Brick, tile, wooden or concrete, small or large, whatever the shape, size and construction materials of your house there’s always an annoying WiFi blackspot.

Google’s Nest WiFi Pro Mesh System is here to sort that out.

Either in a single or multi-pack (depends on how big your place is as to how many of these you will need), the aesthetically pleasing Google Nest WiFi Pro Mesh has been future proofed for instant connectivity to Matter gear as well as having WiFi 6E, which is twice as quick as WiFi 6.

One unit is expected to cover 150m2. That’s a fairly decent footprint. And in my place, a two storey concrete and wood townhouse it was more than enough from every corner of the house.

There’s two ports at the back, one to plug in to your existing ISP modem and the other spare if you want to hardwire anything in to it.

This said for most you’ll find the wireless broadcast more than sufficient for multiple devices in the home and all smarthome tech.

If you already have other Google devices in your setup these will integrate with the Google Nest WiFi Pro Mesh System real easy via the Google Home app. And it is also within the app you can see current speeds, what’s currently connected and using bandwidth, restrict, block and more.

You’ll also get security as well as notifications and alerts on your smartphone, iOS if you have the Google Home app installed.

The Google Nest WiFi Pro Mesh System is a definite for a one bedroom place and a more modest sized two bedroom, like mine. But if you have two or more bedrooms you may want to invest in more than just one Google Nest WiFi Pro Mesh System unit.

For me it worked perfectly with zero blackspots in any room of the house and what’s more when compared with other similar Mesh systems available, the Google Nest WiFi Pro Mesh System is more than affordable.

Get everything connected, have everything staying connected with the Google Nest WiFi Pro Mesh System.

The post Google Nest WiFi Pro Mesh System Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

As Dr. Emmet Brown from Back to the Future would say, he needs ‘gigawatts’ of power, and that’s pretty much what the Netgear Orbi 860 Black Edition mesh has.

A modem and a router setup that is from the future, Netgear have packed a lot of tech in this two unit pack to have you and everyone in your home surfing and streaming like never before.

This two pack sees a modem and and an extender that is able to cover up to 560 square meters in and outside your home.

From your driveway through to the darkest corner of your backyard you’ll have a robust and reliable connection.

Whether you opt for wireless or connected you can.

The modem is equipped with a Quad-core 2.2GHz processor and both 512MB NAND Flash and 1GB RAM and is equipped your primary internet port with and additional four ethernet ports. The extender, or ‘Satellite’ has four ethernet ports.

Each port is capable of up to 1Gbps but this will of course depend on your receiving device’s network card with the main internet port on the modem being 10Gbps. Speed capabilities will of course depend on your ISP and the fibre line that comes in to your home.

Placing this in to the context of gaming, your console or PC should likely be able to download a sizeable game within minutes, not hours.

Trying this out, downloading EA’s Star Wars: Jedi Survivor which is over 100GB for PC usually takes an hour, usually two, before it’s good to go.

Cabled in to the extender that is wirelessly synced to the Orbi 860 modem Jedi Survivor download timeframe was way quicker, being ready to play in only 37 minutes.

Asides from chunky downloads, if you’re an online gamer you can say goodbye to network latency, hiccups and blips. It’s smooth and fast.

The Netgear Orbi 860 allows up to 100 in-home connected devices and aims to stream the connection at 100% to all. So everyone can stream, play and work uninterrupted.

100 devices seems a bit of an overkill, right? Well, no not really. If you have a smart home the number of smart devices vying for a connection increases exponentially and even if you don’t have smart gear automating your household, think of how many phones, tablets, connected TVs and computers / laptops that might be all queuing for a connection.

I remember when I first started kitting out my place as a ‘smart home’ and back then this was a relatively new concept. I was always experiencing devices fighting for IP Addresses from my modem. More often than not I’d have to restart my modem to renew IP Address leases. First world problems, yes, but super frustrating.

With the Orbi 860 you’ll never have this issue. If anything Netgear have future proofed.

Wireless speeds are up to 6Gbps and again this will depend on your receiving device. Distance from the mesh should not be a factor within your home. My laptop, which is multiband compatible was able to get a wireless speed average of 4 – 5 Gbps from the Orbi 860 mesh.

