WD Intros New 802.11ac Wireless Router, Bridge

By Kevin Parrish
published

Here's a good way to set up a new 802.11ac home or office network.

On Wednesday Western Digital revealed new additions to its My Net family of HD dual-band routers, the My Net AC1300 HD Dual-Band Router and the My Net AC Bridge. These new entries pair next-gen 802.11ac wireless technology with WD's own FasTrack tech for managing and prioritizing network traffic, creating a wireless pathway to the internet in a home or office.

"The My Net AC1300 router is faster than leading competitive products averaged across ranges of 30 to 75 feet, demonstrating the strongest performance in providing stable wireless speeds over long distances, and cutting out buffering and lag times to provide a smooth HD entertainment streaming experience throughout the home," the company said, pointing to this report by The Tolly Group.

The My Net AC1300 router includes four Gigabit Ethernet ports for wired devices, and two USB 2.0 ports for adding network-based storage solutions like WD's My Book, My Passport, or other external USB-based drives and sticks. It's Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) certified for easy detection and connection of Wi-Fi devices, and it's even Windows 8 certified for seamless support of Microsoft's blocky new Modern UI-themed OS.

According to WD, 802.11n technology is used on the 2.4 GHz band and 802.11ac technology is used on the 5 GHz band. Both are combined to offer up to 450 Mbps + 1300 Mbps wireless connectivity, but consumers will need a compatible 802.11ac device to enjoy the faster bandwidth. The My Net AC1300 achieves its "blazing throughput and exceptional signal quality" via a unique horizontal 3x3 antenna array design, the company said.

As for the My Net AC Bridge, this gadget allows users to connect four Gigabit Ethernet-based gadgets like Smart TVs, game consoles, Blu-ray players and more (those without built-in Wi-Fi access) to the network, eliminating the need to string Ethernet cables along the base of your walls to the home or office router. Setup is a breeze, requiring users to simply push the WPS button on the bridge and the router.

"The recent introduction of our My Net family of routers brought several new breakthroughs to the market, including our acclaimed FasTrack prioritization technology, amazingly simple setup and the My Net N900 Central router with storage," said Scott Vouri, general manager for WD's connected life solutions group. "The My Net AC1300 and My Net AC WiFi Bridge build on those breakthroughs, setting a new standard for wireless speeds and delivering maximum HD streaming performance for our customers, while driving multiple devices on the home network at the same time."

My Net AC1300 Router ($189.99 USD) and My Net AC Bridge ($149.99 USD) are available now at select U.S. retailers and online at wdstore.com.

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Kevin Parrish
7 Comments Comment from the forums
  • CaedenV
    WD, please do not ruin the wireless space the way that you messed with the HDD space. We do not want 4-5 versions of the same basic hardware that all does essentially the same thing like you have done with your red, green, blue, and black consumer drives. Have a pro line, and a low power line. Keep it simple.
    Reply
  • blazorthon
    CaedenVWD, please do not ruin the wireless space the way that you messed with the HDD space. We do not want 4-5 versions of the same basic hardware that all does essentially the same thing like you have done with your red, green, blue, and black consumer drives. Have a pro line, and a low power line. Keep it simple.
    That's a load of BS. They're not all nearly the same drive. The Greens are their slowest and least power-consuming models, the Reds are a little faster with more NAS and RAID optimizations such as not having drive head parking, the Blues are a consumer higher-performance and otherwise mid-ranged series, and the Blacks are a top-end faster and even higher reliability series.

    They all fill different niches with different purposes and none of them are basically the same. How is this too complex for you? Having only a Pro line and a low power line would leave several niches unattended such as the consumers who don't want a slow hard drive nor an expensive drive and also NAS/RAID systems. That'd just be stupid.
    Reply
  • DRosencraft
    CaedenVWD, please do not ruin the wireless space the way that you messed with the HDD space. We do not want 4-5 versions of the same basic hardware that all does essentially the same thing like you have done with your red, green, blue, and black consumer drives. Have a pro line, and a low power line. Keep it simple.
    Just because you can't take the time to understand the purpose of only four different options doesn't make the matter complicated.

    Back on topic, I believe these are the cheapest new wireless ac devices I've seen yet (could be wrong). I'll have to look into this again when the price comes down a little more. Would also like to see if anyone is having problems with these ac devices in general, or reaching the advertised speeds or getting even close.
    Reply
  • jacobdrj
    CaedenVWD, please do not ruin the wireless space the way that you messed with the HDD space. We do not want 4-5 versions of the same basic hardware that all does essentially the same thing like you have done with your red, green, blue, and black consumer drives. Have a pro line, and a low power line. Keep it simple.
    I actually rather like WD's different market segments. They are pretty easy for me to understand, and I understand what each color fills what niche.

    The only problem I have with WD right now is that their reliability isn't what it once was pre-floods. And anecdotalil, I just lost my server's main 500Gb Green Drive (thank goodness I have a backup).
    Reply
  • K-zon

    On a wireless debate to say at a time or thought of to for awhile is probably left to say that within storage regards if you was going to find an interest to an extent on for a use of say a product or products at a time, that of interest within maybe Western Digital might be of interest if storage is in mind for what they have to say offer in terms of products.

    Like media player drives and the such. Why need a media player drive when in interest of say storage?? And why say have in interest of lack of say wireless in storage for say use of when in interest of use to not in a use on in terms of place at when trying to use network resources??

    Kinda generic or simply put but still. Like saying out of it all the extent of bridge working for the device wouldn't be of interest most to and still say within such use of such is is best placed to just be by a means of without more to to say on.

    It is probably a decent idea given any wireless router you can use to say as a bridge to say of probably, but not as a drive that would work within interest more to of other on in terms of say features about. On regards of say multi-uses or cross uses without manual use of to find within on for a use at a time.

    A bridge alone would say just make more of a connect probably on lesser to do so of within having for at a time unless more is placed within about. And why add all to say a computer of use on if not only computer in use of.

    Probably still a good idea about as well of but to say is within regards for any one use might be left to both in mind at a time for a "decent" use about to say.

    Router is probably still in mind at a time of course but still of is still say means within say a use on. All the ethernet/network to say of at a time.

    New ideas to say of course to say on, even when additional hardware for use is on interest to find within why find lesser ideas to be better placed in terms about for that of anything to?? I don't know to say any ways but Western Digital seems to be on the right idea of late to say of for one on one.

    Or least something of such to to say about.
    Reply
  • thillntn
    Address reservation? Logs? Mac filtering? This router may have all this, but I can't find the detailed specs. My Netgear has all that and more, would like a second brand to choose from that does too(pricing is similar).
    Reply
  • Aleppi
    :P
    Reply