Google builds an easy way to WiFi

WiFi may not be the verb we want it to be, but if you’re struggling with getting a wireless network online, Google believes it might have the answer.

WiFi woes are a thing every household has had to endure, and unless you have a bonafide GadgetGuy living in your house or nearby, chances are that at one point, there are going to be complaints.

These range from the wireless isn’t working, or that it’s spread too thin, or that the internet is having problems and for some reason the fix isn’t as simple as it should be.

Simply put, fixing wireless internet in the home isn’t as easy as people think, and due to how many wireless gadgets we all have, how many people in your area are using wireless, and the fact that routers tend to lack a lot of power most of the time, your wireless network at home can feel the pinch.

Fortunately, there may well be a product on the way to deal with these issues, providing a bit of simplicity for people who can’t or don’t want to talk to the gadgets the way those of us in semi-Hawaiian shirts can (or in this writer’s case, a pair of Cons and a comfy fedora or pork pie hat).

In fact, this answer is coming from none other than Google, which has been working on a solution to WiFi with network device maker TP-Link, with the idea being a router that does the job it needs to without excess blinking lights and a setup process that anyone can deal with.

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The result is called the “OnHub”, and it is a WiFi router that can be managed by a Google app made for either Android or iOS, with this little piece of software able to tell you how your network is going, how much bandwidth each device is chewing up, and even diagnose WiFi issues.

Setting it up should be as simple as plugging in the OnHub and using the app, which will send a sound to your phone or tablet to make the setup super simple, while the router itself has been designed to take advantage of a unique internal 13 antenna design to find the best wireless channel for your network, with an auto-adjustment system to keep the network going well after setup.

And there are no extra blinking lights or irritating cables to get in the way, with support available on this gadget for Bluetooth Smart devices, allowing these to connect with ease to a network.

Under the hood, there’s a good 1GB RAM, 4GB storage, and a dual-core 1.4GHz processor, with support for 802.11ac, as well as the 802.11a/b/g/n many are still using.

Technically it’s an AC1900 router, though, which means speed of up to 1300Mbps are possible on the 5GHz band, while speeds of up to 600Mbps are possible on the 2.4GHz band, with this separation allowing the router to funnel slower and less prioritised devices to the lower connection. Gigabit networking support is also here, though there’s only one of these ports, as far as we understand it.

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All up, it looks like it could be a neato device, and given that there’s a lot of confusion in the networking space often to the point where you feel like you need a degree (or the aforementioned GadgetGuy wardrobe) to get anything done, it could be very useful.

Unfortunately, Google tells GadgetGuy that there is “no timeline for Australia at the moment”.

That’s bad news, though Google has said its partnership with TP-Link isn’t all the company is working with, with Asus also being worked with for some hardware. You can find network devices from both of these companies in Australia, so we have a good chance of having something like the OnHub made available in the near future, there’s just no sign yet.

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