Next-Generation Home Wi-Fi

G.hn Powerline technology is being incorporated into a number of new home networking devices to enhance quality of service over any type of wire. By creating a high-performance backbone throughout the home, G.hn Powerline technology can enable seamless high-definition IPTV and multimedia distribution without the cost and disruption of having to install new wiring.

New products have been introduced by Arris and Comtrend using G.hn Powerline-based technology from Marvell. These new adapters and routers are designed to eliminate many of the frustrations users have had using their current wireless internet connections. As devices get more power- and bandwidth-hungry, and more devices are being used simultaneously at home, the new generation of G.hn Powerline-based devices can help home users create a smarter network from the ground up using a home’s existing wiring. This allows home users to add new hotspots, connect high-bandwidth devices and relieve the congestion on the wireless band, thus helping to eliminate household dead zones.

Whether it’s the dreaded buffering while trying to stream a movie, lag times while gaming or dropped signals as you walk through your home, dead zones can become a thing of the past. These new chipsets combine powerline, coax, phone line/twisted pair and optical fiber in a single technology, which can turn a home’s electrical, coaxial and anywire smart grids into high-speed internet and connected devices.

Take for example the new line of Arris routers and extenders, the SURFboard family of home networking devices with RipCurrent G.hn technology. This new system of routers and extenders, based on Marvell technology, is designed to eliminate the frustrations that have plagued home wireless users as more and more family members use more and more devices. The RipCurrent-enabled routers and extenders use existing powerlines (electrical outlets) in the home to create new hotspots to connect high-bandwidth devices and relieve home Wi-Fi congestion. G.hn Powerline has key features that provide an enhanced experience to home users than traditional legacy powerline such as providing neighbor protection, working through multiple home panels, working through AFCI outlets, and handling noise better at further reaches in a home. We like to call ourselves the “Tesla of Powerline” versus the Edsel of that technology.

Arris SURFboard is an easy-to-set up device that can bring gigabit speeds to every room, not just the room nearest to the router. That means ultrafast Wi-Fi in any room, while sharing just one internet connection. Range is no longer an issue and interruptions become non-existent. Just like a Crock-Pot, a user can easily set up the new network and forget about it by simply connecting the router to the modem, pressing two buttons to pair it, then plugging in the extenders into a spare power outlet. That’s it; it’s ready to go.

And while Arris was the top cable modem retailer in 2016, they aren’t the only ones where this technology is playing an integral role. Last summer, Comtrend, a leading designer and manufacturer of broadband communication equipment, launched its first G.hn powerline-only adapter into retail.

G.hn offers the flexibility of providing high bandwidth for in-home networking using both a wired medium and wireless extender setting. Offering full home connectivity at 1 Gbps and 2 Gbps PHY rates, Marvell G.hn chipsets address wireline distribution of bandwidth-intensive and real-time applications like HD-IPTV, VoIP, gaming, video surveillance, multi-room DVR and more. The new 2Gbps chipset offers support for the new ITU-T G.hn 200MHz channel bandwidth, allowing for higher data transmission rates through the multitude of supported connections that G.hn already offers. Marvell’s 2Gbps G.hn chipsets will enable vendors to build a new generation of solutions for wired IPTV delivery and 802.11ac extenders that will double throughput and increase the range of existing products.

G.hn powerline technology is helping redefine home networking and improving the home Wi-Fi experience. Because while zombies may be in, Dead Zones are out.