The Netgear Orbi 860 Black Edition is tri-band including Wi-Fi 6 of course and yep there’s an Orbi app.

This is super handy and you’re going to need it for setup anyway.

The Orbi 860 comes with defences by way of ‘Netgear Armor’ to protect your devices from any internet nasties. you can also use the app to see speeds, what’s connected, filter and more.

Last year I reviewed the RBKE963 Mesh System and this blew away all expectations of what a mesh system should be capable of. The Black Edition is very much the same and in my opinion more styley in its darker colour scheme.

But with all of this said, reliability, speeds and future proofing does come at a cost. The Netgear Orbi 860 Black Edition is not cheap.

If you’ve got the budget and hot speed interwebs in and around your entire domain is critical, the Netgear Orbi 860 Black Edition is a must.

The post Netgear Orbi 860 Black Edition Mesh Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Acer today unveiled the Acer Connect Vero W6m mesh router, its first eco-friendly Wi-Fi 6E router that incorporates post-consumer recycled (PCR) materials in its chassis and features an Eco mode for efficient energy consumption.

The router is powered by a quad-core 2 Ghz processor and includes a bundle of enhanced connectivity, coverage, and security features, including Wi-Fi 6E Tri-Band AXE7800 capability and compliance with Radio Equipment Directive (RED) EN 303 645 articles 3.3 Cyber Security Standards.

“We are thrilled to expand Acer’s portfolio of network devices with the launch of the Acer Connect Vero W6m Wi-Fi 6E mesh router, engineered with support for Wi-Fi 6E tri-band connectivity to provide swift and secure connections with vast network coverage within any home or office locations,” said Wayne Ma, General Manger, IoB, IT Products Business, Acer Inc.

“The performance-driven router is also the latest addition to our growing Vero line of ecoconscious products, embodying Acer’s commitment to fulfilling its environmental responsibility and helping minimise carbon footprint.”

The Acer Connect Vero W6m, Acer’s first eco-friendly router, comes with Wi-Fi 6E connectivity and conforms with security standards set by the European Commission’s Radio Equipment Directive. Capable of supporting Wi-Fi 6E Triband (2.4 Ghz/5 Ghz/6 Ghz) AXE7800 throughput, the device provides speeds of up to 7.8 Gbps to deliver fast, stable internet connections when online.

The Wi-Fi 6E router can also be paired with up to 4 units and features impressive network ranges of up to 465 m2 on a dual mesh system and up to 930 m2 on a quad mesh system to help eliminate dead spots in larger coverage areas. Powered by a state-of-the-art quad-core 2 GHz A53 processor with 1 GB LPDDR RAM and 4 GB memory capacity, the Acer Connect Vero W6m is engineered to keep up with high-bandwidth requirements.

The new Vero router also gives great importance to data protection and security as it is the first Wi-Fi 6E mesh router to pass EU EN 303 645 (RED) Cyber Security Standards. It also comes with a dedicated WPS button for effortless network security setups. The router is further optimised with intelligent device/application recognition and standard LAN and WAN ports for added connection flexibility.

Designed with the environment in mind, Acer’s commitment to reducing CO2 emissions is reflected in every aspect of the device, from its chassis to energy-efficient features. It also utilises 100% recyclable paper in its packaging.

The Acer Connect Vero W6m’s minimalistic and compact aesthetic is made with 30% PCR plastic and painted with a cobblestone gray finish to let it blend in with any office or home setup. The dedicated Eco mode function optimises the router’s power consumption, along with other connected devices by managing their sleep time when not in use and efficiently regulating its data frequency distribution.

The Acer Connect Vero W6m router availability and pricing is to be announced.

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The post Acer Unveils its First Eco-Friendly Wi-Fi 6E Mesh Router appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

New search engine Neeva has just launched, rivalling Google by giving web users honest search results with no tracking, and no advertisements or affiliate links.

New Zealand users also have access to NeevaAI, which harnesses the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to deliver an experience that combines the best of ChatGPT with the authority and timeliness of search.

