Let’s be honest: it’s pretty hard to make networking hardware sexy, no matter how long manufacturers have been trying. So at a show like CES, where you’re constantly surrounded by the latest and greatest something as prosaic as a router really has to be something special to stand out.
Well congratulations to Linksys because the WRT32X is definitely raising eyebrows on the show floor. The design is broadly similar to the other models in the WRT range, although the black and blue styling certainly gives it an edge in the looks department.
It’s dual band on 2.4GHz and 5GHZ so the speed is great: if you’ve got 802.11AC compatible devices then you’ll squeeze out speeds around 2.6 gigabits per second. If you’re looking to hardwire your devices, then you’ll definitely appreciate the four Gigabit Ethernet ports on the back, as well as the USB 3.0 connector.
But it’s the gaming features that make the WRT32X something special. The router has Killer Networking built in. If you’re not familiar with it, it’s basically a prioritisation engine. When combined with a Killer Networking ready PC, it gives your gaming traffic a higher priority over anything else. All that adds up to low latency, lag-free gaming.
So if you’re passionate about gaming, you should keep an eye out for the WRT32X as it launches later this year. You might want to start saving now though: it’s priced at US$330 in America so it’s not going to be cheap when it arrives in Australia.
