NETGEAR®, Inc. (NASDAQGM: NTGR) (www.netgear.com), a global networking company that delivers innovative products to consumers, businesses and service providers, has shipped the NETGEAR ProSAFE™ Single-Band Wireless-N Access Point (WN203) to satisfy demand from small and medium-sized businesses to improve the performance and security of their wireless networks in a practical, cost-effective progression. Offering Power over Ethernet (PoE) for flexible deployment, comprehensive business-class security features, and an external antenna option, the WN203 operates in the 2.4 GHz band with up to 300 Mbps* throughput speeds. The WN203 Access Point provides a standalone configuration for easy setup of a reliable, high-performance and affordable 802.11n wireless solution.

The capabilities of networks in small offices and home offices are being stressed by the bandwidth demands of new media, voice, video and data. Networks are struggling to support the rapid increase in the number of devices accessing the network — traditional desktop computers and printers, mobile devices, smartphones and tablets, as well as IP phones and security cameras.

“Small business owners and their Value-Added Resellers (VARs) know they need to upgrade their networks from 802.11g wireless, but they generally do so incrementally, in a more conservative manner than larger enterprises. They look for a reliable and affordable solution, which is where the WN203 comes in,” said Thomas Cheng, senior product line manager for NETGEAR business wireless products. “The WN203 is our most feature-rich standalone wireless access point for small businesses and home offices. Whether it’s an office with 5 employees or a 50-room motel, the WN203 enables the customer to expand and upgrade a wireless network quickly and easily, adding access points when and where needed, and at a price that’s easy on the bottom line. NETGEAR makes an extra effort to meet the needs of small businesses for an access point that couples affordability with many high-performance features under a lifetime hardware warranty.”

The NETGEAR ProSAFE Single-Band Wireless-N Access Point (WN203) offers many features that are an improvement over other wireless access points:

• Up to 15 times the speed and up to 10 times the coverage of legacy 802.11g networks
• An internal antenna, with two additional reverse SMA connectors for external antennas for added range
• Multiple SSIDs for traffic segmentation
• Enterprise-grade wireless security with 802.1x and Radius servers
• Layer 2 VLAN for added security
• Power over Ethernet, eliminating the need for external power adapters and providing deployment flexibility
• Desktop or wall mounting options for optimal placement

“Our experience with the new NETGEAR ProSAFE WN203 Access Point was unbelievably simple and flawless. The device literally took five minutes to set up and add to an existing network,” said Matthew Hill, director and technician with Restech IT (www.restechit.com.au). “Products like this make our lives easier. All of the features worked as expected and on many occasions outperformed expectations. Restech IT would definitely use these devices with our clients and recommend them elsewhere.”


Typical Deployment Scenarios for the WN203 Access Point

NETGEAR has designed the ProSAFE Wireless-N Access Point (WN203) to serve as the network hub in a broad variety of small and medium-sized business implementations. Below are just a few that resonate with potential NETGEAR customers:


Small Offices or Home Offices: The business owner or office manager deploys one or two NETGEAR WN203 Access Points to connect five to ten employees using 10-20 wireless laptops and smartphones for email and web surfing. The WN203 is a perfect option as it offers flexible placement options, direct AC power to the wall or Power over Ethernet, WPA pre-shared key (PSK) for wireless security, MAC address filtering for additional security, and single and secured SSID to ensure only the staff can access the network.


Clinics and Dental Offices: A VAR deploys three to five NETGEAR WN203 Access Points to support approximately 20-50 wireless devices — such as laptops, smartphones, printers and medical equipment — for email, web surfing, patient records and medical apps. The WN203 is suitable for this type of office as it offers multiple SSIDs for visitors as well as staff, WPA-PSK security access for staff, a Web page redirect for visitors, MAC address filtering for added security, Power over Ethernet to eliminate unsightly external power adapters, and flexible mounting options.


Small to Medium-Sized Motels (10-50 rooms): A part-time IT administrator or VAR deploys five to ten NETGEAR WN203 Access Points around the motel to support 30 to 150 laptops and smartphones connecting to the network for basic email and web surfing. The WN203 is an excellent choice for this environment as it supports open access with a Web page redirect for guests, multiple SSIDs for staff and guests, and an interface with the hotel billing server for property management. Power over Ethernet enables the WN203 to be deployed in hallways around the property.

Pricing and Availability

The NETGEAR ProSAFE Single-Band Wireless-N Access Point (WN203) is available now worldwide at a suggested retail price in the U.S. of $145. It can be purchased through a broad variety of NETGEAR PowerSHIFT™ partners (http://powershift.netgear.com) and authorized reseller and DMR channels.