NETGEAR EXTENDS WIFI 6 LEADERSHIP WITH NEW ACCESS POINTS, IDEAL FOR WORK-FROM-HOME APPLICATIONS AND SMALL BUSINESSES

San Jose, CA – August 17, 2021 – NETGEAR®, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTGR), the leading provider of networking products that power businesses both large and small, today announced the availability of the WAX202 and WAX206 desktop WiFi 6 Access Points, expanding the Business Essentials line of powerful, easy-to-deploy, and affordable business networking products. With a combination of high performance and expanded coverage at the right price points for small businesses and work-from-home customers, these new wireless access points are NETGEAR’s best value WiFi for today and tomorrow.

As the newest members of the new Business Essentials product family, the WAX202 and WAX206 provide today’s home office workers, micro businesses, and students with a cost-effective, standalone solution to typical wireless networking challenges. Problems such as spotty connectivity, congestion due to limited bandwidth, dropped connections, low speed, complex configuration, and lack of security are all solved thanks to the advanced technology built into the WAX202 and WAX206. The WAX202 and WAX206 complement the ceiling mount WAX 214 and WAX 218 access points.

“The new WAX202, WAX206 and NETGEAR’s Business Essentials family of products, make it possible for small businesses and working professionals to deploy a very reliable, high-performance, secure, and easy-to-manage standalone WiFi networks in their work and home environments at affordable price points,” said Doug Cheung, Senior Product Line Manager, Wireless at NETGEAR.

Better coverage and improved security
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 or other locations, the performance and security demands of a WiFi network have increased exponentially.  The WAX202 and WAX206 leverage the latest wireless standard, WiFi 6, to deliver more coverage than previous generations of the WiFi technology. This advancement reduces dead zones and makes for a more productive and less frustrating wireless experience.

The WAX202 and WAX206 support up to three separate wireless sub-networks each with dedicated names (SSIDs), thus maximizing performance and security of every connection and user-type. A small business owner or work-from-home 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 WAX202 or WAX206.  Additionally, the new access points support WPA3 authentication and encryption for the highest level of WiFi connection security and also support DHCP NAT server for enhanced firewall security. 

Higher performance
More and more devices require an internet connection these days. Surveillance cameras, smart lighting, TVs, audio/video equipment, digital signage, IoT appliances, and everyday appliances are competing with your computers, printers, and phones for access to the network. According to a 2020 survey by Statista, the average American had access to more than ten connected devices in their householdⁱ. WiFi 6 delivers 40% more speed and supports four times more concurrent devices than a WiFi 5 device with the same radio configurationⁱⁱ.

Simple configuration
The new WAX202 and WAX206 access points are designed to make set up and configuration easier than ever before.  The intuitive web-based interface provides step-by-step instructions for system configuration and bringup. 

The new WiFi 6 standard is deployed on both the 5GHz and 2.4GHz bands, thus ensuring future compatibility with all WiFi devices.  Both WAX202 and WAX206 are backwards compatible with devices using WiFi 5.

Additional features
Multiple 1Gb Ethernet ports enable faster, wired connection to PCs, printers, and other wired network devices while freeing up more wireless bandwidth for WiFi-only devices like laptops, tablets, and mobile phones.

Support when you need it
The new WAX202 and WAX206 come with an industry-leading 3-year hardware warranty and 90 days of phone and chat support for when customers need a helping hand.

The Business Essentials WiFi family
NETGEAR introduced the Business Essentials WiFi product lineup comprising both WiFi 5 (WAC104 and WAC124), and WiFi 6 (WAX202, WAX204, WAX206, WAX214, and WAX218) Access Points to deliver high-performance & security with low-cost WiFi ideally suited for small, standalone, single-site locations. This lineup of wireless access points is ideal for customers who do not require remote management yet need an intuitive user interface to locally manage the WiFi Access Points.

Feature Comparison Chart

Learn more at www.netgear.com/wax202 and www.netgear.com/wax206

Availability
The WAX202 Essentials WiFi 6 Access Point is available now in the US and Europe – WAX202-100NAS (US) – MSRP $99.99.  The WAX202-100EUS (Europe and U.K.) is available in Europe for an MSRP €99.99, £84.99.

The WAX206 Essentials WiFi 6 Access Point will be available in late August in the US and Europe - WAX206-100NAS (US) – MSRP $149.  The WAX206-100EUS (Europe and U.K.) is available in Europe for an MSRP €149, £139.

For more information about the latest additions to NETGEAR’s next generation of advanced wireless devices, please visit NETGEAR.com/business/wifi6.

About NETGEAR, Inc. 
NETGEAR® (NASDAQ: NTGR) has pioneered advanced networking technologies for homes, businesses, and service providers around the world since 1996 and leads the industry with a broad range of award-winning products designed to simplify and improve people’s lives. By enabling people to collaborate and connect to a world of information and entertainment, NETGEAR is dedicated to delivering innovative and advanced connected solutions ranging from mobile and cloud-based services for enhanced control and security, to smart networking products, video over Ethernet for Pro AV applications, easy-to-use WiFi solutions and performance gaming routers to enhance online game play.

The company is headquartered out of San Jose, Calif. with offices located around the globe. More information is available from the  NETGEAR Investor Page or by calling (408) 907-8000. Connect with NETGEAR: Twitter, Facebook, Facebook for NETGEAR Business, Instagram and our blog at NETGEAR.com.

NETGEAR Media Contact:
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NETGEAR@AccesstheAgency.com
U.S. Sales Inquiries: (408) 907-8000, sales@NETGEAR.com

ⁱStatista: “Average number of connected devices residents have access to in U.S. households in 2020, by device”

ⁱⁱWhen compared against WiFi 5, WiFi 6 outperforms WiFi 5 by 40% in throughput.

^iiIMaximum wireless signal rate derived from IEEE standard 802.11 specifications. Actual data throughput and wireless coverage will vary and be lowered by network and environmental conditions, including network traffic volume, device limitations, and building construction