TP-Link launched on Thursday a great networking solution that’s ideal for small businesses and homes that are pushing 4K video streaming to multiple devices. Called the Archer C3200, this router provides three Wi-Fi bands instead of two, coughing up a combined speed of 3.2 Gbps.
The new Archer C3200 features one 2.4 GHz band providing speeds of up to 600 Mbps and two 5 GHz bands promising speeds of up to 1300 Mbps apiece. These bands are backed by six high-performance antennas, a 1 GHz dual-core CPU, and three co-processors. Other notable features include beamforming and Smart Connect, the latter of which will assign a device to one of the bands that cranks out the best possible connection.
So why provide three bands? Because two aren’t enough, especially if a household streams a lot of content, such as Hulu Plus and Netflix. Or take the new Xbox One / Windows 10 connectivity as an example, which likely consumes a lot of bandwidth. Customers surfing the Internet could do so on the 2.4 GHz band while the Xbox One connects to one of the 5 GHz bands and the Netflix consumer streams video on the other 5 GHz band.
“Archer C3200 Wireless Tri-Band Gigabit Routers greatly increases the Wi-Fi coverage throughout a large home,” the company says. “The routers utilize beamforming technology in order to easily locate wireless devices and form stronger, more reliable connections.”
In addition to performance, the new TP-Link router provides one gigabit WAN port for the incoming Internet, four gigabit LAN ports for wired devices like desktops, consoles, and HDTVs, a USB 2.0 port, and a USB 3.0 port. The latter USB 3.0 port could be used for sharing files across the network while the slower USB 2.0 port could be used for sharing a printer.
Naturally to get those high speeds on the 5 GHz band, customers will need a device with built-in Wireless AC technology, or a Wireless AC adapter. For instance, the Archer T9E PCI Express adapter will provide 5 GHz speeds of up to 1300 Mbps and 2.4 GHz speeds of up to 600 Mbps. For a cheaper price, consumers should also consider the Archer T8E, which provides 5 GHz speeds of up to 1300 Mbps and speeds of up to 450 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band.
Unfortunately, TP-Link’s new router doesn’t come cheap, setting customers back $259.99. Customers can purchase the router today from TP-Link and Fry’s, and from additional online and brick-and-mortar retailers soon.
From maximumpc
from http://bit.ly/1UH096W
