Need to expand the wireless network in a home or office? Amped Wireless launched on Wednesday a new access point, the APA20 High Power 700 milliwatts (mW) Dual Band AC Access Point, costing a hefty $189.99. As the name states, this access point is compatible with Wireless AC networks, providing up to 300 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band, up to 867 Mbps on the 5 GHz band, and overall coverage of up to 800 square feet.
According to Amped, this access point packs three high gain, 5dBi antennas and ten total power amplifiers. These amplifiers include two 2.4 GHz 700mW amplifiers, four 5.0 GHz 700mW, 2-Stage amplifiers, and four advanced, low noise amplifiers. This setup supposedly allows the access point to stream high-quality media at faster speeds to multiple devices without a hiccup.
For the uninitiated, this device isn't a router, but serves as an on-ramp to the local network in places the router can't reach. While this is good for offices and large houses, the drawback is that this device requires to be physically connected to one of the router's network ports, unlike a wireless range extender that picks up the router's wireless signals and blasts them throughout the house/building. Then again, a wired connection between router and access point provides a more stable extended network.
The new access point features "advanced software" that automatically configures the device when connected to the router without the user's input or configuration. The device also sports a USB port for file sharing, and four Gigabit Ethernet ports for connecting wired devices. A fifth Gigabit port is used to connect to the network's router.
"By combining our award winning high power technology with the horsepower of 802.11ac, we are able to offer business and home users the ability to easily upgrade their networks to the fastest Wi-Fi technology with the most Wi-Fi coverage," said Jason Owen, CEO of Amped Wireless. "With our innovative Plug-and-Play setup, adding long range 802.11ac Wi-Fi is as easy as plugging our access point into any router."
The device can be pre-purchased now from the Amped Wireless website, and will ship to customers October 29. The device will also be offered in retail stores offline and online early next month.
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