NeevaAI provides a synthesised single answer with linked sources pulled together from the most relevant sites for a query allowing users to determine the authenticity and reliability of the cited sources. NeevaAI offers current information by crawling hundreds of millions of pages a day and serving from its independent index of billions of pages. By combining AI with Neeva’s in-house search stack that eschews ads and advertisers, results are fast, timely, bias-free and relevant.

Founded by Sridhar Ramaswamy (ex-SVP of Ads at Google) and Vivek Raghunathan (ex-VP of Monetisation at YouTube), Neeva’s goal is to deliver the best results as quickly as possible.

Commenting on Neeva’s launch, CEO Sridhar Ramaswamy said: “Neeva is a user-first platform focused on private, transparent searches versus a search engine serving advertisers. The internet should be your private corner of the web instead of a barrage of ads, SEO spam and irrelevant information. We’re reinventing search by leveraging the most cutting edge AI, giving users control over sources; providing accurate and transparent results as well as private and customised experiences without the influence of corporate bias, tracked around the web.”

Neeva offers a freemium model with a free basic service as well as a premium subscription that includes additional features such as a VPN and password manager.

“Google has dominated the search engine market, maintaining over 90 percent market share. Neeva will challenge this supremacy by creating a better search and browse experience that delights users”, says Mr Ramaswamy.

He added: “Users should expect answers from their queries, not the ads or information that one company decides they should see online. The ad-supported internet has created vastly misaligned incentives that have made Big Technology monopolies and advertisers richer while exploiting the privacy and personal data of users. It’s time for a new approach to search that puts people first.”

Neeva operates its own independent search stack drawing from an index of billions of web pages and also enables users to connect personal applications like email, Dropbox, Slack, Figma and others, making it easy to search across the most important personal documents while maintaining strict privacy controls.

Neeva is growing fast, gaining more than 2 million users since launching in the USA in 2021. Investors include Sequoia Capital, Greylock Ventures, Inovia Capital, and Neythri Futures Fund. The company has raised over US$80m from its investors.

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The post Neeva launches to rival Google Search appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

NETGEAR has announced the New Zealand arrival of the Orbi 860 Series.

Building on the award-winning 850 Series, the new addition to the Orbi portfolio future proofs home internet with a 10Gb Ethernet port, supporting multi-gig internet connections; upgraded antenna design for greater WiFi performance. and a bundled year of NETGEAR Armor, providing homes with an automatic shield of security against internet threats across every connected device.

Following on the tremendous success of the Orbi 850 Series (WiFi 6 AX6000 Mesh System RBK853), the Orbi 860 Series joins NETGEAR’s industry-leading WiFi 6 Whole Home Mesh WiFi portfolio.

The past few years have seen huge changes to internet usage spurred by the pandemic, including a dramatic increase in just about everything from home, working, shopping, learning, and socialising. As Internet Service Providers enable faster multi-gig internet speeds, up to 10 Gigabits per second, and hackers create new sophisticated cyber-attacks, high-performance and secure WiFi are now imperative.

With NETGEAR’s latest WiFi 6 tri-band and patented dedicated backhaul technology, the powerful Orbi 860 Series mesh systems are designed to keep connections strong and running at maximum speeds in every room without slow-downs or buffering, providing families the bandwidth to address household demands even when simultaneously 4K / 8K streaming, Zoom conferencing and WiFi calling from a bedroom, basement or the backyard.

In an environment where homes are connected with Gigabit plus internet (1.4 to 10 Gigabit) and have an increasing number of connected devices – more than 25 on average, the new Orbi 860 Series provides the best WiFi experience for WiFi 5 and WiFi 6 devices. It’s an upgrade from the Orbi 850 series with a stepped-up internet connection, from 1 Gigabit to 10 Gigabit, and new antenna system with wider coverage areas.

The new Orbi RBK863 3-pack WiFi Mesh System provides up to 540 square metres of coverage with up to 6Gbps WiFi speed and support for 100 devices operating at the same time. This coverage can easily be expanded with additional Orbi RBS860 satellites. To achieve this industry-leading performance and wider range, NETGEAR uses patented dedicated backhaul WiFi technology and antenna design. The exclusive tri-band mesh system with NETGEAR’s pioneering innovation ensures speeds stay fast as more WiFi devices connect to the home network with less dropped connections.

