Linksys Rolls Out New MIMO Products

New router and PC card, when used in conjunction with one another, promise increased wireless range and doubling of data transfer rates.

Cisco’s Linksys retail networking hardware division yesterday announced the roll out of their new line up of MIMO-based products. The WRT54GX4 Wireless-G Broadband Router with SRX400 ($149.99) and WPC54GX4 Wireless-G PC Card with SRX400 ($99.99) should both be available shortly.

When the WRT54GX4 and WPC54GX4 products are used together, Linksys said, they can “provide faster throughput, reduced dead spots, and increased wireless range compared to traditional Wireless-G networks.” The MIMO technology which powers these two products overlays the signals of two Wireless-G compatible radios, reportedly doubling data transfer rates.

Other features of this new MIMO router include compatibility with other 802.11 certified wireless devices, encoding all wireless transmissions with industrial-strength WPA encryption and a SPI firewall.

“We believe that being the first company to actually bring this new generation of MIMO products to market reinforces the Linksys heritage of offering the most advanced networking technology to our customers,” said Mani Dhillon, director, product marketing, Linksys. “With the WRT54GX4 and WPC54GX4, users can utilize the fastest wireless technology available today to stream digital entertainment content around their homes, make business and personal phone calls using Voice over IP, and enjoy greater range than ever before.”