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NETGEAR expands offering of first quad-mode business-class wireless-ac access points

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PRESS RELEASE

At Bett 2016, wireless controller compatibility for Access Points offer SMBs a cost-effective pathway to flexible, managed solutions to better support the increasing demand for wireless connectivity

BRACKNELL, UK — January 20, 2016 — NETGEAR®, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTGR) (www.netgear.co.uk), a global networking company that delivers innovative products to businesses, consumers, and service providers, is enhancing the offering of its two new quad-mode business-class 802.11ac wireless Access Points (APs) by enabling compatibility with controller management through its ProSAFE® WC7600 and WC9500 Controllers. The ProSAFE WAC730 Business 3x3 Dual Band Wireless-AC Access Point and ProSAFE WAC720 Business 2x2 Dual Band Wireless-AC Access Point for small to mid-sized organisations  are on view on Stand G330 at Bett 2016. The event runs today until 23rd January in the ExCeL London exhibition centre. 

Primary schools, secondary schools and universities are listening to the demand of the digital generation and providing a 21st Century learning platform filled with connected devices – many being used simultaneously. To cope with the growing pressure on IT network infrastructure within education, and the density of access points in one institution, NETGEAR launched 802.11ac ProSAFE Access Points operating in standalone mode or ensemble mode, the latter of which can support up to 10 units of the same model as a single, centrally managed group. For larger deployments, NETGEAR has today announced these ProSAFE Access Points (www.netgear.co.uk/business/products/wireless/business-wireless) now support controller management.

Delivering Multiple Management Options

NETGEAR continues to deliver functionality to complete the industry’s most flexible management support for its access points — quad mode. Quad-mode operation provides four different modes of management for a single access point: Standalone, Ensemble, Controller, or Cloud Managed Mode. With the newly released software, the WC7600 and WC9500 Wireless Controllers (www.netgear.co.uk/business/products/wireless/wireless-management) can now support the centralized management of the two newest 802.11ac access points.

Combining the support of controller management with the quad-mode operation provides significant investment protection. The NETGEAR Ensemble Mode in particular means these ProSAFE Access Points essentially act as a stepping-stone for educational institutions which are expanding the number of APs to support an increasing number of devices on their wireless networks. Ensemble enables schools to migrate from standalone APs to a managed solution without the cost and complexity of big IT, and at a tailored pay-as-you-grow pace. As their networks grow and need to manage even larger groups of access points, they can simply add additional Ensemble groups. Alternatively, the same APs can be controlled centrally with the NETGEAR ProSAFE 7600 and ProSAFE 9500 Wireless Controllers.

“For most in the education sector, standalone access points are not feasible as configuration changes become routine,” said Peter Newton, senior director of product management for NETGEAR. “Quad mode allows customers to decide their chosen mode of management. Through these APs, customers can select from Standalone, Ensemble and now Controller Management. This additional deployment flexibility allows the network to evolve without needing to rip and replace APs to support different management options.” 

Key Product Features and Benefits

The 11ac Access Points build on the proven and award-winning NETGEAR design footprint used for existing APs such as the ProSAFE WNDAP660 and WNDAP360 models. The new WAC730 and WAC720 Access Points are 40 percent smaller and include additional capabilities such as Bonjour® Gateway to support Apple® devices across multiple subnets in a given network.

Key product points include:

  • Business class with superior 802.11ac performance — up to 1.7Gbps for WAC730 Access Point and up to 1.2Gbps for WAC720 Access Point*
  • Reliable data delivery:

o   3 x 3 (Transmit x Receive) with 3 streams of data for 2.4GHz (450Mbps) and 5GHz (1.3Gbps) for WAC730 Access Point

o   2 x 2 (Transmit x Receive) with 2 streams of data for 2.4GHz (300Mbps) and 5GHz (867Mbps) for WAC720 Access Point

  • Dual band concurrent operation with backward compatibility to 802.11n
  • Power over Ethernet (802.3af) for ease of deployment
  • Ease of use with simple and intuitive graphical user interface
  • Free Ensemble management for groups of up to 10 APs of the same model
  • Comprehensive security with WPA and WPA2 and MAC address Access List
  • Compatible with ProSAFE WC7600 Wireless Controller and ProSAFE WC9500 Wireless Controller, for businesses needing to manage larger groups of APs (controller and licenses are required and will be sold separately)
  • ProSAFE WC7600 Wireless Controller can manage up to 50 APs in a single unit and up to 150 APs in a management cluster of 3 controllers
  • ProSAFE WC9500 Wireless Controller can manage up to 200 APs in a single unit and up to 600 APs in a management cluster of 3 controllers 

Pricing and Availability

The ProSAFE Access Points and Wireless Controllers are available through authorised NETGEAR partners and other reseller channels and e-commerce sites. UK pricing is available upon request.

More Information

  • NETGEAR ProSAFE business products provide world-class reliability and are backed by the industry-leading ProSAFE Lifetime Hardware Warranty, Lifetime Next Business Day Shipping for part replacement, and 24x7 Lifetime Technical Support.** 

About NETGEAR, Inc.

NETGEAR (NASDAQ: NTGR) is a global networking company that delivers innovative products to consumers, businesses and service providers. The Company's products are built on a variety of proven technologies such as wireless (WiFi and LTE), Ethernet and powerline, with a focus on reliability and ease-of-use. The product line consists of wired and wireless devices that enable networking, broadband access and network connectivity. These products are available in multiple configurations to address the needs of the end-users in each geographic region in which the Company's products are sold. NETGEAR products are sold in approximately 38,000 retail locations around the globe, and through approximately 30,000 value-added resellers, as well as multiple major cable, mobile and wireline service providers around the world. The company's headquarters are in San Jose, Calif., with additional offices in approximately 25 countries. More information is available at http://investor.netgear.com or by calling (408) 907-8000. Connect with NETGEAR in the UK at www.twitter.com/NETGEAR_UKI and www.facebook.com/NETGEARUK.

 * Maximum wireless signal rate derived from IEEE standard 802.11 specifications. Actual data throughput and wireless coverage will vary. Network conditions and environmental factors, including volume of network traffic, building materials and construction, and network overhead, lower actual data throughput rate and wireless coverage. NETGEAR makes no express or implied representations or warranties about this product’s compatibility with any future standards.

** Lifetime Technical Support is provided via free phone support for the first 90 days, and via free online chat thereafter. Next Business Day Shipping may not be available in all localities worldwide. Customer should consult their local NETGEAR representative for applicable support services. For more information, see www.netgear.com/business/documents/prosafe-lifetime-warranty/default.aspx.