“When we launched our flagship Orbi product line in 2016, we set a new benchmark for connected home products with faster speeds, higher capacity and wider coverage areas with our patented tri-band mesh design,” said David Henry, president & GM of Connected Home Products and Services at NETGEAR. “Our new Orbi 860 Series is designed to continue to deliver on the promise of superior WiFi. It provides the capacity to capitalise on higher incoming Internet speed, up to 10 Gigabit, an increasing number of devices and even better WiFi range than the Orbi 850 Series. On top of that, we couple it with one of the industry’s best internet security protection services to help New Zealand households to secure all their WiFi connected devices, including laptops, phones, tablets, speakers, cameras, baby monitors, TVs, light bulbs, light switches and more.”

Tech Specs

• Faster Speeds with WiFi 6 – WiFi 6 offers four times the speed, capacity, and bandwidth of WiFi 5. You get best-in-class performance regardless of activity or device type.
• Stays Strong Even as You Connect More Devices – Enjoy consistent, peak speeds and high performance on up to 100 devices across 743 square metres with Orbi’s patented tri-band mesh router-satellite WiFi connection.
• 20% WiFi Boost with Exclusive Antenna Array Design – With unique WiFi optimisation and a new, improved antenna array, the Orbi 860 system provides more range and speed compared to the previous Orbi 850 Series.
• Multi-Gig Speeds with 10GbE Internet Port – The 10Gb Internet speed port enables you to connect to the latest cable and optical fiber offerings over 1 Gbps up to 10Gbps, and you can plug in your wired devices to improve performance via four Gigabit Ethernet ports on each router and satellite.
• Seamless WiFi for Multiple Devices – Say goodbye to slow connections. WiFi 6 makes shared bandwidth much more efficient and prevents connection delays.
• Dedicated Backhaul – Unlike competitors with a shared backhaul, Orbi’s patented dedicated backhaul connects the router to satellites with a dedicated WiFi pathway exclusively used for communication between the base router and the satellites while our competitors share that link when communicating with other connected devices. This dedicated backhaul design ensures blazing speeds throughout your home and on all your devices.  Connections stay strong all the time.
• Orbi App – Easily set up your WiFi system, manage your network remotely, pause the Internet on any device, track your Internet data usage and more.

For added peace of mind, the Orbi 860 Series includes a year of NETGEAR Armor to protect the connected home from online threats.

Unlike traditional endpoint antivirus products, NETGEAR’s Armor is built into the router as a comprehensive security solution to monitor activity going to and from the Internet, protecting computers, security cameras, baby monitors and other IoT devices, flagging external threats while eliminating the need for multiple security subscriptions or software. Additionally, it provides on-the-go protection and VPN for phones and laptops. Armor acts as a strong and effective “front- and backdoor lock” to any home network.

NETGEAR will also offer a standalone Orbi router (RBR860S) for those who live in smaller homes or apartments and desire the best WiFi performance as well as the flexibility to easily expand to Orbi mesh as their needs change.

The Orbi 860 Series Mesh System and satellites will be available in black, with an option also available for a white router, providing elegant and unobtrusive colourways to complement any home decor. The system is available now from all good technology retailers including JB Hi-Fi, Harvey Norman, PB Tech and Noel Leeming.

You can also find out more on the official website.

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The post NETGEAR shuts down internet blackouts w. Orbi Black 860 Series appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Who says bigger is better?

Amazon prove that solid, reliable tech does come in small packages with their eero 6+ WiFi Mesh kit.

You can opt to buy singularly, but if you’re wanting full cover for home, no black spots (and mine has a few) then the three pack of eero 6+ routers is the way to go.

My home is a smart home. Which means my bandwidth is choca loaded with devices all screaming out, demanding an IP address.

The routers that telco’s hand out just don’t cut it.

Having so many smart devices, lights, security, entertainment and more all connected swapping out a router can be a nightmare.

