means Wi-Fi devices can be placed prominently, resulting in no more dead spots and no more dropped signals. So whether you're streaming, gaming or on an important video call, you can be sure of uninterrupted connectivity throughout the home," said Eric Presworsky, GM of residential solutions at Adtran. "For operators, our new SDGs offer a unique opportunity. Not only can they provide an unbeatable Wi-Fi experience, but they also unlock new avenues for revenue generation with differentiated services and applications, from IoT security to parental controls. This translates to increased customer loyalty and a concrete path to business growth."

GL.iNet unveiled its latest Wi-Fi 6 AX6000 home router, Flint 2 (GL-MT6000). Designed to fulfill scenarios such as heavy data transfers, hyper hundreds of device connections, and ultra-low latency gaming environments, this device is a modern home and office router capable of
high-performance demanding connectivity.

The Flint 2 is ideal for users with high speed, capacity, and stability requirements. With dual band AX6000, up to 160 MHz bandwidth, 4x4 MU-MIMO support, and eight high-power FEMs. Not only does the Flint 2 extend Wi-Fi coverage to meet the Wi-Fi 6 high-speed, along with the dual 2.5G ports, also allows this device to access 2.5G high-speed broadband with 2.5G intranet transmission capability easily.

Linksys, an iconic Home and Small Office connectivity company, announces in a statement of direction the new Cognitive Security capability, which will complement the newly released Designer Series through the end of the year. Cognitive Security technology will then be released in the soon-to-be announced Icon Series later this year.

The term "Cognitive" in the technology space refers to "thinking technologies," which can deterministically, either by user selection or automation, solve problems. In Phase 1 of its implementation, Linksys Cognitive Security was developed entirely based on user input and feedback, focusing on saving users time and effort.

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. is ushering in a new era of home connectivity, and new opportunities for service providers, with the introduction of the Qualcomm 10G Fiber Gateway Platform and its signature feature, Qualcomm Service Defined Wi-Fi technology.

The overwhelming majority of subscribers experience their broadband service through Wi-Fi. In today's broadband systems, the access network from the service provider to the home and Wi-Fi within the home are managed separately - with a quality of service which is nearly impossible to maintain across the entire network, given the diversity of devices, applications, connectivity technologies, and the near-constant change across all these elements.

Amazon announced eero Max 7, its first Wi-Fi 7 mesh system and the fastest, most powerful eero yet. eero Max 7 combines the company's patented TrueMesh networking technology with the latest Wi-Fi 7 standard to dramatically increase speeds, avoid interference from neighboring networks, and improve mesh latency-and with 10 Gigabit Ethernet, it's now possible to download a 4K movie in 10 seconds or a 50 gigabyte video game in less than a minute.

"Connectivity is core to our everyday lives—we stream movies and TV, take video calls for work, play online games with our friends, and use an ever increasing number of connected devices," said Nick Weaver, co-founder and CEO of eero. "With tens of millions of eero devices around the world, we know customers notice even a millisecond delay when streaming a movie or gaming, want reliable connectivity in every corner of the home, and always look for faster speeds. eero Max 7 is the culmination of everything we've learned—this is an entirely new class of eero, built without compromise."

Linksys, an iconic Home and Small Office connectivity company, is pleased to announce in a statement of direction its new Designer Series. This collection of connectivity products will become available online and in stores over the next several months, through the end of this year. This most recent addition to the Linksys family of products continues in the tradition of high-tech, innovative connectivity devices for the home, providing top-of-the line service and reliability combined with a fresh design that gives a sophisticated, modern edge and a tasteful new look to the traditional home WiFi router.

"The Designer Series came from two-plus years of research, conversations with our customers and design exploration," said Michael Wick, director of product design at Linksys. "We were asked to evolve Velop. The result is a new design language and color family that seamlessly blends in with home and small office décor around the world. Customers and beta users have confirmed we hit the mark."

