[Michael]

NETGEAR, Inc., a worldwide provider of easy-to-use, high performance networking products at prices affordable to homes and growing businesses, today announced the availability of the industry’s first available 802.11a cable/DSL wireless broadband router.
The easy-to-use NETGEAR 802.11a Cable/DSL High-Speed Wireless Router (HR314) is the newest member of an award-winning line of networking products, combining the high-performance benefits of an 802.11a-compliant wireless access point built-in with the functionality of a full-featured router and the convenience of connectivity through a 4-port 10/100Mbps switch. Based on Atheros' award-winning (AR5000) WLAN chipset technology, the dual-processor-equipped HR314 provides wireless data transmission speeds of up to 72Mbps in „turbo“ mode in the 5.4 GHz spectrum and securely connects multiple PCs to a broadband modem connection, such as a DSL or cable modem, delivering cost savings and freedom from a „tethered“ network connection. It is ideal for growing businesses and homes with bandwidth intensive requirements, such as home entertainment networks that stream audio and video.

„We are pleased to once again be the first company to deliver a cutting-edge networking technology to the market,“ stated Patrick Lo, CEO and chairman of the board of directors of NETGEAR. „The availability of the new 802.11a router provides much more than just a higher performance wireless network solution. By connecting an ME102 802.11b wireless access point to the new router, customers can effectively create a network that works with both 802.11a and 802.11b networking equipment, providing investment protection and a migration path from their legacy wireless products.“

„With the first available 802.11a router on the market, NETGEAR’s HR314 should contribute greatly to the rate of adoption of 802.11a technology in both the home and business sectors,“ stated Rich Redelfs, president and CEO of Atheros Communications. „The addition of router and switching functionality to 802.11a wireless technology makes it an ideal high-performance LAN solution, meeting the increasingly demanding bandwidth requirements of today’s progressive network environments.“

According to US Bancorp Piper Jaffray, by 2004 68% of wireless products will include the 802.11a standard either in single .11a mode or as part of a .11a/.11b or .11a/.11g dual mode combination. The market for 802.11a wireless networking equipment is expected to grow over 40 times in the next four years, with revenues rising from $35M in 2001 to over $1.5B in 2006
, according to an April 2002 IDC report.

The NETGEAR HR314, incorporating NETGEAR’s Smart Wizard and Install Assistant applications similar to that of the award-winning WebSafe Router (RP614), automatically detects the user’s ISP connection and basic parameter settings reducing setup time and making installation fast and easy. Other features such as a Web graphic user interface, MAC address cloning, NTP support, URL content filtering, E-mail alerts, DHCP server, PPPoE login client support, remote administration capability, port forwarding controls, and diagnostic tools add to the robust functionality of the HR314. The wireless router also ships complete with anti-virus and personal privacy PC software, providing maximum value and performance for growing business environments.

In addition to the protection afforded by Network Address Translation (NAT) routing, the HR314 features better encryption than that of 802.11b wireless products, up to 152 bits, and supports VPN pass-through for deployment into security-conscious remote sites.

Backed by a three-year warranty and 24/7 technical support, the NETGEAR 802.11a Cable/DSL High-Speed Wireless Router will be available via retailers, direct marketers, and e-commerce sites, at a list price of $553.

[Michael]

I really could use this to bad it cost so much money