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.

NETGEAR, Inc., the leading provider of networking products that power both home and office, today announced the availability of the next-generation Nighthawk DOCSIS 3.1 High-Speed Internet Cable Modem (CM3000), specifically engineered to handle today's fastest DOCSIS 3.1 cable internet speeds that can only be accessed with mid/high-split technology. The CM3000 delivers unprecedented download speeds, up to 2.5 Gbps, and faster upload speeds, up to 1 Gbps, for lag-free gaming, crisp video conferencing, smoother music and video streaming, and instant app downloads.

Historically, low-split products with downstream speeds far exceeding upstream capabilities were sufficient for email, web browsing, and video streaming. Today's needs, including video conferencing, livestreaming and the use of smart home surveillance, have necessitated mid-split products to provide increased bandwidth for upstream traffic. According to OpenVault, average upload usage has grown 290% since 2019. The CM3000 delivers not only blazing fast download speeds, but upload speeds up to 2.5 times faster than its DOCSIS 3.1 predecessor.

Zyxel Networks, a leader in delivering secure, AI-powered cloud networking solutions, has released its NWA130BE - BE11000 WiFi 7 Triple-Radio NebulaFlex Access Point (AP). With Wi-Fi 7-supported devices ready to go mainstream in 2024, the NWA130BE enables small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to benefit from unparalleled network speed, capacity and the best possible Wi-Fi experiences.

The NWA130BE delivers enterprise-class Wi-Fi 7 performance, with easy installation and management, at a price that's affordable for smaller businesses. It enables SMBs to enjoy the full benefits, future proofing and investment protection of the latest wireless standard, and take advantage of Zyxel Networks' Nebula cloud management platform to configure, monitor and control network devices remotely.

ASUS today displayed the ZenWiFi BQ16 and ZenWiFi BQ16 Pro mesh routers at CES 2024, featuring next-gen quad-band WiFi 7 speeds of up to 30 Gbps and coverage of up to 8000 sq. ft. (2pk) for future-ready smart homes. Dual 10 Gbps ports empower wired gaming as well as ultimate work-from-home productivity and 4K HDR entertainment streaming. ASUS ZenWiFi mesh routers won the coveted PC Magazine 2023 Readers' Choice Award. The authoritative publication reported that "ASUS takes a clear lead in this category," with the highest scores "for both overall satisfaction and likelihood to recommend." PCMag also stated, "ASUS scores exceptionally high for mesh coverage, WiFi speed and network management."

ASUS also announces the availability of its ROG Rapture GT-BE98 and GT-BE98 Pro WiFi 7 gaming routers. Each router is equipped with powerful quad-band AiMesh, cutting-edge technology and innovative design, ensuring that users can enjoy ultimate performance.

Zyxel Networks, a leader in delivering secure, AI- and cloud-powered business and home networking solutions, today announced the availability of WBE660S WiFi 7 BE22000 Triple-Radio NebulaFlex Pro Access Point, its first WiFi 7 access point for managed service providers (MSPs) and small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs).

The enterprise-grade WBE660S features a triple radio BE22000 architecture and utilizes a wider 320 MHz channel to deliver speeds up to five times faster than WiFi 6/6E solutions. WBE660S enhances the user experience by providing seamless, latency-free connectivity to optimize high-bandwidth applications such as video streaming, broadcasting, online gaming, and VR/AR.

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.

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."

Yesterday Gigabyte revealed a pair of AMD B650 motherboards in white/silver and today the company has added an entirely new X670E model using the same colour scheme. X670E AORUS Pro X doesn't have an equivalent black SKU and it's the first Pro model using the AMD X670 chipset, although the overall PCB appears to be based on the X670 AORUS Elite AX, with some interesting additions. The obvious changes include a PCIe 5.0 x16 slot, courtesy of the X670E AORUS Pro X using the E version of the chipset and this also means dual PCIe 5.0 NVMe M.2 slots, as well as a pair of PCIe 4.0 ones.

