14 DAY TRIAL // A gateway is the final stage that data passes when going from the network to a PC or other device. It's like a row of doors, so to speak, which act as the single point through which a computer can access the network. Netgear has just launched the fastest one yet.
Called Netgear C7000B, it allows all sorts of mobile devices (smartphones, tablets, wearables, etc.), computers (desktops and laptops), and entertainment devices (smart TVs, media players, set-top boxes) to access an existing network.
Gateways are, in a way, what defines the boundaries of your network, unlike routers, which determine the shortest possible path between two computers, by means of IP addresses.
Routers can handle computers just fine if they are part of the same network. If you want to send or retrieve data, however, from a computer (computer A) to one from a second network (computer B), you'll need a gateway A and a gateway B for a connection to be possible.
That's the normal formula anyhow. Netgear made it a bit easier here by including Wi-Fi support, as well as the exclusive Beamforming+ technology.
Beamforming+ sends a "beam" of Wi-Fi to each device, for a consistent, better connection. This should work even on legacy client devices (implicit Beamforming).
The top speed achievable by the Wi-Fi connection is of 1,900 Mbps (dual-band, 2.4 GHz at 600 + 5 GHz at 1300 Mbps). There's DOCSIS too, though, with 1 Gbps.
Moving on with the specs, the Netgear C7000B has IPv6 support, WiFi Boost technology (with high-powered radio amplifiers), four Gigabit Ethernet ports, and a 24x8 DOCSIS 3.0 Modem.
Netgear went further and included advanced Quality of Service (QoS), allowing video playback and web surfing, as well as online game playing with minimal buffering and interruptions.
One-step installation isn't bad either (Push 'N' Connect), neither being the TurboTransfer feature (quick file sharing among Mac and Android devices within a home network).
Finally, the Netgear C7000B gateway has parental controls, EZ Mobile Connect (guest network access via QR code scan), and MyMedia (lets connected users find and play media files on the network).
You won't find the thing for sale anywhere though, not any time soon at least, because Netgear has only sent it out for service provider trials for now.
"The NETGEAR C7000B is our most advanced gateway available for cable service providers. The blazingly-fast AC1900 WiFi and DOCSIS Gigabit speeds enable service provider customers to have the world's fastest WiFi for all of their devices, anywhere in the home," said Naveen Chhangani, director of product management for NETGEAR Service Provider Business.