But Amazon have made it super easy with the eero 6+.

Your eero app (iOS or Android) is your go to. It will guide you through the set up assist with reconnecting devices and even tells you what is connected.

First the app is going to need to use Bluetooth on your smart device. Once one of the eero 6+ units is plugged into your existing modem it’s simple as from there.

If you already have an Alexa device in your home an Alexa skill is automatically added (providing you log in to your Amazon account during setup). This allows you to have some voice control over your eero 6+ mesh.

The three pack has a trio of tiny sized eero 6+ routers. One to be the main device and the other two extenders. Brilliantly, you do not need to use a specific eero 6+ to be the primary – they are smart enough to know what’s connected and who’s the boss.

Each unit has two 1GBps ethernet ports. This might be a bit of a downer if you’re someone who prefers to hardwire your gear in, but for WiFi it’s not going to matter.

Spreading the eero 6+ devices throughout your home will see the end to those annoying dead zones – and it did for me.

Upstairs has always been a bit iffy. After setting up the eero’s I was getting full and same coverage anywhere in the house.

They are dual band  WiFi 6 @ 160 MHz and also backwards compatible for those older connected devices. The eero 6+ are smart enough to distribute the load accordingly. Honestly once set up, there’s nothing you need to do but chill, game, stream and more.

There’s some security too. You can block apps, block ads and create rules via profiles (if you set these up) and of course see your in-home data usage which can detail individual devices connected to your eero 6+ network.

When compared to similar kits the Amazon eero 6+ is value for your dollars, coming in at near to half the price of competitors (for the three pack).

Give your home based devices the freedom and connectivity that they deserve with Amazon’s eero 6+ and stream content in your home like a pro.

The post Amazon eero 6+ WiFi Mesh Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

To celebrate the final day of E3, Opera today announced the launch of Opera GX for mobile, the world’s first mobile browser built specifically for gamers on the move.

Opera GX mobile version is packed with many of the great features that gamers currently enjoy with the hugely popular Opera GX desktop browser (Windows and macOS), which is already the preferred choice of browser for millions of gamers worldwide. These features include the latest gaming news, custom skins, unique navigation with haptic feedback, native ad blocker and more.

Opera GX is now the best set of browsers for gamers on the go and at home, using their mobile and desktop devices.

“We launched the desktop version of Opera GX during E3 2019. This year, with the event coming back, we have some good news for everyone who wants their smartphone browsing experience to match their gaming tastes,” said Maciej Kocemba, product director of Opera GX.

“Those tastes are ever-evolving. Two years ago, we launched the best browser for PC gamers, and since then, we have seen the entire games industry shift towards cross-play. With Opera GX mobile, we are making sure that all gamers have a browser that offers them a superior web experience and lets them follow the latest news about their favorite games on PlayStation, Xbox, Switch and every other platform they enjoy.”

Opera GX mobile users can enjoy a host of features, including custom navigation with the Fast Action Button (FAB), which uses gaming-inspired vibration and haptic feedback for smoother, more intuitive browsing. There is also the ability to sync mobile and desktop experiences through the Flow feature, enabling gamers to share walkthroughs, tutorials, and character builds between devices. The mobile browser also includes the GX Corner – a unique space on GX‘s home screen featuring the latest gaming news about desktop, console and mobile games, deals, trailers and a game release calendar.

The mobile version of Opera GX also distinguishes itself with a gaming-inspired design with a variety of different color themes for both dark and light modes.

Opera GX mobile features:

• “GX Corner” to keep players on top of the latest gaming news and deals
• Gaming inspired design with multiple color themes in both dark and light modes
• “Fast Action Button” (FAB) for one-handed navigation with haptic feedback
• A built-in ad blocker, a cookie dialogue blocker and protection from cryptocurrency miners
• “Flow” to effortlessly connect Opera GX mobile and Opera GX desktop with a simple QR code – send files and messages between browsers with ease. Perfect for sharing walkthroughs and tutorials

Launched in June 2019, during E3 in Los Angeles, Opera GX for Windows and macOS exceeded 9 million monthly active gamers in March 2021, up 190% year-over-year. This is thanks to its standout features that make the browser less resource-hungry and leave more of the computer’s resources for gaming, including a set of CPU, RAM and network bandwidth limiters. It also includes built-in Twitch, Discord and Messenger support in the sidebar. Opera GX has grown to become the largest tech server on Discord, currently counting more than 290,000 members.

