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Bigfoot Networks going into the wireless space

by: John -
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Bigfoot Networks is all about networking and products to facilitate this. Before today, it was all about Ethernet cards. Well, that's going to change.

Today, Bigfoot Networks has announced a set of wireless-N adapters today in the Killer line with the Killer Wireless-N 1103 and Killer Wireless-N 1102 adapters.  Their cards support 802.11 a/b/g/n on both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands in a small, half-size mini-PCIe form factor.  The difference the two is that the 1103 card can enable up to three streams for up to 450Mbps with 1102 supporting two streams with a max of 300Mbps.

Of course, the sweet software set that helps you monitor and control network traffic will come with the cards. That's one of the best features I've encountered when using the Killer NIC.

You should be able to pick these cards up with PCs from AVADirect, CYBERPOWER, iBUYPOWER, Maingear, and Velocity Micro to name a few. No word on being able to buy one by itself yet.

BIGFOOT NETWORKS KILLER™ WIRELESS-N ADAPTERS DELIVER
BREAKTHROUGH WI-FI® PERFORMANCE FOR NOTEBOOKS

Killer™ Wireless-N Pushes Boundaries of Wi-Fi® for Online Games, HD Video and High-Quality Audio

Bigfoot Networks, the technology company behind the Killer™ line of networking products for online games, today introduced the new Killer™ Wireless-N family of high-performance Wi-Fi® adapters. Leveraging Bigfoot Networks’ exclusive Killer™ Wireless Technology and the latest 802.11n features, Killer Wireless-N adapters perform up to five times faster than competing products. Killer Wireless-N adapters combine superior wireless networking speed with powerful intelligence and control to deliver an optimal experience for online games, HD video and high-quality audio. This results in unprecedented wireless networking capabilities for today’s notebook user.

Killer Wireless-N adapters are designed to fulfill consumers’ growing appetite for online gaming, on-demand media and other time-sensitive applications. Recent studies forecast that worldwide consumer Internet traffic related to online gaming, IP communications, online video and audio will grow 500% by 2014 . Additionally, 47.5 million people already play online games in the United States , and online video viewing is up 45% over last year . Skype, meanwhile, expects users to spend 190 billion minutes per year on online communications, with 40% of those calls implementing video .

The popularity of online applications is pushing existing network solutions to the limit, which results in freezing, stuttering, lower-quality audio and video and a generally poor user experience. Killer Wireless-N adapters tackle these challenges with technology Bigfoot Networks perfected for the demanding and competitive PC gaming market.

“Popular online applications like gaming, Voice over IP (VoIP) and HD video are some of the most sensitive to latency and packet loss over Wi-Fi connections,” said Bigfoot Networks CEO Michael Howse. “With our innovative networking technology and advanced 802.11n hardware, Killer Wireless-N adapters not only accelerate performance for online games, they also reduce stuttering, excessive buffering and other annoyances in video chat and on-demand entertainment services. You can watch Internet TV, listen to streaming music or play a first-person shooter while downloading a huge e-mail attachment, and not miss a thing. It’s a powerful new online experience for notebook users.”

Killer Wireless-N adapters support IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n standards, operate on 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands and come in a half-size mini-PCIe form factor for integration with the latest notebook models from leading PC manufacturers. Killer Wireless-N 1103 and 1102 adapters deliver industry-leading data rates of up to 450 Mbps and 300 Mbps, respectively, using range-enhancing 802.11n technologies that yield higher data throughput rates over longer distances. Killer Wireless-N adapters also offer reduced power consumption and Wi-Fi Direct™ peer-to-peer technology to ensure heightened flexibility for today’s mobile lifestyle.

Exclusive Killer™ Wireless Technology optimizations give Killer Wireless-N adapters the unique ability to adapt to flows of data from different applications. Advanced Stream Detect™ technology automatically classifies and prioritizes latency-sensitive network traffic for online games, HD video and high-quality audio, providing better control and fewer interruptions. Teamed with Bigfoot Networks’ Visual Bandwidth Control™ technology, users are able to view and control network traffic for each application in real time using a simple, intuitive interface. The result is an unrivalled online media solution for notebook computers.

Key technology features include:
• Up to five times better latency than leading competitors and enhanced rate-over-range performance. 3-stream MIMO on the Killer Wireless-N 1103 adapter enables data rates up to 450 Mbps . 2-stream MIMO on the Killer Wireless-N 1102 adapter enables data rates up to 300 Mbps .
• Automatically classifies and prioritizes online games, HD video and high-quality audio for better quality and fewer interruptions in your online experience.
• Enables users to see which applications are hogging bandwidth and tune performance for each, so they don’t interfere with online gameplay or multimedia applications. Offers the freedom to download files or watch a video or browse the web simultaneously.
• Monitor and manage wireless notebook PC health and performance with graphical displays and detailed logging via an intuitive user interface.

“Our customers demand nothing less than the best in online performance,” said Kevin Wasielewski, CEO and Co-Founder of ORIGIN PC. “Increasingly, that means not just games, but streaming movies, music and other kinds of media. With the Bigfoot Networks Killer Wireless-N adapter, they enjoy not just lightning-fast gaming performance, but smoother playback and reduced buffering with their favorite online entertainment.”

“We pride ourselves on delivering products that define the cutting edge,” said Chris Morley, CTO of Maingear Computers. “With its breakthrough combination of power, performance and networking intelligence, the Bigfoot Networks Killer Wireless-N adapter will ensure our customers have an unbeatable online experience, whether they’re playing games, watching on-demand movies or video chatting with friends.”

Killer Wireless-N adapters will be introduced this month inside gaming and media notebook PCs from leading vendors including AVADirect, CYBERPOWER, iBUYPOWER, Maingear, ORIGIN PC, Sager, The V-Machine, Velocity Micro and others.