For some reason, Gigabyte also changed the 2.5 Gbps Ethernet chip from Realtek to Intel, but the specific model isn't mentioned. WiFi will apparently be via a Qualcomm QCNCM865 module, or an MTK/AMD MT7927/RZ738 module, both options supporting 320 MHz wide WiFi 7 channels and Bluetooth 5.3. Gigabyte has also thrown in three extra fan headers, as well as headers for external temperature sensors. However, the one really peculiar feature that has been added to the X670E AORUS Pro X is an internal HDMI port. The internal port appears to be limited to 1080p30 and it's intended for use with a smaller display mounted in windowed cases for diagnostics data and we believe this was a feature ASRock was first with if memory serves. Gigabyte calls this feature Sensor panel Link, but it's unclear if Gigabyte will offer suitable displays or not. There's no word on pricing or an availability date.

Gigabyte has revealed its first TRX50 motherboard today for AMD's Ryzen Threadripper 7000 Pro and Threadripper 7000 CPUs and to call this board feature packed, would almost be an understatement. The product page is still scant on details, but there's enough there to give us a good idea of what's on offer. The board is a full size ATX board which appears to be somewhere between a high-end consumer board and a workstation board. The heatsink layout isn't as refined as some of Gigabyte's current consumer board, which spoils the overall looks somewhat. With no less than three PCIe 5.0 NVMe M.2 slots and one PCIe 4.0, one has to wonder if the heatsinks covering the SSDs will be enough, considering how hot PCIe 5.0 drives can get.

The board has a further two PCIe 5.0 x16 slots and one PCIe 4.0 x16, so there won't be any need to worry about lack of PCIe lanes per slot here. Somewhat disappointingly, the board only has four DDR5 memory slots, although quad channel support is offered, as well as support for registered DIMMs. The 12 layer PCB also houses a 16+8+4 power phase design, which might be needed based on the expected core count on some of the Threadripper 7000 series CPUs. This is also one of the first boards with onboard USB4 support, with one of the ports offering DisplayPort output, although a DP to DP connection from the graphics card to a DP input on the motherboard is still required. The board also sports a 10 Gbps and a 2.5 Gbps Ethernet port, WiFi 7, a front header for a 20 Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 port and apparently two audio chips, although the list of specs and the board feature image seem to disagree on what's on offer here. The board is likely to be available at the same time as AMD's new Threadripper CPUs.

Intel has officially pulled back the curtain on its 14th Gen Core CPUs, giving gamers, creators, enthusiasts, and everyday users a new tier of processors that elevate everything they do. We've already teased several of our Z790 motherboards purpose-built for the latest Intel Core CPUs, but now we're ready to share all the details. In total, we're releasing seven new Z790 motherboards for your consideration as you hunt for the best motherboard for your 14th Gen Intel CPU. Our cutting-edge ROG Maximus motherboard family is expanding with the ROG Maximus Z790 Dark Hero, the ROG Maximus Z790 Apex Encore, and the ROG Maximus Z790 Formula. For gamers everywhere, we're expanding our ROG Strix lineup with three new models, and fans of our TUF Gaming series will be pleased to see the TUF Gaming Z790-Pro WiFi make its debut. These new motherboards join our existing Z790 and Z690 motherboards, which also support Intel's latest and greatest chips through a simple firmware update.

There's a lot to go over with the new additions to our Z790 motherboard family: they mark the debut of our first WiFi 7 motherboards, for one, and we're increasing the number of models with onboard PCIe 5.0 M.2 slots. They offer our latest game-changing innovations like DIMM Flex, and they make the process of building a PC easier than ever with their DIY-friendly features.

ASRock has announced three new Phantom Gaming Z790 Series motherboards, the Z790 NOVA WiFi, Z790 Riptide WiFi and Z790 Lightning WiFi are ready for Intel 14th Generation Core processors. The launch of the new NOVA series reflects the most incredible burst of energy in the universe, such as supernovas and hypernovas. ASRock NOVA series motherboards embody this spirit to unleash immense power and unlock new levels of performance.

