Google debuts $200 smart home hub

Google has launched ‘OnHub WiFi router’, pitched as an alternative to frustrating home routers that lose connection easily.

Launched in partnership with networking group TP-LINK, OnHub will find faster connections and allow owners to detect problems more easily.

The OnHub’s antenna are located inside the device, rather than protruding from the top, designed to be more aesthetically pleasing so people keep it out in the open, where it can beam a better signal.

The hub will also scan the airwaves for free radio frequencies, and select the one that is most likely to give the best connection.

OnHub also has a speaker built into it, mostly intended to aid in the setup process, meaning Google could potentially integrate OnHub with its voice-enabled intelligent personal assistant Google Now.

Users will be able prioritise devices, so if a laptop needs a stronger connection than internet radio, that can be arranged.

Rather than negotiating a typical router’s buttons, the OnHub is controlled via a smartphone app, called “Google On” available on both Apple iOS and Android.

The app will help users with the setup process, manage devices on the network, prioritize which devices get more bandwidth, and give out guest login credentials.

The app will also be able to provide information about network performance to check out what might be causing any slow Internet performance.

Google claims the device is also future-proofed for the smart home future, supporting Bluetooth and Weave, its connected home communication technology.

“While we count on Wi-Fi more than ever to be entertained, productive, and stay connected, we’re streaming and sharing in new ways our old routers were never built to handle,” the company said.

The OnHub router comes in black and blue, with more colours likely.

For more info click here :