Google understands our Wi-Fi struggles, invents a solution
We can order pizza with an Emoji and create 3D holograms from our smartphone. And still, we can’t get through a two-minute YouTube video without some annoying buffering, or setup a router without a ton of wires and frustrated customer service calls. They’re small problems in the big scheme of things, but they’re ones that the Internet overlords needed to get on, and get on it they did.
Frustrated Wi-Fi users, meet OnHub, Google’s very own revamped router that promises to get rid of buffering for good. The device looks like a to-go coffee thermos and operates like a telepathic.
It knows exactly how you want to use your Internet, and adapts to do just that. The redesigned router can handle up to 128 devices at a time and then can prioritize those devices so that you get the bandwidth where and when you need it. That means you can divert more bandwidth to your laptop to watch Netflix and less to your phone, or vice versa, depending on what your Internet flow is all about that day.
There is an accompanying app which makes the set-up super-easy and explains what’s happening with the router in a language that you can understand. You can also easily check the status, see which devices are getting priority and get troubleshooting advice when something does go wrong.
And it looks way better than that clunky black box with all the wires. That’s not to say it isn’t pricey at $199 a pop. Still, if you’re over dropped FaceTime calls and frozen Netflix videos, it might be worth your hard-earned cash.
But don’t expect this router to solve all your Internet problems. As Mac Observer’s Jim Tanous explains, “OnHub solves two main issues: router configuration and the amount of congestion on the server. . .but one thing Google’s OnHub can’t change is your Internet service provider, which at the moment holds the most power of what your Internet looks like.”
In other words—even if you have 10 OnHubs sprinkled around your house—if your Internet service provider is having a bad connection day, then so are you.
If OnHub, which goes on sale August 31st, doesn’t solve all our Internet problems, at least it’s a step in the right direction. And hey, it looks really cool.
(Images via Google)
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