Banana Pi recently released the specifications of their upcoming BPI-R4 router SBC with a host of new connectivity and features over the last generation BPI-R3. The new BPI-R4 adds dual 10GbE via the SFP ports, with a second board design offering 10GbE+2.5GbE instead, as well as a large daughterboard addon that enables 36 Gbps tri-band WiFi 7 and fits to a pair of mPCIE connectors on the bottom. There is also now support for 5G cellular via a M.2 B-Key port laid over the top of a trio of NanoSIM card slots. Enabling this improvement in connectivity is the updated MediaTek 'Filogic 880' MT7988A SoC which features four Cortex-A73 cores at 1.8 GHz as well as a host of dedicated improvements specifically tuned for high speed networking which combines most functions into the single SoC. Now instead of surrounding the main processor with a host of co-processing chips like the BPI-R3 did, the BPI-R4 simply surrounds the SoC with 8 GB of DDR4 and an 8 GB eMMC flash module. The remaining wireless logic now lives on the NIC daughterboard. The BPI-R4 does give up one of its gigabit RJ-45 ports despite the topside space savings, but reuses this empty space by offering an optional plug-in POE module, and both a 12 V power input as well as 20 V USB-PD with the added Type-C port.

Features retained from previous generations are the M.2 M-Key for SSD storage expansion, a microSD card slot, rear facing USB 3.2 Type-A, the bootstrap toggle switch, and 26-pin GPIO. The BPI-R4 retains roughly the same physical dimensions as the BPI-R3 except for the additional height from the WiFi 7 module which hugs the bottom of the main board when installed. The BPI-R4, like its predecessors, will support Debian Linux and OpenWRT at launch with images available on the Banana Pi wiki product page. Banana Pi hopes to launch the BPI-R4 by Q1 2024 and has yet to announce any pricing. Our hope is that pricing stays roughly in line with the BPI-R3 which launched at just shy of $90 USD. Given the swath of new technologies on the BPI-R4 it's a fair guess that it is going to be over the $100 mark.

Linksys, a global innovator in WiFi technology, today announces the latest addition to its WiFi 6E product portfolio - the Linksys Velop Pro 6E, first of its new Designer Series using the "nature inspired" droplet design, along with advanced features that provide the ultimate WiFi 6E experience at an affordable price point.

WiFi 6E offers an extra 6 GHz band connection that helps cut down on interference and improves speeds to your connected devices. Powered by the Qualcomm Immersive Home 316 Platform, the Linksys Velop Pro 6E brings incredible range and coverage with WiFi 6E, enabling users to stream, download, or work with a faster and wider connection, and more devices on their network. Each tri-band node has one 1 Gbps Ethernet LAN port for connecting wired devices to wireless networks. With the latest Linksys Mobile App, the Velop Pro 6E is easily set up in under 10 minutes, and managed remotely with security and other useful features such as guest access, parental controls, and more.

If you own one of several recent ASUS router models, then you're being urged by ASUS to upgrade your firmware to the latest release as soon as possible, due to a few serious security flaws. The two most severe being CVE-2022-26376 and CVE-2018-1160, both of which are rated 9.8 on a scale of 10 in terms of severity. However, if you're running the third party Asuswrt-Merlin firmware, you're apparently safe, as the author of the third party firmware has already patched all the known security issues that ASUS has announced patches for.

The affected models are the GT6, GT-AXE16000, GT-AX11000 PRO, GT-AX6000, GT-AX11000, GS-AX5400, GS-AX3000, XT9, XT8, XT8 V2, RT-AX86U PRO, RT-AX86U, RT-AX86S, RT-AX82U, RT-AX58U, RT-AX3000, TUF-AX6000, and TUF-AX5400. That's 18 different models in total, all of which should be built around Broadcom hardware. It's unclear if more models are affected or not, but these are the ones ASUS has issued updates for. The security flaws in question could allow someone to take over an unpatched router and make it a part of a botnet or similar. ASUS has suggested turning off features like DDNS and VPN servers, as well as more obvious things like WAN access, port forwarding, port triggers and DMZ until the firmware has been updated on the affected models.

NETGEAR, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTGR), the leading provider of award-winning connected products designed to simplify and improve people's lives, today launched a powerful addition to its unlocked 5G mobile hotspot lineup. At a time when access to fast, secure and reliable internet is more important than ever, the NETGEAR Nighthawk M6 Mobile Hotspot Router (MR6150) raises the mobile broadband experience to new heights by upping the maximum 5G speed that can be supported and adding 160 MHz capability to connect with the latest WiFi 6 client devices.

