Building on the heritage of the award-winning WRT600N, the WRT610N is designed to achieve true Wireless-N performance in both the 5GHz and 2.4GHz spectrums. The WRT610N effectively provides consumers two networks to which they can connect devices. It is recommended that consumers connect entertainment-oriented devices, such as a Media Center Extenders, audio players or Personal Video Recorders, to the wider 5GHz band, while connecting other devices, like PCs, Print Servers, or Network Attached Storage to the more common 2.4GHz band.

Dual-N Band Wireless networking allows consumers to utilize both the 2.4GHz wireless spectrum and the wider, more available 5GHz wireless spectrum to address their networking needs. The 5GHz spectrum provides more than seven times the number of non-overlapping wireless channels, allowing for clearer transmissions, while the 2.4GHz spectrum allows older network devices like print servers or Wireless-G and Single-Band Wireless-N PCs to access the network. Where the WRT610N stands out is that it allows consumers to achieve full Wireless-N network speeds on both bands at the same time.

"There are products on the market that are framed as Dual-Band that allow access to only one band at a time or lose transmission speeds when both bands are in use," said Mani Dhillon, director, Linksys Consumer Business Organization. "As consumers begin to use the 5GHz spectrum for their multimedia devices, it becomes more important to have access to the full capabilities of both bands."

Entertainment Optimized Networking technology helps deliver a premium experience when WRT610N users share and access multimedia content. The WRT610N is designed so that network performance is fine-tuned to give priority to High-Definition video without the need for manual configuration. PC users can customize their networks to give priority to certain devices, like gaming consoles, over others.

"Each day, more digital multimedia content is becoming available, and with that growth in availability comes the need to maintain the experience consumers have come to expect when enjoying a movie, watching an HDTV broadcast, or listening to their favorite music," said Dhillon. "With the WRT610N, the home network can optimize the process of streaming multimedia content, and helping to make the process more user friendly than it has ever been."

Linksys EasyLink Advisor (LELA) provides consumers with a flash video-based guided installation guide for PC and Mac users. LELA uses simplified terminology that doesn't require knowledge of networking jargon, and helps make setting up a wireless network easier than ever before.

When LELA is installed on a PC connected to your network, a visual overview or network map of all the devices connected to your network is created that provides an easy way to quickly view the status of the network. When a new device is connected, LELA will automatically discover the device and add it to the network map. Advanced users who like to further tailor the settings of their network and devices can launch the advanced configuration via the traditional Web GUI method from within the EasyLink Advisor interface.

Wi-Fi Protected Setup is also included on the WRT610N. Wi-Fi Protected Setup is an optional certification program from the Wi-Fi Alliance that is designed to ease the task of securely setting up and configuring devices on wireless local area networks. The WRT610N features a button that enables consumers to add additional devices to their network by simply pushing it and the corresponding button on the other certified product.

To address the growing concern consumer products have on the environment, Linksys is using packaging for the WRT610N that is more friendly to the environment in several ways. These include a transition from the traditional "sleeve" box to a one piece box that is created using recycled and biodegradable content materials, along with inks made from soy and vegetables. The product is also using an ENERGY STAR certified power adapter to help lower power consumption by the device.

Available now at an Estimated Street Price of $199.99, the WRT610N can be purchased from Linksys e-commerce resellers, retailers, and VAR partners.

Keywords: wi-fi, digital media content, personal video recorders, wireless spectrum, 4ghz wireless, wireless router, wireless channels, network speeds, n network, print servers, networking technology, network attached storage, multimedia devices, single band, 802.11