New firmware wins performance battle with up to 15x G throughput data rate while remaining dynamically compatible with 802.11g/b products.
D-Link released a performance and interoperability upgrade firmware for its high-performance D-Link Xtreme G wireless networking line of products that deliver 108Mbps bandwidth in the 2.4GHzfrequency range. The new upgrade firmware for D-Link Xtreme G is free and it delivers the industry’s fastest wireless network with excellent results and consistent data rate throughput, besting the802.11b wireless by as much as 15 times while remaining dynamically compatible with 802.11 2.4GHz g/b products.
The D-Link Xtreme G products feature the industry’s first default 108 “Dynamic Mode” that allows 802.11g/b clients to always operate at the highest possible speeds while automatically identifying and recognizing the D-Link Xtreme G products for highest performance capability and seamless access to the wireless network in a homogenous environment.
“The home networking industry is being propelled by the fusion of home entertainment with home networking technologies and relies on the ever-increasing speeds of the network to power digital streaming audio and video from the PC to entertainment center,” said Mike Wolf, Director, Enterprise and Residential Communication, In-Stat/MDR. “High-speed wireless networking at up to 108Mpbs bandwidth like the D-Link Xtreme G line enables those entertainment-level speeds while remaining compatible with legacy 802.11g and 802.11b wireless networking standards.”
“The speed we are seeing with our new Xtreme G products rivals wired Ethernet performance and can easily handle the entertainment and gaming applications of the digital home,” said Steven Joe, President of D-Link. “In keeping with D-Link’s commitment to affordable new technologies, we are providing this performance enhancement absolutely free for all Xtreme G users.
“Xtreme G is fully interoperable and protects all current standards and legacy devices. That means it delivers both blazingly fast throughput speed and unprecedented interoperability between 802.11 technologies and multi-vendor environments,” added Joe.
The D-Link Xtreme G upgrade employs five cutting-edge hardware-based compression technologies to achieve a significant boost in performance within the 2.4GHz frequency range.
- Packet Bursting: The packet bursting technique puts more data into a single transmission, allowing more raw data to be stuffed into each packet and as a result not only delivers much more data, but also executes this process with less traffic on the network. Packet bursting transforms lengthy binary code into simple equations, resulting in an overall reduction in the number of 1s and 0s being sent over the network. It is also the technique defined as one of the methods for performance improvement in the IEEE 802.11e QOS draft standard.
- Fast Frames: The fast frames technique enhances data throughput by increasing the number of bits sent per data frame and accelerating the timing of a data frame with a dynamic transmit optimizations. This technology enhances the Packet Bursting capability synergistically to provide accelerated performance results. The fast frames technique is also based on the 802.11e QOS draft standard.
- Hardware Compression and Encryption: Xtreme G uses the Atheros AR5002 chipset which employs special engines to compress and encrypt data. These hardware engines operate in real-time to enhance throughput by implementing standard algorithms and compressing data prior to transmission and after reception.
- Multi-Channel Bonding: Multi-Channel Bonding embraces two radio channels simultaneously. It collapses the available channels from 12 to 6 for increased bandwidth on the available channels. Single and double channels are not run at the same time. This technology senses single channel and dual channel frames and negotiates time-based solutions with priority on single channel processing.
- Select Mode: Select Mode gives users the option of locking the Xtreme G products into a Static mode (instead of the default Dynamic mode) for even higher performance within a complete D-Link 108Mbps Xtreme G environment.
The D-Link Xtreme G solution features robust security to protect the wireless network from intruders, complying with the latest wireless networking security protocols, including WEP encryption and Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) support for both 802.1x and WPA-PSK. The products are also capable of supporting the government-grade AES encryption and upcoming 802.11i standards. D-Link’s Xtreme G wireless networking solution includes the Xtreme G DI-624 Wireless Router with 4-port switch, the Xtreme G DWL-G650 Wireless CardBus Adapter, Xtreme G DWL-G520 Wireless PCI Adapter, the DWL-G810 Wireless to Ethernet Bridge and the Xtreme G DWL-2000AP Wireless Access Point.
Pricing and Availability
The D-Link Xtreme G firmware update for existing Atheros-based D-Link AirPlus Xtreme G wireless products is now available as a free download at the D-Link web site (www.dlink.com). The D-Link Xtreme G products are currently available through authorized retail, reseller, and distribution partners at a at a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price MSRP of $149.99 and Estimated Street Price ESP of $129.99 for the D-Link DI-624, an MSRP of $79.99 and ESP of $69.99 for the D-Link DWL-G650, an MSRP of $79.99 and ESP of $69.99 for the D-Link DWL-G520, an MSRP of $119.99 and ESP of $108 for the DWL-2000AP and an MSRP of $109.99 and ESP of $99.99 for the DWL-G810. The D-Link AirPlus Xtreme G products come with a 3 Year Warranty and absolutely FREE 24/7 Technical Support including firmware and driver updates.
