Belkin focuses on more than just gamers with its first Wi-Fi 6th router, the Linksys AXE8400. With a new version of the Linksys Aware motion detection technology, Belkin wants to entice people living in smart homes as well as early adopters to stream 8K videos and gamers interested in the latest VR technology.
It’s a true three-band router, as the Nighthawk RAXE500 Netgear announced earlier today, which supports three independent networks that use the spectrum in the 2.4, 5 and newly opened 6 GHz frequency bands. Unlike Netgear’s router, the Linksys AXE8400 uses mesh network technology to deliver even more coverage: 3,000 square feet per node.
BelkinThe Linksys AXE8400 Wi-Fi 6E router has a 5Gbps WAN port, four gigabit Ethernet ports, and one USB 3.0 port.
Belkin says its new router will hit the market during the ‘spring / summer 2021’ period, when it will sell solo for $ 450, in a two-pack for $ 850 and in a three-pack for $ 1,200. Having acquired Linksys Intelligent Mesh technology – first used with Linksys Velop routers – you will be pleased to hear that this new model is backwards compatible with it. Buyers with very fast broadband connections will meanwhile appreciate the AXE8400’s 5 Gbps WAN port. It is equipped with four gigabit LAN ports and one USB 3.0 port.
BelkinThe optional Linksys Aware service detects movement in your home due to interruptions in its network.
Belkin will launch a new generation of its Linksys Aware motion detection technology in the March / April period. The new version recognizes third-party stationary Wi-Fi devices – such as smart plugs, speakers, thermostats and light bulbs – to extend the network’s ability to detect movement within the home.
With this optional service, your router can detect interruptions in your wireless network when someone walks around inside your home and uses multiple Wi-Fi clients to pull exactly where the move occurred. It will then send an alert to your smartphone.
Linksys Aware is currently best used as an inexpensive home security system – a subscription costs $ 2.99 per month or $ 24.99 per year – but Belkin plans to improve the service’s capabilities to such an extent that it can also be used for tele health and aging.
The aging promise is particularly compelling because it allows family members to monitor older family members living alone without the use of privacy-intrusive technologies such as cameras.
Belkin says Linksys Aware will become so precise that it will be able to distinguish between a fall-and-fall incident and a person falling to the floor while having a heart attack. The service will then initiate a call to action: A call to a loved one in the previous scenario, or a call to 911 in the last.
You can read more about Linksys Aware in this story from CES 2020.