Technology
Meet the World’s Most Advanced Wireless Gateway Device
Technology
Meet the World’s Most Advanced Wireless Gateway Device
By Fraser Stirling
|
Dec 06, 2017
Key Takeaways
The xFi Advanced Gateway’s sleek design are eight antennas to transmit Wi-Fi signals and another eight to receive them.
It includes a 160 MHz-capable 8x8 antenna array, Mu-MiMo (Multi-user, Multi-input, Multi-output) technology
The xFi Advanced Gateway includes Bluetooth LE, Zigbee and Thread radios capable of connecting to virtually any IoT device.
Great digital experiences begin and end with great Wi-Fi, so when we set out to design our xFi Advanced Gateway, our goal was to create the fastest, smartest and most powerful Wi-Fi device on the planet. Today, that device is available across the country in every market where we offer Xfinity Gigabit Internet.
Starting with the basics, the xFi Advanced Gateway is designed to support Gigabit speeds over Wi-Fi. While there are currently no mass-market Wi-Fi connected devices capable of receiving Gig speeds over Wi-Fi, those devices are coming. In the meantime, the power of the xFi Advanced Gateway delivers ultimate performance to your connected home.
In our labs, we’ve actually tested Wi-Fi speeds faster than 1.5 Gbps, and the xFi Advanced Gateway is capable of going even faster, as Internet speeds increase and Wi-Fi devices become more powerful.
To deliver that performance, the xFi Advanced Gateway is packed with the most advanced Wi-Fi technology we’ve ever put into a device, including a 160 MHz-capable 8x8 antenna array, Mu-MiMo (Multi-user, Multi-input, Multi-output) technology, and a combination of specialized Internet of Things radios. Check out the sidebar for more details.
Speed Meets Control
As the name implies, every xFi Advanced Gateway comes packaged with xFi – our personalized Wi-Fi experience that provides a simple digital dashboard for customers to set up their home Wi-Fi network, find their password, see what devices are connected, troubleshoot issues, set parental controls and even pause Wi-Fi access on their home network during dinner or bedtime.
With xFi, setting up an xFi Advanced Gateway is as simple as plugging it in, scanning a QR code with our xFi app, and clicking through a few simple prompts. Once online, in addition to ultra-fast Wi-Fi speeds, customers will have access to unprecedented control over their home Wi-Fi network, with the ability to set profiles for every member of the household, assign devices and decide what devices connect and when.
Since launching xFi in May, we’ve made it available to more than 10 million homes. The service is available at no additional cost to all Xfinity Internet customers with an xFi Advanced Gateway or compatible xFi Wireless Gateway.
Built to be Seen
We all know that gateways deliver the best Wi-Fi performance when they’re in a central location in the home, elevated off the floor, and out in the open, but gateways haven’t always looked like the kind of thing you want sitting on a table in your living room.
That’s why design was such a key focus for us in making the xFi Advanced Gateway. We don’t want you hiding all that power behind your desk, so we set out to make a device that we would be proud to display in our own living rooms.
There are a lot of things that make the xFi Advanced Gateway a better device to see and feel, but one that might not be obvious is the gateway’s single soft blue light. If we’re going to ask you to put the xFi Advanced Gateway in a central location, we couldn’t have it flashing all day and night, so we replaced the traditional array of bright flashing lights with a single, soft and steady light that you’ll quickly forget is even there.
The design elements that define the look and feel of the xFi Advanced Gateway are drawn from our Xfinity Design Language that we’ve used to create a consistent look and feel across our latest generation of devices and products. The soft touch materials and neutral colors are designed to easily blend in to most homes.
Powering Today’s Connected Homes, and the Connected Homes of Tomorrow
As of today, the xFi Advanced Gateway is available for our fastest speed tiers, from 300 Mbps and up depending on the market. This includes 1 Gig, which is now available in 26 of our markets, with more coming all the time.
And while the xFi Advanced Gateway is powerful enough to blanket the vast majority of homes in ultra-fast Wi-Fi, we aren’t stopping there. Later this month, we’ll begin offering a Wi-Fi mesh option with our forthcoming pods, for homes where a gateway alone is not enough.
Going forward, the xFi Advanced Gateway is a device built for the future. As people connect more and more devices in their homes, and those devices increasingly use the cutting-edge technologies already built into the xFi Advanced Gateway, it will ensure that our customers are ready for whatever comes next.
