CES: Netgear Targets 'Connected Lifestyles,' Unveils New Routers

"We're now taking things to the next level," said Vivek Pathela, Netgear's vice president and general manager of home and consumer products. In the past, Pathela said, Netgear provided the plumbing and the connectivity to build the home network. Now, the San Jose, Calif.-based vendor is building on last year's vision of the "all access home" to "provide users with experiences they can get with a connected lifestyle."

As part of that push, Netgear on Wednesday unveiled a trio of new routers, one of which targets people on the go: the 3G Mobile Broadband Wireless Router, for mobile users who want to bring technology and connectivity wherever they roam. For them, Pathela said, Netgear is releasing the 3G Mobile Broadband Router, a portable router that users can bring anywhere to experience high-speed 3G broadband from any location, be it a hotel room or a satellite office.

The 3G Mobile Broadband Wireless Router creates an instant Wi-Fi hotspot using 3G mobile broadband access services simply by plugging any compatible 3G USB modem to the router, Pathela said.

The router features auto-detection of compatible 3G USB modems and associated mobile carrier networks to connect to broadband almost instantly. Pathela said it supports SPI, intrusion logging and reporting, denial-of-service protection, up to five IPsec VPN end points and NAT. The router also offers Push 'N' Connect with WPS, energy-saving features and an optional car power adapter to power the router while on the move. Pathela said the router can offer roughly 3 Mbps and up to 7 Mbps of connectivity.

Along with the 3G Mobile Broadband Wireless Router, Netgear also unveiled two more routers at CES in Las Vegas: the RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router, which is the first product to introduce Netgear's fifth-generation design, and the RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N Modem Router.

The Gigabit Router is a simultaneous dual-band, 2.4GHz and 5GHz wireless router with Gigabit ports and a USB port to network an external USB storage device for access from multiple networked computers. It ties in a 650MHz MIPS processor, high-performance power amplifiers and eight "ultrasensitive metamaterial" antennas for faster wired-to-wires throughput and long-range wireless coverage. Features of the Gigabit router include a four-port Ethernet low-power-consumption green switch, dedicated QoS for wireless video, one-touch wireless on-off and power on-off buttons, and adjustable transmit power for energy efficiency.

The RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router offers Push 'N' Connect with Wi-Fi Protected Setup (UPS) and is geared for prosumers with multiple networked gadgets running multiple applications, gamers, and video streamers that require a high-speed network.

The RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N Modem Router, on the other hand, integrates an ADSL2+ modem with a dual-band wireless router into one package, offering double firewall protection and NAT to hide PCs and files from outside users, and a stateful packet inspection firewall to deny outside requests for information. The modem router can also be configured as a wireless repeater to add range. It offers a multilanguage installation wizard, Push 'N' Connect with WPS and energy-saving features. The modem router is designed for users who want a single integrated wireless router and DSL modem device for their growing networking needs.

Next: Netgear Eyes 'Internet Families' And 'Serious Media Enthusiasts'