ASRock Phantom Gaming NOVA - New Flagship Gaming Concept
The ASRock Phantom Gaming Z790 NOVA WiFi is a new flagship gaming motherboard featuring a server-grade, low-loss 8-layer PCB with 2 oz copper, 20+1+1 Phase SPS Dr.MOS (90 Amp) VRMs and long-lasting 20K 105°C black capacitors that will truly unlock the full potential of any Intel chip. The optimized board layout maximizes potential DDR5 overclocking to speeds of 8000 MHz and more when paired with a premium DDR5 kit.

NETGEAR, Inc., the leading provider of award-winning connected products designed to simplify and improve people's lives, today took its award-winning Orbi line to new heights with a powerful new antenna design and exclusive, patented technology that enhance the benefits of WiFi 7. Born of over 25 years of NETGEAR pioneering WiFi expertise, the Orbi 970 Series delivers unparalleled performance, speeds of up to 27 Gbps, a slim, elegant design and high-performance antennas for 360-degree coverage across just about any home, no matter the layout.

With the rise of faster multi-gig internet speeds now available to more households, the growing number of connected devices per family and the ever-increasing growth of bandwidth-intensive applications such as 4K/8K video streaming, HD Zoom calls, graphics-focused work, highly interactive real-time gaming and immersive AR/VR entertainment, the need for faster WiFi speeds, lower latency and more capacity becomes imperative. Enter WiFi 7. While WiFi 6E opened the 6 GHz band as a superhighway for the latest, fastest devices, WiFi 7 builds on that promise by expanding the channels to 320 MHz and unleashing unprecedented speeds and performance. The Orbi 970 Series maximizes the potential of the new standard with innovative, new technology that ensures the benefits are delivered throughout the home, from the front door to the backyard, across all devices simultaneously.

With Intel about to launch its 14th generation of Core processors, the motherboard makers are refreshing their LGA-1700 motherboards, as Intel won't be releasing a new chipset for the 14th gen CPUs. ASUS has now revealed three new boards that will come ready out of the box for Intel's 14th gen Core CPUs. This kind of meagre lineup is likely what we'll be seeing from all of the major board makers, since it doesn't make sense to overhaul all of their boards for the new CPUs, since only a BIOS/UEFI update is needed for the new CPUs to function in just about any 600- or 700-series motherboard. ASUS' lineup of new boards consist of the ROG Maximus Z790 Dark Hero, the ROG Strix Z790-A Gaming WiFi II, and the TUF Gaming Z790-Pro WiFi.

Apart from a design overhaul of all three models with some minor changes to slot placements, which includes new, improved M.2 heatsinks with a much more refined look, ASUS has added WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 support to two of the three new models. On the ROG Hero board, ASUS has dropped the Hyper M.2 Card in favour of an onboard M.2 slot with a taller heatsink, looking much like what we've seen on some AMD X670E boards. ASUS has also added support for USB PD 3.0 and Quick Charge 4+ to the front USB Type-C ports and even made an app that shows how much power is being delivered by the port in question. Furthermore, ASUS has added support for AEMP II which the company claims makes it easier to optimise memory performance on the boards. ASUS did not reveal when the new boards will be available or what they'll cost. Specs of all three boards after the break.

The Eurasian Economic Commission or the EEC for short, has become something of a source when it comes to upcoming product leaks, at least as far as the model names goes and now a range of upcoming motherboards from Gigabyte has made an appearance on its site. What we're looking at is a range of refreshed boards, some that were on display at Computex, but most of them haven't been officially announced as yet. On the Intel side, all the new models have an X somewhere towards the end of the model names to reflect them being part of the refresh and at least some SKUs are getting WiFi 7 support, All except one model is based on the Z790 chipset, at least as far as most of us are concerned, as there's one custom SKU that's said to be for a Chinese system integrator that won't be available outside of China. As the China specific SKU is already listed on Gigabyte's Chinese website, we've included a picture of the B70M YT Pioneer WiFi below.

