ZyXEL Communications, a leading provider of secure broadband access, connected home and business networking products, today announced its new AC2350, 802.11ac Wave 2 Wi-Fi Router – the ARMOR Z1 (NBG6816). The ARMOR Z1 takes advantage of the latest 802.11ac Wave 2 with Multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO) ready and Band Steering ready hardware and support for breakneck wireless speeds of up to 2.33 Gbps.

More than ever, video content is being delivered over Wi-Fi. 4K video is gaining popularity and CEA’s US Consumer Electronics Sales and Forecasts projects a 208% increase in 4K UHD display shipments in 2015 over 2014. 4K Wi-Fi streaming, however, requires faster bandwidth and advanced QoS than most current routers in the market today can deliver. Additionally, gigabit broadband connections and the explosive adoption of smart mobile and wearable devices have multiplied the number of Wi-Fi products in homes, and escalated the bandwidth requirements of home wireless networks. The ARMOR Z1 breaks this wireless performance barrier for gigabit digital homes, allowing families to enjoy their investment in gigabit Internet and various other high-performance consumer devices. 

“ZyXEL’s ARMOR Z1 encapsulates all the latest advancements in wireless technology to enable families to enjoy their digital life to the fullest without any bandwidth bottlenecks,” said Steven Joe, executive vice president for channel business for Americas at ZyXEL. 

ZyXEL’s ARMOR Z1 (NBG6816) is built on the 802.11ac Wave 2 compliant hardware delivering data rates of 1733 Mbps for 5 GHz, and 600 Mbps for 2.4 GHz. It offers superior bandwidth and range using key advancements: MU-MIMO, Beamforming and Band Steering. MU-MIMO delivers multiple data streams to multiple devices simultaneously. It differs from single-user MIMO (SU-MIMO) which delivers data streams to one client at a time. MU-MIMO increases network efficiency to ensure a better wireless experience for all users on the network. 

Beamforming technology amplifies and focuses Wi-Fi signals directly to wireless clients. Four external antennas with amplified Beamforming increases the ARMOR Z1’s Wi-Fi range for large homes, eliminating wireless dead zones. 

Band Steering gives more control to the gateway to determine which client devices support dual-band and helps direct them to use the appropriate radio.  Traditionally, dual-band devices tend to favor the 2.4 GHz band, even when it is overcrowded.  Band Steering helps to free up congestion on the 2.4 GHz band and creates a superior multimedia streaming experience when paired with MU-MIMO.  In addition, ZyXEL’s ARMOR Z1 ensures a seamless 4K streaming, gaming, video chatting and internet experience all at once with StreamBoost Smart QoS.

ARMOR Z1 feature highlights:

• Fast data rates of 1733 Mbps for 5 GHz, 600 Mbps for 2.4 GHz
• StreamBoost Smart QoS for optimal bandwidth allocation
• MU-MIMO Ready for fast Wi-Fi to multiple devices simultaneously
• Band Steering Ready to direct clients to the appropriate Wi-Fi band
• Four external antennas with beamforming for high range wireless coverage
• 1.4 GHz dual core processor for network-intensive processing
• USB 3.0 support for flexible storage and connectivity
• Gigabit WAN / 4 LAN

The ARMOR Z1 (NBG6816) is priced at $299 MSRP and will be available in June for purchase through all ZyXEL authorized resellers and e-Commerce partners.