Google's $200 'OnHub' router tries to fix complicated WiFi

OnHub is a redesigned router from Google that promises a quick and stable WiFi connection built around an easy-to-use app. OnHub features 4GB of storage space for updates, 13 antennas (six 2.4GHz, six 5GHz and one to monitor congestion), and it provides WiFi speeds of up to 1900 Mbps. It also has "subtle, useful lighting," according to the Google blog. Users can manipulate OnHub via an app for iOS and Android, with an option to prioritize certain devices for faster streaming and connection speeds. The router updates automatically without interrupting its WiFi output and it supports smart devices via Bluetooth Smart Ready, Weave or 802.15.4. The debut OnHub device is made in collaboration with TP-Link, though Google says it will design more OnHub devices with other partners, including a model from ASUS due later this year.

OnHub costs $200 and pre-orders are live now from a handful of retailers, with shipments expected to roll out "in the coming weeks."

Google's aim is to put OnHub in the center of your living room, not hidden on the floor or behind closed doors where the signal often loses power, Google Product Manager Trond Wuellner tells Wired. The outer shell comes in blue or black to begin with, but it's removable and more color options are on the way, Wuellner says.