NETGEAR launched the world's first unlocked 5G hotspot in 2021 with the award-winning Nighthawk M5. Now the company is building on that achievement with the M6, which is 20 percent faster than the M5 at 2.5 Gbps over 5G and has the capacity to hit a maximum combined WiFi speed of up to 3.6 Gbps when connecting to 160 MHz WiFi 6 devices. Additionally, the M6 comes with In-Home Performance Mode which boosts WiFi coverage up to 1,000 square feet when the device is plugged in, and the battery is removed.

Acer today unveiled the Acer Connect Vero W6m mesh router, its first eco-friendly Wi-Fi 6E router that incorporates post-consumer recycled (PCR) materials in its chassis and features an Eco mode for efficient energy consumption. The router is powered by a quad-core 2 GHz processor and includes a bundle of enhanced connectivity, coverage, and security features, including Wi-Fi 6E Tri-Band AXE7800 capability.

"We are thrilled to expand Acer's portfolio of network devices with the launch of the Acer Connect Vero W6m Wi-Fi 6E mesh router, engineered with support for Wi-Fi 6E tri-band connectivity to provide swift and secure connections with vast network coverage within any home or office locations," said Wayne Ma, General Manger, IoB, Acer Inc. "The performance-driven router is also the latest addition to our growing Vero line of eco-conscious products, embodying Acer's commitment to fulfilling its environmental responsibility and helping minimize carbon footprint."
Fast and Seamless Wi-Fi 6E Connections

Owners of TP-Link routers ought to heed a warning from the US government's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), as at least one router model from the company is vulnerable to known exploits. The exploit is actively targeted by Mirai botnet operators and it allows for injection of commands that could allow them to take over the routers via remote code execution (RCE) software. The router from TP-Link that is known to be vulnerable to the exploits is the Archer AX-21, a fairly recent entry level AX1800 Wi-Fi 6 model that is sold globally by the company.

The specific exploit for the Archer AX-21 is tracked as CVE-2023-1389 and is affecting all Archer AX-21 routers with a firmware version older than 1.1.4 2023019, as it's said to address the vulnerabilities. Users who have linked their router to a TP-Link cloud account and allow for automatic updates should already have had their router firmware automatically updated, but everyone else should update their router firmware as soon as possible. There have already been reports of the exploit being actively used by the Mirai botnet to take over routers in Eastern Europe as of the middle of last month, but further parts of the world aren't spared from attacks either by now. Routers might often be devices that are forgotten in a corner somewhere, but it's important to keep the firmware up to date, especially as they are increasingly becoming the target of hackers.

NETGEAR, Inc., the leading provider of award-winning connected products designed to simplify and improve people's lives, today launched the first WiFi 7 router with its new addition to the award-winning Nighthawk line. Built by an experienced team with 25+ years of pioneering WiFi expertise, the NETGEAR Nighthawk RS700 Router is spearheading the WiFi 7 revolution. Packed with unprecedented power, the all-new RS700 delivers up to 19 Gbps of blazing-fast WiFi, more than doubling the speed of previous generations.

The WiFi requirements of modern, hyper-connected homes continue to push the boundaries of today's WiFi standards. With the rise of faster multi-gig internet speeds now available to more and more households, the growing number of connected devices per family and the ever-increasing growth of bandwidth hungry 4K/8K video streaming, HD Zoom calls, hybrid collaborative graphics-intensive work, highly interactive real-time gaming and AR/VR applications and experiences, WiFi continues to evolve to support faster speeds, lower latency and increased capacity. While WiFi 6E opened the 6 GHz band as a superhighway for the latest, fastest devices, WiFi 7 makes good on that promise by unleashing unprecedented speeds and performance. Maximizing that power, NETGEAR's RS700 router, powered by Broadcom's BCM6726/3 WiFi 7 system on a chip (SOC), achieves speeds up to 19 Gbps. The tri-band WiFi 7 router, from the creators of tri-band technology, enables a dramatic decrease in latency for real-time responsiveness for next-generation AR/VR gaming or smooth UHD Zoom calls and 8K streaming for multiple simultaneous users.

