(Rushden, UK) – 23 March 2010 – Belkin unveiled a new approach to home networking today, with its range of Surf, Share and Play routers, designed to make it easier for consumers to get online, connect all their computing and entertainment gadgets and create new and exciting experiences with a range of clever apps.
The new global initiative has been developed to break down the barriers that stop people from taking advantage of wireless technology and enjoying their digital media at home.
Surf, Share or Play routers remove the confusion surrounding which router consumers need by categorising the range according to what people will use them for, not by jargon-heavy technical specs which most people don’t understand.
“This is the first time that networking in the home has been this simple,” stated Gary Tubb,
Managing Director of Belkin UK. “With multimedia content growing all the time, consumers are looking for new and exciting experiences from their photos, music and videos. Belkin has brought together a simplified user experience with routers powerful and smart enough to give great networking experiences, by adding easy-to-use apps. Now, even the most novice networker can get more out of their digital content.”
Catering for both first-time browsers and the more experienced consumer wanting a smarter router with the best features, the range has five models. All feature an incredibly simple, pre-wired set up process, removing more than half the steps normally involved with installation, coupled with apps for automatic security settings and self-healing. The self-healing app automatically detects and resolves network problems and runs routine maintenance scans.
Belkin’s new Surf routers are aimed at people wanting to surf the web from anywhere in their home, but until now have been put off by traditional routers’ over-complicated installation. The Share model’s apps make it easy to share, print and back up all your photos and music and print or scan wirelessly – the Print Genie app lets you connect to any multi-functional USB printer. In addition to the features of Surf and Share models, Play and Play Max routers also offer simultaneous, dual-band high performance networking and the fastest, reliable speeds for streaming HD video, playing music and online gaming.
Apps on Play and Play Max let you do a lot more with your music. Music Mover can play your entire music library on smart devices, like an Xbox® or PS3™ while The Daily DJ app serves up daily personalised playlists. By analysing the musical DNA of your tracks, Daily DJ creates playlists around three mood mixes: High-Energy, Steady Groove, and Kick Back. You can also create your own playlist by choosing a song and letting Daily DJ offer a new take on your favourite music.
“Networking in the home today should be all about storing and sharing digital content easily and safely but many people are still turned-off as they don’t know how to do it,” explained Gary Tubb, Managing Director of Belkin UK. “Most people don’t care what G, N or N+ mean when they walk into a shop and also find it tricky to get up-and-running at home – our research showed that 95% of people can’t set-up wireless browsing without calling a helpline. Surf, Share or Play routers make it easy for everybody to do more with their media, as we’ve re-examined the whole user experience and focused on the activities people want to do most, not blinding them with techie jargon.”
The Surf, Share and Play router range will be available from a wide range of retailers from early May 2010.
Key apps and features of the Surf, Share, Play and Play Max range include:
- Easy Start – all the routers come pre-wired, removing much of the confusion of a normal installation process and you don’t need to plug them into your computer in order to set them up.
- Pre-set security – immediate network security out of the box
- Self Healing – automatically detects and resolves network problems and runs routine maintenance
- Memory Safe – automatically backs up precious photos and important files to your external hard drive
- Print Genie – prints wirelessly from any computer on the network from anywhere in your home. Works with any multi-functional USB printer and unlike a print server, lets you use your scanning functionality too.
