Tag Archives: mesh

Acer Enters Router Market with Wave 7 Mesh and Predator Connect W6x for Gamers

Acer has expanded its product portfolio with the introduction of two new routers: the Acer Wave 7 and the Predator Connect W6x. This marks Acer’s first foray into the router market, following the expansion of the Predator branding to include graphics cards last year.

Acer Wave 7: Designed for Whole-Home Connectivity

The Wave 7 caters to a broad range of users, including families and remote workers, by delivering high-performance Wi-Fi 7 for extensive and reliable coverage in homes with numerous devices.

The Wave 7 comes in two configurations, offering a choice between a 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz combination or a 2.4 GHz and 6 GHz combination for users to optimize performance based on their specific needs. Both configurations support dual-band connectivity, utilizing both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequencies, to ensure strong and consistent signals throughout the home.

Acer Wave 7 01

Furthermore, the Wave 7 boasts innovative features like 320 MHz channel support and Multi-Link Operation (MLO) technology. MLO allows devices to transmit and receive data concurrently across different frequencies, significantly boosting overall throughput, minimizing latency, and reducing interference.

This mesh system allows for further expansion by adding more access points, creating a seamless blanket of Wi-Fi coverage throughout a large space. For enhanced flexibility in network configuration, the Wave 7 offers three Gigabit Ethernet ports with switchable WAN/LAN capability. Built-in Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) security provides an additional layer of peace of mind.

The Wave 7 is available in single, double, and triple-pack options, offering users flexibility when building their network systems.

Predator Connect W6x: Prioritizing Speed and Performance for Gamers

The Predator Connect W6x caters specifically to gamers, offering support for Wi-Fi 6 with speeds up to 6000 Mbps. This router is equipped with a powerful quad-core processor, 1 GB of DDR4 RAM, and 256 MB of ROM, prioritizing near-zero packet loss for smooth and uninterrupted gameplay. An LED light indicator conveniently displays the network connection status on the router’s cover.

PREDATOR CONNECT W6X 02

Gamers can manage their network remotely using the Predator Connect utility app, downloadable on smartphones or tablets starting in July. The Predator Connect W6x also boasts a comprehensive selection of ports, including four Gigabit Ethernet ports for LAN connectivity and a single 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet port for WAN connectivity.

Pricing & Availability

The Acer Wave 7 will be available in North America in Q2, and in EMEA in July starting at EUR119 (approx. RM607.54) for a single pack, EUR199 (approx. RM1,015.97) for a double pack, and EUR299 (approx. RM1,526.51) for a triple pack.

The Predator Connect W6x will be available in North America in Q2, and in EMEA in July starting at EUR 129 (approx. RM658.59).

Home Mesh Networks to be supercharged with Qualcomm’s WiFi 7 chips

Qualcomm announces new WiFi 7 chipsets with the aim to revolutionize home networking with faster speeds and enhanced performance.

Qualcomm IHP features
Faster speeds and performance at home with Qualcomm’s Wi-Fi 7 platforms. Image source: Qualcomm

Qualcomm launches the chipsets as part of its “WiFi 7 Immersive Home Platform” and will be found in routers and mesh WiFi devices in the latter half of 2023. In its launch announcement, Qualcomm believes the new platform will deliver increased performance in a “…compact, power-efficient, cost-effective network chipset architecture”. There are two new chipsets announced, the Qualcomm 3210 platform that offers 20Gbps peak network capacity and the 236 platform with 10Gbps peak capacity.

The new chipsets also bring a host of new features, with the Qualcomm Multi-Link Mesh being a central one. This is Qualcomm’s own built-in mesh networking technology that offers to reduce real-time latency by 75%. It does this by automatically switching between the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz and 6 GHz spectrums based on network conditions. It also leverages avoidance algorithms to reduce other interference from other networks.

Qualcomm IHP specs
Expect higher mesh network capacities and better performance in congested environments.
Image source: Qualcomm

Being a WiFi 7 chipset, the new platforms leverage the formats whole suite of features for your home mesh network. These include an enhanced 6 GHz spectrum performance with 320 MHz spectrum, offering 40% higher capacity than WiFi 6E. There is support for WiFi 7 Multi-Link and Adaptive Interference Puncturing to further improve performance in congested environments. And last but not least, better single device connectivity with peak speeds up to 5.8 Gbps.

For more information on Qualcomm’s new WiFi 7 chipsets, visit the “Immersive Home Platform” website.

Sources: The Verge, ZDNet