D-Link today announced what it is calling the world’s first cloud router based on the new 802.11ac wireless standard: the DIR-865L Wireless AC1750 Dual Band Cloud Router.
The DIR-865L is powered by Broadcom's 5G Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11ac chipset which allows it to make use of the underutilised 5GHz frequency band.
According to D-Link, this allows it to deliver speeds up to 1750Mbps - three times faster than Wireless N. This is acheived by sending a targeted stream of data directly from the router to the device which helps to increase range and minimise interferance from obstructions.
“802.11ac is the perfect platform to support users that want to stream HD multimedia to multiple wireless devices throughout the home,” said Maurice Famularo, Marketing Director, D-Link Australia and New Zealand. "As more resources shift to the cloud and our customers’ needs continue to grow, D-Link 802.11ac routers will provide the power and flexibility to cope with the ballooning demand for bandwidth.”
The DIR-865L is also backwards compatible with existing wireless devices operating on earlier wireless standards.
In addition to 802.11ac support, the DIR-865L also comes with D-Link's range of cloud-based services, including D-Link SharePort Plus (which allows you to share files/multimedia to computers and mobile devices), SharePort Web Access and a fully-functional DLNA media server. Users can manage their networks using the mydlink Cloud Services portal or with their iPhone, iPad or Android device using the mydlink Lite application.
The app allows users to keep tabs on website activity, manage security updates, block sites remotely and receive alert notifications when intrusion attempts are detected and blocked.
The D-Link DIR-865L Wireless AC1750 Dual Band Cloud Router will be available in June of 2012. Pricing has yet to be announed.