WD Unveils First 802.11ac Devices: My Net AC1300 Router & AC WiFi Bridge

Considering its promises of delivering wired performance over a wireless connection, 802.11ac sure is taking a while to catch on. We learned a lot about the tech at the start of the year, and then saw NETGEAR release the first compatible router in May. Since then, products from other companies have trickled out oh-so-slowly, and to date, there’s simply no choice of 802.11ac USB adapter. It’s NETGEAR or bust.

But none of that has stopped WD from releasing what it says are the industry’s fastest ac devices, a router and a bridge, as tested by The Tolly Group. It found that within the 30′ to 75′ ranges, WD’s new devices delivered better performance than the tested competition – lending credence to the idea that if you can’t be the first, you can at least be the best.

The first device, My Net AC1300, is a dual-band router covering the 2.4GHz (450Mbit/s) and 5GHz (1300Mbit/s) ranges. It includes dual USB 2.0 ports and four 1Gbit/s ports.

For those wanting to turn their wired smart devices into wireless ones, WD has crafted the My Net AC Bridge just for you. It also features four 1Gbit/s ports, but forgos the USB ports.

As with most bleeding-edge technology, no 802.11ac device at the moment is “cheap”, with most routers hovering between $150 – $200. WD’s devices don’t become an exception. The My Net AC1300 router carries an SRP of $189.99 USD, while the bridge is $149.99. Both of these should become available today in WD’s online store, and likely hit other e-tailers such as Newegg in the week ahead.