Linksys came to CES 2017 with a few different
routers in tow, one of which being its new WRT32X WiFi gaming router. If the
phrase “gaming router” elicits an eye-roll, you’re probably not alone, but
there may be reason for gamers to consider this router over others. Linksys has
teamed with Rivet Networks to make this the first router that features the
Killer Prioritization Engine.
Killer will probably be a familiar name to anyone
who counts themselves among the enthusiast PC crowd. How the Killer
Prioritization Engine will work within the router itself seems pretty
straightforward: it will optimize traffic to give your PC and the games you’re
playing priority over other devices that may be connected to your network. The
idea is that this will keep latency low, removing any internet-based worries
while you’re playing a competitive game.
Though your PC is given priority when it comes to
network traffic, the Killer Engine manages other traffic as well to make sure
that other devices on the network don’t suffer from a lag-laden connection. One
thing to note is that you’ll need a Killer-optimized PC to get the most out of
this router. That may not be much of an issue for many gamers because, as
Linksys WRT product manager Vince De Luca points out, many high end rigs
already support Killer networking products.
The router itself has a 1.8 GHz Dual-Core ARM CPU
running under the hood. You’re working with AC3200 MU-MIMO in terms of WiFi
technology, and its simultaneous dual-band supports both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz
bands. Supported network standards include 802.11a/g, 802.11n, and 802.11ac.
You also have one Gigabit WAN port, four Gigabit LAN ports, one USB 3.0 port,
and one eSATA/USB 2.0 port at your disposal.
Though Linksys is showing off the WRT32X this week
at CES 2017, it won’t be ready to launch until spring. A more specific release
date isn’t available yet, but we do know how much it’ll cost: US$ 299.99.
