Netgear Unveils Industry's First 802.11ac Cable Gateway

Netgear is been demonstrating the industry's first 802.11ac cable gateway. The new cable gateway uses DOCSIS 3.0 technology with 24 x 8 channel bonding. Netgear says that the new router is about three times faster than a 802.11n unit is. The cable gateway supports up to 1.2 Gbps download speeds and up to 320 Mbps uploads.

That is significantly faster than current wireless networking gear on the market. The cable gateway has multiple antennas and dual band Wi-Fi for increased coverage. The gateway also has the ability to stream HD video and other media around the home more quickly than on 802.11n devices. The cable gateway features Netgear Genie allowing the user to monitor, manage, and repair their home network from a computer, Mac, or smartphone.

The device also offers guests network access and allows guests to have access to the Internet without needing a password and prevent guests from accessing other devices on the network. The gateway also has a USB port for directly connecting storage that can be shared across the network and supports DLNA devices. The router also features Netgear Parental Controls giving parents control over what kids can access online. There is no indication of when the new cable gateway might come to market.