Linksys Boosts 802.11g Wi-Fi Speeds

Linksys on Monday announced a new line of 802.11g Wi-Fi products, including a router, a notebook adapter, and a PCI-based wireless adapter for desktops, that promises to boost wireless performance in home and small business WLANs by as much as 35 percent.

All three devices include what Linksys dubbed "SpeedBooster," technology built on Broadcom's Afterburner, to increase wireless data transmission speeds and throughput.

SpeedBooster-equipped products will deliver the faster speeds, said Linksys, a division of router and switch maker Cisco, while its backward-compatible support for traditional 802.11b/g gear -- including that made by other manufacturers -- will automatically downshift the hardware to match slower speeds.

The trio also sports new support for additional security protocols, including Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) and IEEE 802.1x.

Linksys' SpeedBooster line will be available in late April, at prices of $129.99 for the router, and $99.99 for the notebook and PCI adapters.