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The post Opera GX launches During E3 2021 appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Google is the king of internet.

The one-stop go to to find pretty much everything online with a few keywords.

So it makes sense that Google would expand their smarts in to your home using Google Assistant to create a seamless experience from your Android smartphone to your in-home smart devices.

Being the internet giant that they are, Google have released a Nest WiFi router that can either act as a sole modem for your home, or expand your current WiFi range.

It’s an absolute truth that the routers supplied by telcos for both Broadband and Fiber are not the best for a modern connected home.

Weak WiFi and constant restarts of the router itself. Devices dropping off and not reconnecting (or not connecting at all).

My router is set to dynamic for all IP’s (anything that connects to your home’s WiFi requires your router to give it an IP address).

I haven’t set any static IP Addresses as I do not have an internal file share, a server or anything that would require one and I test out alot of IoT devices so I need my router to give out an IP address to a new device or devices on a weekly basis (sometimes even daily).

With my telco provided router – it is hit and miss and generally requires a restart before I can connect something new, making sure existing devices are turned off if not in use to free up an IP address.

Yep a first world, yet really annoying problem.

But, get a Google Nest going on in your home and the issue is gone.

The Google Nest is a no fuss setup router with inner A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) and has a minimal footprint, appearing as something you would have as part of your home decor.

Using the Google Home app on either Android or iOS the app will automatically pick up the Google Nest router and in a few taps you’re all set and can start using the WiFi from the Nest.

Get a couple of these in your home and really create your very own Nest network as the two Google Nest routers automatically recognise and play well together.

The Google Nest router can be a full replacement for your existing router, but you’ll need to know your connection settings (provided from your telco).

Using in tandem with my existing router was an easier experience and less trouble too.

My town house is wood built, with high beam ceilings and concrete walls, both outer and internal. It is also two story.

Upstairs it would be a normal day if smart devices dropped their WiFi as the signal faded in to a void that apparently exists in my house.

On any given day devices that had been connected previously drop and won’t reconnect, as mentioned above.

Adding in two Google Nest routers from Google, one downstairs and one upstairs immediately saw this issue cease.

Google have made the Google Nest family friendly. The A.I. will keep out all of those less than kid (or even normal people) friendly sites.

If you’re a serious PC gamer you might have a bit of a problem with the Google Nest router though.

True it’s not a gaming router – but even if you like to go into your router and tweak the settings to increase loads for games while minimizing for usual internet traffic and playing about with ports, you’re not going to be able to with the Nest.

Google Nest will however use it’s own smarts to gauge where traffic needs to be increased and decreased and will learn your internet usage behaviour.

If you have a Google Assistant device in your home you can instantly use this to gain information on your Google Nest as all of the devices work as a group.

Google Nest is the perfect router for busy households that have multiple connected smartdevices all-the-while keeping the kids safe from internet nasties.

The post Google Nest WiFi Router Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

NETGEAR, provider of mesh WiFi systems that power today’s smart homes and small businesses, announced the introduction of the Nighthawk Mesh WiFi System.

With the broadest range of WiFi 6 offerings in the industry, NETGEAR, the leading provider of mesh WiFi solutions, continues the commitment to advance WiFi performance with the launch of a new product line, the Nighthawk Mesh WiFi system. With the launch of Nighthawk Mesh WiFi, the performance line will now join the fastest growing segment of WiFi advanced solutions – WiFi 6 mesh systems.

The award-winning NETGEAR Orbi WiFi Mesh System has provided the consumer with an advanced WiFi solution, which has become synonymous with ease-of-use and performance, whereas the Nighthawk line of performance routers has been reserved for those customers who prefer to have greater capability to customise the settings for personalisation and optimisation of their network.