- Music Mover – plays MP3s from your music library on your home stereo wirelessly. Connect the external hard drive on which you store your music to the router – and move music from your computer to your stereo through devices like Xbox 360® and PlayStation® 3
- Music Labeller – automatically identifies and labels your tracks with the correct title, artist and genre
- Daily DJ – suggests daily personalised playlists from your music library based on your mood
- Torrent Genie – downloads large media files like movies, music, and games, even when your computer is switched off
- Bit Boost™ – prioritises traffic on your network for video, gaming, and VoIP, letting you easily select your most important data streams for seamless network traffic
For more information please visit: www.belkin.com
Product Specifications
Play Max Wireless Router/Modem Router (F7D4301uk/F7D4401uk) - £99.99/£119.99
- Features/apps include: Easy Start, Pre-set Security, Self Healing, Print Genie, Memory Safe, Music Mover, Music Labeller, Video Max HD, Daily DJ, Torrent Genie, Bit Boost
- Stream HD videos, play games online and download large media files
- Features high-speed Gigabit ports for media-intensive applications and simultaneous Dual-Band networks for maximum speed and coverage
- Simultaneous 802.11n Dual-Band for speeds of up to 300Mbps*
- 2.4GHz – Perfect for data and web traffic, and file- and picture-sharing
- 5GHz – Perfect for streaming media and video games
- 2 USB ports to support external USB hard drives and USB printers
- UPnP server
- Pre-configured wireless security
- Wi-Fi Protected Setup™ - 256-bit WPA®/WPA2® and 64/128 WEP encryption
- VPN Support: PPTP and IPSec pass-through
- Compatible with Mac OS® X v10.6 and v10.5, and Windows® 7, Windows Vista®, and Windows XP
Play Wireless Router/Modem Router (F7D4302uk/F7D4402uk) - £79.99/£99.99
- Features/apps include: Easy Start, Pre-set Security, Self Healing, Print Genie, Memory Safe, Music Mover, Music Labeller, Video Max, Daily DJ
- Provides the fastest, most reliable speeds for streaming video, playing music and online gaming
- Simultaneous 802.11n Dual-Band for speeds of up to 300Mbps*
- 2.4GHz – Perfect for data and web traffic, and file- and picture-sharing
- 5GHz – Perfect for streaming media and video games
- 1 USB port supports external USB hard drives or USB printers
- Pre-configured wireless security
- Wi-Fi Protected Setup - 256-bit WPA/WPA2 and 64/128 WEP encryption
- VPN Support: PPTP and IPSec pass-through
- Compatible with Mac OS X v10.6 and v10.5, and Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP
Share Wireless Router/Modem Router (F7D3302uk/F7D3402uk) - £69.99/£89.99
- Features/apps include: Easy Start, Pre-set Security, Self Healing, Print Genie, Memory Safe
- Easily share and access documents, photos and files from multiple computers
- 802.11n
- 2.4GHz – Perfect for data and web traffic, and file- and picture-sharing
- 1 USB port supports external USB hard drives or USB printers
- Pre-configured wireless security
- Wi-Fi Protected Setup - 256-bit WPA/WPA2 and 64/128 WEP encryption
- VPN Support: PPTP and IPSec pass-through
- Compatible with Mac OS X v10.6 and v10.5, and Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP
Surf Wireless Router/Modem Router (F7D1301uk/FD71401uk) - £49.99/£69.99
- Features include: Easy Start, Pre-set Security, Self Healing
- Surf the Web, email, and instant message from anywhere in your home
- 802.11n
- 2.4GHz – Perfect for data and web traffic, and file- and picture-sharing
- Pre-configured wireless security
- Wi-Fi Protected Setup - 256-bit WPA/WPA2 and 64/128 WEP encryption
- VPN Support: PPTP and IPSec pass-through
- Compatible with Mac OS X v10.6 and v10.5, and Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP
Play Wireless USB Adapter (F7D4101uk) - £44.99
Surf & Share Wireless USB Adapter (F7D2101ed) - £34.99
- Connects your desktop or notebook computer to a wireless network
- Provides optimal range and distance when paired with an 802.11n router
- WPS security with the push of a button
*The standard transmission rates – 300Mbps, 54Mbps, and 11Mbps – are the physical link rates. Actual data throughput will be lower.
About Belkin
Belkin – www.belkin.com – offers a diverse product mix that provides people with seamless electronics integration in their homes, cars and on the go. Founded in California in 1983, Belkin is a privately held company and the recognised leader in connectivity solutions, in addition to accessories for iPod devices, computers and more. We provide extensive solutions for networking, home entertainment – with our PureAV line of cables, power and digital wireless accessories – and many more categories.
