NETGEAR has launched the WAX214 (AX1800) and WAX218 (AX3600) wall/ceiling mount Wi-Fi 6 access points, expanding the Business Essentials line of powerful, easy-to-deploy, and affordable business networking products.
“As the newest members of the new Business Essentials product family, the WAX214 and WAX218 provide today’s home office workers, microbusinesses and small retail owners with a cost-effective solution to typical wireless networking challenges. Problems such as spotty connectivity, congestion due to limited bandwidth, dropped connections, low speed, complex installation, and lack of security are all solved thanks to the advanced technology built into the WAX214 and WAX218. These Wi-Fi access points deliver what small business owners and working professionals need most to improve the performance and reliability of their work-from-home network,” says Tobie van Schalkwyk, product manager for NETGEAR switch solutions at Duxbury Networking.
In any home or business, getting the best coverage from a wireless access point is key. With professionals and students working and learning from home the performance and security demands of a Wi-Fi network have increased exponentially. The WAX214 and WAX218 leverage the latest wireless standard, Wi-Fi 6, to deliver more coverage than previous generations of the Wi-Fi technology. This advancement reduces dead zones for a more productive and less frustrating wireless experience.
Wi-Fi 6 delivers 40% more speed and supports four times more concurrent devices than a Wi-Fi 5 device with the same radio configuration. A faster combined throughput, (up to 3.6 Gbps on the WAX218) on both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz channels, enhances performance of a Wi-Fi network. Also, the 2.5 Gbps Ethernet port on the WAX218 allows a network of WAX218 access points to communicate with each other at faster speeds, thus further enhancing the performance and throughput of the Wi-Fi network.
“The WAX214 and WAX218 allow you to establish up to four separate wireless sub-networks each with separate dedicated channels (SSID), thus maximising performance and security of every connection and user-type. A sheltered-in-place small business owner or working professional can therefore separate their business/work network traffic from the network traffic associated with their children (who are learning from home) and yet again from their traditional home network traffic; all from a single WAX214 or WAX218,” says Van Schalkwyk.
Additionally, the new access points support WPA3 authentication and encryption for the highest level of Wi-Fi connection security and also support DHCP NAT server for enhanced firewall security.
The new WAX214 and WAX218 access points are designed for easy installation. The intuitive, web-based interface provides a guided step-by-step setup enabling a quick and seamless installation. Measuring only 160 mm for the WAX214 and 206 mm for WAX218, 1.3-inches in depth and weighing a mere 380 grams for the WAX214 and 770 grams for WAX218, the wireless access points can be easily mounted on a wall, on the ceiling or even placed on a table top if desired. The sleek design blends easily into both home and business environments.
The new Wi-Fi 6 standard is deployed on both the 5 and 2.4 GHz bands, ensuring future compatibility with all Wi-Fi devices, and both WAX214 and WAX218 are backwards compatible with devices using Wi-Fi 5.
Both models can be powered by Power over Ethernet (PoE) using a single cable for both power and data. This greatly simplifies installation while eliminating the need for an electrical outlet to be located near the access point.