On the AMD side of things, Gigabyte is adding a more affordable X670E SKU with the X670E Aorus Elite AX. Here, AMD has stuck with a simple V2 to reflect the refreshed boards, but it's unclear what has changed on these models. Gigabyte has also added a few new MicroATX B650 boards, with the B650M Aorus Elite AX Arctic which will be a white and/or silver motherboard with matching design elements. This board will have limited availability and although it might be found in retail in some countries, it's largely intended for system integrators. The other two new boards are the B650M A Elite AX Arc—we were told by a source that this is a mistake in the filing—and the B650M Gaming WiFi, which should be a cheaper alternative to the B650M Gaming X models the company is currently offering. These boards should start arriving in the autumn some time, at least based on the boards Gigabyte was showing at Computex.

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.

Considering all the buzz around WiFi 7, there weren't many live demos at Computex, but Realtek had a demo running in its suite at the show. Realtek will offer both client and router/AP solutions, with their client product which goes under the RTL8922AE model name, coming in M.2 2230 and 1620 formats, where the latter is a solder down module. To simulate a real world scenario, Realtek was running a second radio to cause some additional interference, but the RTL8922AE test setup was still capable of delivering between 1,750 and 1,950 Mbps, which is almost twice as fast as WiFi 6, using a similar 2x2 antenna setup. This was obviously over a fairly short distance, so the question is how well WiFi 7 will work over longer distances.

The RTL8922AE has a claimed maximum sync speed of 2800 Mbps when connected to the 5 GHz and 6 GHz bands simultaneously and combining the bandwidth of both bands. However, it is limited to a 160 MHz channel bandwidth, whereas WiFi 7 can go up to a 320 MHz wide channel, but it's unclear if competing first gen clients will support this. The RTL8922AE also incorporates support for Bluetooth 5.4 and is as far as we're aware one of the first WiFi chips to support the upcoming standard that mostly focuses on improving BLE Audio and Auracast support. The RTL8922AE should launch sometime in the fourth quarter this year to Realtek's customers, so it might not appear on the market until early 2024.

ASRock gave its Socket LGA1700 motherboard lineup, specifically those based on the Z790 chipset, a mid-lifecycle refresh with the introduction of four new motherboard models. These include the new Z790 Taichi Lite, Z790 Phantom Gaming Riptide WiFi7, Z790 Nova WiFi7, and the Z790 LiveMixer. The Z790 Taichi Lite heralds a new sub-brand in ASRock's motherboard product stack. This provides the core feature-set of the top Taichi, such as CPU VRM and overclocking capabilites, but tones down on the aesthetic, and some I/O connectivity. Interestingly, the Taichi Lite sticks with older WiFi 6E connectivity, besides a Killer 2.5 GbE + Intel 2.5 GbE wired network. The onboard audio solution is fairly slick, featuring a Realtek ALC4082 codec, an ESS Sabre 9218 DAC for the front-out, and WIMA audio capacitors.

In related news, ASRock also extended the Taichi Lite brand to the AMD platform, by debuting the B650E Taichi Lite, with a powerful CPU VRM that's comparable to that of the X670E Taichi, and a nifty I/O that includes WiFi 6E, Killer 2.5 GbE wired networking, and the same exact onboard audio solution as the Z790 Taichi Lite. The Z790 Phantom Gaming Nova is intended to be the most premium Phantom Gaming series motherboard in the product stack, although positioned a notch below the Z790 Taichi (although above the Z790 Taichi Lite on account of its features). You get the most powerful CPU VRM solution among the company's Phantom Gaming motherboards, a neat, illuminated common heatsink for M.2 drives other than the topmost Gen 5 (which gets a chunkier heatsink), and plenty of overclocker-friendly features. It has a more advanced set of network connectivity than the Taichi series, with 5 GbE wired networking, and the latest WiFi 7. Interestingly, the onboard audio is simpler, with just the ALC4082 handling all channels (no ESS DAC).

