Kickstarter campaign Portal is making the rounds this month. It promises a turbocharged WIFI router that can offering seamless HD video streaming, and non-lagging gameplay for serious media users.
Slow Wifi is becoming an increasing problem. With the issue of traffic causing slower loading times and difficulty in use, router manufacturers have failed to keep up with increasing demand.
Though speeds are improving on the cable end, there is no hardware that really fixes it from congestion. At least not until now.
Portal, A Faster Solution
Using nine antennas and a new receptor system, Portal transmits around 300% more radio airwaves. That makes speeds almost 300 times faster (an amazing results). This includes in urban centers, where the noise of many different signals can end up significantly slowing speeds.
It also allows for greater coverage, by as much as two times in crowded cities. This boost in range makes it more than your average super-router, like we have seen in the past.
How It Works
Without getting too technical, Portal works by operating on a special network protected by the FCC. The FastLanes network was originally used for weather radar systems. Now it is open to routers that have a greater capacity for interpreting radio waves.
Portal connects to this network, which is three times wider than the average Spectrum. It is largely unused, and so there is less traffic interfering with the signal. That makes faster speed, wider range, and better use.
In essence, you are leaving a congested road and using a less crowded highway system. Data gets from one place to the other faster.
The Future Of WIFI
It is surprising that this kind of tech hasn’t become more popular already. The access to FastLanes means better internet, and so far it has been mostly unexploited.
Of course, that won’t stay the case. Now that Portal is making waves, others are sure to follow suit. Before you know it, the FastLanes will be just as crowded as the current networks.
But one thing that is different will be the tech being used to access it, and the wider Spectrum. Even if it becomes more crowded, the impact would be far less than the current system.
Plus, these routers will be costlier. Plenty of people will remain on the current networks, freeing up lanes and making traffic shift through without so much signal noise.
Everyone wins!
Check out the original Kickstarter campaign here and their official Portal site, here.
