Google Announces The OnHub WiFi Router
by Brandon Chester on August 18, 2015 1:40 PM EST
Today Google announced that they are moving into the WiFi router market. The new router is produced through a partnership with TP-Link and it's called OnHub. Google is marketing OnHub as a router that is simple to setup, effortless to maintain, and highly reliable. Much like Apple's AirPort Extreme, the OnHub is a very tall router in order to integrate internal antennas, and it is managed via an app for your iOS or Android device. The mobile app will also allow you to see which devices are using bandwidth, and to apply QoS rules to limit devices from using too much. During setup it will automatically select the best channel for minimal interference, and can adjust on its own as necessary. Software updates are also automatically downloaded and applied, which makes it essentially self maintaining as long as Google's promise of reliable connectivity is met.
As far as specifications go, OnHub is marketed as an AC 1900 router which really says it's a 3x3 802.11ac router that which has a data rate of 1300Mbps on an 802.11ac link and 600Mbps on an 802.11n link. In addition to being a dead simple WiFi router, OnHub also comes with support for the major protocols which will be used by home automation devices, including Bluetooth Smart, Google Brillo/Weave, and IEEE 802.15.4. The OnHub router is available for preorder now from various retailers in the US, and both the blue and black versions cost $199
Source: Official Google Blog
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steven75 - Wednesday, August 19, 2015 - link
As it should be, considering what we know about the NSA and Google's own behavior like exploiting bugs in a browser to persist cookies even against the users wishes.icrf - Tuesday, August 18, 2015 - link
I like the idea, but I'd need some kind of guarantee that they're not mining all my traffic and device connections.Also, make a cheap version ($50) with lower performance that I can recommend to all the "not computer people" I know. I'm less concerned with anyone mining their data, since they pretty much aren't either.
docbones - Tuesday, August 18, 2015 - link
No MU-MIMO support?Mushkins - Tuesday, August 18, 2015 - link
So... it does all of the things any modern router already does, but in a pretty cylinder for a considerable price premium? And you have to manage it with an "app"?No thanks.
SunLord - Tuesday, August 18, 2015 - link
It's not just a wireless router it's also looks to be a smart hub or at least a future update will add that since it has a thread/zigbee radio it also has one gigabit lan port so you can run a cable to switch hidden elsewhere. This should be a Nest Product....Makaveli - Tuesday, August 18, 2015 - link
i'm with you on this why would I buy this over say a Netgear AC1900 R7000 Nighthawk Smart WiFi Router which I can pickup for $175 and surely is better than this thing.This Guy - Friday, August 21, 2015 - link
Because of the Bluetooth Smart, Google Brillo/Weave, and IEEE 802.15.4 radio.SpartyOn - Tuesday, August 18, 2015 - link
I got myself a 3x3 D-Link DIR-880L AC 1900 on special for $129.99 and as others have stated, you can get just as good - if not better - products from Netgear or TP-Link as well for less than this cylindrical behemoth.No mention of Z-Wave or ZigBee protocols either, so you'd probably have to pickup another dedicated home automation hub anyway. Seems overpriced and stupid.
SpartyOn - Tuesday, August 18, 2015 - link
Nevermind, I guess Zigbee *is* IEEE 802.15.4 protocol. So at least it has that going for it.Brazos - Tuesday, August 18, 2015 - link
I've already ordered my 3 pack Erro router.https://www.eero.com/