Skip to main content

D-Link gets on the 5G train with a new home router

D-Link gets on the 5G train with a new home router

/

Along with some new smart home accessories

Share this story

CES 2019 hasn’t officially started yet, but it’s clear that 5G is going to be a big theme at this years show. Case in point: D-Link’s new 5G NR Enhanced Gateway(also known as the DWR-2010), a home router that instead of plugging into a traditional cable jack or modem, instead will use 5G mobile broadband to supply Wi-Fi for a house.

D-Link isn’t offering a whole lot of information just yet as to how much the device will cost, which carriers it’ll be working with, and what data prices will look like compared to traditional broadband, but it’s certainly an intriguing concept considering the promises of 5G, particularly if it really can deliver comparable speeds without requiring the same level of building-by-building infrastructure.

That said, D-Link is offering a few promising details: according to the company, the DWR-2010 will offer speeds up to 40 times faster than the average broadband speed in the US of 70 Mbps (which some quick math works out to 2.8 Gbps). Additionally, the DWR-2010 is expected to support both the sub-6 GHz and mmWave portions of the 5G standard, whenever it does release to carriers to sell sometime in the second half of 2019.

Along with the new 5G router, D-Link is also announcing a few new smart home acccessories under the company’s mydlink line. There’s a pair of new smart plugs: the Indoor Wi-Fi Smart Plug (DSP-W118) and the Outdoor Wi-Fi Smart Plug (DSP-W320), both of which support Google Assistant, Alexa, and the mydlink app without the need for a central hub. (The indoor DSP-W118 is designed to avoid blocking other outlets, while the outdoor plug offers two outlets and a weatherproof, IP44-rated design.) The two smart plugs should go on sale sometime in Q2 2019, although no price has been announced yet.

There’s also a new Wi-Fi water sensor, which helps warn against flooding by detecting water. And in an improvement over last year’s model, the new DCH-S161 model is now powered off AA batteries this time, making it far more versatile to place in areas that would need flood monitoring that aren’t near a power outlet (D-Link says the the batteries should last roughly a year and a half). Additionally, the new sensor also supports Google Assistant, making it one of the first smart water sensors to do so. It’ll go on sale later in Q1 2019 for $49.99.