An entity calling themselves "TP-Link ASIC" recently announced a Wi-Fi 7 capable ASIC cryptocurrency miner with claims of hashing rates above even the mighty RTX 4090... In one specific ASIC friendly algorithm. If the concept of a router that mines crypto sounds strange, deranged, or downright questionable to you, you're not alone. The consumer market for crypto mining has waned heavily in the last handful of months due in no small part to Ethereum switching to Proof of Stake last September, which led to GPUs being ineffectual for mining the previously profitable coin. However, ASIC mining does remain prevalent across the sea of various algorithms and alt-coins that exist. One such alt-coin is Kadena, a smaller Proof of Work cryptocurrency that appears to flutter around the $1USD range. This is where "TP-Link ASIC" has placed their engineering efforts with the, "TP-Link NX31 31.2 THS Router Miner," which, as the name implies, offers 31.2 TH/s of Kadena hashing power at a cool $1,990 USD (previously $1,440).

If you've been around long enough to remember the Butterfly Labs fiasco and fallout, you're probably already groaning and holding your head in your hands. Buying ASICs from new and unproven vendors promising the moon is never a good idea. But TP-Link isn't an unproven company, they have a successful business and sell legitimate products. Surely this would be handled properly since this is a well established brand, right? Well, here's the twist; "TP-Link ASIC" is NOT TP-Link. When questioned about this new launch by Tom's Hardware a TP-Link representative responded that "TP-Link ASIC" has no affiliation with TP-Link, nor does their NX31 mining router.

MSI, a world leading gaming solution provider, proudly presents its new lineup of networking products—the RadiX AXE6600 WiFi 6E tri-band gaming router, the RadiX AX6600 WiFi 6 tri-band gaming router, and the AX1800 WiFi USB adapter. MSI aims to provide gamers with a home network that is ultra-fast, has low latency, and with no jitter.

Upgrade your gaming experience
The RadiX AXE6600 and RadiX AX6600 are powerful tri-band gaming routers that each can deliver combined speeds of up to 6600 Mbps. An integrated 1.8 GHz quad-core CPU from Qualcomm and advanced networking hardware has been designed to prevent jitter, reduce lag, lower ping, and sustain incredible speed for online gaming.

If you're looking at upgrading to WiFi 7, but don't want a router that looks like a dead bug, then maybe MSI has the router for you, with its upcoming RadiX BE22000 Turbo router. The BE22000 part in the name refers to 802.11be which is the IEEE naming for WiFi 7 and the max theoretical throughput of the router, i.e. 22 Gbps combined across all bands. The RadiX BE22000 Turbo supports 320 MHz channel width, or twice that of WiFi 6 and it's the main reason why WiFi 7 can be so much faster than WiFi 6.

Other features include AI QoS which MSI claims automatically prioritises gaming packets over other types of data packets being sent by the router and it can be configured via a companion app. The RadiX BE22000 Turbo also supports MLO or Multi-Link Operation, which enables supported clients to connect to the router using more than one frequency band for increased throughput. MSI didn't reveal much when it comes to the hardware features of the router, but it does have a pair of 10 Gbps ports, as well as four 2.5 Gbps, making it a better choice than ASUS' recently announced RT-BE96U, which only has Gigabit ports in addition to its two 10 Gbps ports.

ASUS at the 2023 International CES showed off its first gaming-grade next-generation WiFi 7 (802.11be) routers. These include the ASUS RT-BE96U dual-band WiFi 7 router under the company's main marquee, and the ROG Rapture GT-BE98, which the company says is the world's first quad-band WiFi 7 gaming router. The RT-BE96U features two 10 GbE ports, and has a total network switching bandwidth of 19 Gbps. The router includes a 6 GHz frequency band with 320 MHz radio band and 4096 QAM, which doubles the data-rate over WiFi 6E. The router supports WiFi 7 MLO (multi-link operation), allowing data-transmissions to span multiple frequency bands at the same time. The WLAN module also supports Multi-RU punctuating that works to reduce channel interference. The ROG Rapture GT-BE98 supports nearly all the features of the RT-BE96U, but with a quad-band radio setup, with peak switching bandwidth of 25 Gbps. Besides these, the router gets the distinctive ROG product styling, several game-specific QoS optimizations, game console optimizations, and Aura RGB LED setup that can sync with your PC's Aura setup over network.