MSI is ready with a major refresh of its Socket LGA1700 motherboard lineup, in time for Core "Raptor Lake Refresh" processors that come out later this year. Popular motherboard models in its MEG, MPG, and MAG motherboard lines based on the top Z790 chipset Some of the top models in the lineup introduce support for Wi-Fi 7 and 5 Gbps Ethernet. Among the models we've seen are the MEG Z790 ACE MAX (5 GbE + 2.5 GbE + Wi-Fi 7), the MPG Z790 Edge MAX WiFi (2.5 GbE + Wi-Fi 7), MPG Z790 Carbon MAX WiFi (5 GbE + Wi-Fi 7), and the MAG Z790 Tomahawk MAX WiFi (2.5 GbE + Wi-Fi 7). Another set of innovations with these boards include USB 3.2 front-panel headers with 60 W PD capability, screwless M.2 NVMe SSD installation, and at least one Gen 5 NVMe slot. The company also unveiled the USB4 expansion accessory, which puts out two 40 Gbps USB4 type-C ports, along with DisplayPort passthrough, and 100 W PD capability.

For those relying on their ISP for their router, Askey might have good news for you, as the company had a pair of WiFi 7 routers destined for ISPs on display at Computex. The first model might see some retail brand, as it's a bog standard WiFi 7 router based on Qualcomm hardware. It sports no less than three radios with a combined data rate of 18.6 Gbps, although broken down per radio, that's 1,376 Mbps on 2.4 GHz, 5,765 Mbps on the 5 GHz band and 11,530 Mbps on the 6 GHz band using a 320 MHz wide channel, all radios being 4x4. It also sports a pair of 10 Gbps, one for WAN and one for LAN and an additional three 2.5 Gbps ports. Other features include mesh support, Bluetooth/ZigBee support and remote management for ISPs.

The second model is for ISPs only and is based on a solution as it's using XGSPON to connect towards the internet. It too gets a 10 Gbps WAN side port, but the integrated switch is only Gigabit. The WiFi 7 radios are configured identically to the model above, but Askey has added support for DECT as well as two VoIP ports on this model, requirements that some ISPs have. It's unclear when either device would hit the market, but it's a first sign that WiFi 7 products shouldn't be too far away.

ASRock, a global leader in motherboards, graphics cards, monitors, and small form factor PCs, is excited to announce its participation in the upcoming COMPUTEX Taipei 2023 after years of anticipation. ASRock will showcase a range of breathtaking innovative products and highly anticipated technology demonstrations. Attendees will have the opportunity to explore the ASRock latest products and solutions firsthand; also, get the immersive gaming experience at ASRock booth.

Unveiling the Next-Gen ASRock Monitors
ASRock is set to showcase an exciting lineup of monitors at COMPUTEX 2023, featuring six existing products along with new gaming and business models. The spotlight will be on the PG558KF and PG32UMF, two high-end monitors.

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.

Qualcomm Technologies' 6th generation modem-to-antenna solution is the first ready to support 5G Advanced, the next phase of 5G. It introduces a new architecture, a new software suite and includes numerous world's first features to push the boundaries of connectivity including coverage, latency, power efficiency and mobility. Snapdragon X75 technologies and innovations empower OEMs to create next generation experiences across segments including smartphones, mobile broadband, automotive, compute, industrial IoT, fixed wireless access and 5G private networks.

Snapdragon X75 is the first Modem-RF System with a dedicated hardware tensor accelerator, Qualcomm 5G AI Processor Gen 2, enabling over 2.5 times better AI performance compared to Gen 1 and introduces Qualcomm 5G AI Suite Gen 2 with new AI-powered optimizations to achieve better speeds, coverage, mobility, link robustness and location accuracy. The Qualcomm 5G AI Suite features advanced AI-based capabilities including world's first sensor-assisted mmWave beam management and AI-enhanced GNSS Location Gen 2, which uniquely optimize Snapdragon X75 for superior 5G performance.

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.