SMC sends draft 802.11n cards. routers to stores

Networking specialist SMC today shipped its first hardware that can match the high speeds of Wi-Fi's 802.11n standard in its current first-draft form. Integral to the launch is the Barricade N, a wireless router that uses multi-antenna MIMO support to connect at rates as high as 300Mbps to other devices that support the new wireless format. The router comes with a 4-port Ethernet switch and is intelligent enough to both prioritize video streams as well as protect against intrusion with an SPI firewall. SMC sells the router for $120.

Following the Barricade are new N-labeled versions of the company's EZ Connect CardBus and PCI adapters for notebooks and desktops. The two cards match the 300Mbps speed of the new router and work with all its new features. Also ready immediately, the EZ Connect N models ship for $80 (CardBus) and $90 (PCI).