Designed for the tech enthusiast, the new Nighthawk WiFi 6 Mesh System brings the experience of reliable and flexible WiFi coverage with specialised features such as Dynamic QoS, which automatically prioritises both video streaming and gaming traffic. NETGEAR will continue to add features establishing Nighthawk Mesh WiFi system as the most robust and adaptable system available.

Every member of a household now has a well-defined need for super-fast, reliable WiFi from gamers, to telecommuters and those who stream HD video to numerous screens within the home.

NETGEAR has answered this call with the Nighthawk Mesh WiFi System delivering the future of WiFi with next-generation WiFi 6. The Nighthawk Mesh System comes with one or two high-powered satellites to provide whole home broadband WiFi coverage. Dead zones are eliminated by easily adding satellites wherever needed or to scale up when moving to a larger home. Setup is completed in minutes with the free Nighthawk App on Apple iOS or Android OS and is also used to easily manage the network from your mobile device.  “In a period of just three years, mesh WiFi has taken a large share of the WiFi market. NETGEAR has led this charge with our popular award-winning Orbi Tri-band Mesh WiFi system,” said David Henry, senior vice president of Connected Home Products for NETGEAR. “We are excited to bring the power and flexibility of Nighthawk to this market, and lead the transition to WiFi 6.”

A Nighthawk Mesh WiFi 6 router or a satellite supports dual-band WiFi with up to 1.8Gbps using the latest WiFi 6 and is the ideal companion for the latest iPhone or Samsung smart phones and the new WiFi 6 capable gadgets introduced over the last several months. Legacy devices also will experience enhanced connectivity, as the WiFi 6 backhaul for mesh systems improves utilisation of WiFi channels with its use of faster speeds and better efficiencies over WIFi 6.

The router also comes equipped with 2 Gigabit Ethernet ports (one for the internet and the other for the LAN) while the satellite comes with 1 Gigabit Ethernet port. This exciting new addition to the NETGEAR family of mesh WiFi products will set a new bar for performance and capacity to meet the increasing bandwidth demands of our customers.

NETGEAR already has the industry’s most complete WiFi 6 router portfolio and are now happy to offer the same for WiFi 6 mesh solutions.

The post NETGEAR PUSHES THE TRANSITION TO WIFI 6 appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Anyone having fun with their Google Home, but missing the opportunity to take it with them or move it between rooms, may be interested in Ninety7’s Loft.

The loft is essentially a very stylish battery pack. It replaces the Google Home’s base / speaker cover.

I previously didn’t realise, but the base of the Google Homes off, exposing the device’s speakers. It is this disembodied main unit of the Home that fits snuggly into the Loft base, secured by magnets. The Google Home power cord plugs directly into the Loft for charging.

It’s probably a matter of taste, but the but I think that the Loft’s more industrial black metal finish of the carbon review unit looks a lot better than the grey cloth of the standard base unit’s speaker cover. The Loft comes in three colours: carbon, snow and copper. Whereas “addon battery pack” usually means a ghastly appendage to your device, that is not the case with a Loft.

The Loft complements the styling of your Google Home, perfectly. There’s a small power button on the base and three LEDs to show the battery power level.

Just sitting around, you are likely to get around six-eight hours out of the battery. Playing music full blast, you could be looking at half that. So, don’t expect you Google Home to provide the entertainment on an extended day out.

To be fair, it’s not the sort of device that you want to be doing that with, anyway- there are other, more portable speakers for trips out. It’s a Google Home, and that’s were it is best situated.

The Loft enabled me to unplug the Google Home from its usual lounge position. I could then take it into the garage or garden, all the while continuing to listen to Spotify and ask Google for answers to stupid questions.

Another surprise use of the Loft came about after being presented with the Google Home by my three-year-old, who had transported it rugby-ball style up the stairs to me. A fully charged Loft will keep a Google Home going on top of a shelf away from prying little hands.

For around AUD$70 Ninety7’s Loft adds a great deal of functionally to you Google Home. It’s functionally that you may never have thought you needed but, the portability does come in very handy. It also, in my opinion, anyway, makes the Google Home look a lot more stylish, to boot.

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