14 DAY TRIAL // Last month, we reported on the impending arrival of the R6300 wireless router, one that was supposed to be the first ever 802.11ac wireless router, and now we can finally say it is up for sale.
We'll have to point out that Netgear failed to actually live up to its implied promise that the R6300 would be the first 802.11ac router on sale.
Buffalo somehow outran it and started shipping the AirStation WZR-D1800H one / two days faster.
Anyway, if you live in the United States, you might be able to find Netgear's product in retail, for $199.99. A fair bit more than Buffalo's $179.99, but there it is.
The R6300 is a dual-band router with performance of 450 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz 802.11n standard and 1300 Mbps on the 5 GHz 802.11ac band.
The company made sure to implement backwards compatibility with 802.11a, b, g and n specifications. It also included a pair of USB 2.0 ports, for sharing an USB hard drive and/or printer.
"802.11ac, the next generation of Wi-Fi, is expected to ramp up quickly over the next three years," says Peter Cooney, wireless connectivity practice director at ABI Research.
In addition to the R6300, Netgear launched the R6200, with 300 Mbps over 2.4 GHz 802.11n and 900 Mbps over 5 Ghz 802.11ac. It has the same USB 2.0 ports as its sibling and a price of $179.
Finally, for linking the router to a PC or other device, buyers will need an A6200 WiFi Adapter, sold for $69.99.
"NETGEAR developed these solutions to offer a complete wireless Internet ecosystem, allowing consumers to take full advantage of next-generation WiFi - even with their existing laptop or PC," says David Henry, vice president of product management, retail products at NETGEAR.
"This visionary product line underscores NETGEAR's commitment to giving users everything they need to wirelessly access the Internet and download content at the absolute fastest speeds possible."