X

Trendnet brings Green Wi-Fi technology to wireless networking

Trendnet introduces its Green Wi-Fi technology that supposedly helps reduce energy consumption in Wi-Fi products by up to 50 percent.

Dong Ngo SF Labs Manager, Editor / Reviews
CNET editor Dong Ngo has been involved with technology since 2000, starting with testing gadgets and writing code for CNET Labs' benchmarks. He now manages CNET San Francisco Labs, reviews 3D printers, networking/storage devices, and also writes about other topics from online security to new gadgets and how technology impacts the life of people around the world.
See full bio
Dong Ngo
2 min read

LAS VEGAS--Trendnet is one of a few networking vendors that's been strong on being green. During CES 2010, the company expanded its GreenNet technology networking portfolio to hubs and switchesand now it announced at CES 2011 the integration of energy efficient Green Wi-Fi technology in its wireless networking products.

Green Wi-Fi is designed specifically for wireless networking products. The company claims that this would result in the reduction of power consumption in its applicable wireless routers, access points, and adapters by up to 50 percent.

The GreenNet technology, which was introduced back in 2008, determines and supplies the appropriate amount of electrical power to each hardwired switching port as required by the connected device, by the port, or by the length of the connected Ethernet cable. The new Green Wi-Fi technology, according to Trendnet, works similarly, and is based on the same energy-saving principles.

More specifically, the company says, Green Wi-Fi technology reduces power consumption in wireless devices at different stages of the wireless information transfer process, such as when a wireless router is idle and not connected to another wireless client (which is estimated to be some 70 percent of the time for the average home router), or when devices are connected but there is no data being transferred between them.

Green Wi-Fi also reduces power consumption based on wireless signal strength. For example, when a computer is closer to a Green Wi-Fi router, and connects to the router with a stronger signal strength, the router will automatically lower its output power for the connection to that specific computer.

Currently there are a few products from the company that support Green Wi-Fi technology, including version 2.0R of the 150Mbps Wireless-N Home Router, model TEW-651BR (available by the end of the month); the 150Mbps Micro Wireless-N USB Adapter, model TEW-648UBM (available now); and version 3.0R of the Wireless-N Home Router Version 3.0R, model TEW-652BRP, which will be available in February.

Though wireless networking products have relatively low energy consumption, they are generally turned on 24-7. This means that in a long run, this new measure of power saving will help save a significant amount of energy over the lifetime of the products.