computer science

Netgear

Netgear is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Netgear rather than just read about it. In short: Netgear, Inc. (stylized as NETGEAR in all caps) is an American computer networking company based in San Jose, California, with offices in about 22 other countries.

Key takeaways

Netgear belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Netgear to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Netgear from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Netgear, Inc. (stylized as NETGEAR in all caps) is an American computer networking company based in San Jose, California, with offices in about 22 other countries. It produces networking hardware for consumers, businesses, and service providers. The company operates in three business segments: retail, commercial, and as a service provider. Netgear's products cover a variety of widely used technologies such as wireless (Wi-Fi, LTE and 5G), Ethernet and powerline, with a focus on reliability and ease-of-use. The products include wired and wireless devices for broadband access and network connectivity, and are available in multiple configurations to address the needs of the end-users in each geographic region and sector in which the company's products are sold. As of 2020, Netgear products are sold in approximately 24,000 retail locations around the globe, and through approximately 19,000 value-added resellers, as well as multiple major cable, mobile and wireline service providers around the world.

History Netgear was founded by Patrick Lo in 1996. On January 31, 2024, NETGEAR announced Patrick Lo's retirement from CEO and the Board of Directors, and CJ Prober became CEO. The company was listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange in 2003.

Product range

Consumer Products Netgear creates products that deliver networking technology through a range of products that deliver streaming and storage solutions. These products include Home WiFi, Mobile Wifi, and Wired Networking. Products targeted at Consumers includes the Orbi and Nighthawk product lines, which deliver products including Mesh WiFi systems, cable modems and routers, WiFi range extenders, gaming routers, mobile WiFi, Mobile Hotspots, and Switches and Powerlines.

Business products Netgear provides networking, storage, and security solutions to small to mid-sized businesses. Products that serve businesses include wireless and wired networking, mobile Wi-Fi, routers, software, and applications. Products offered include Ethernet switches, wireless access points, routers, insight remote management, and audio-visual solutions. Netgear's focus is primarily on the networking market, with products for home and business use, as well as pro-gaming, including wired and wireless technology. Netgear also has a wide range of Wi-Fi range extenders

ProSAFE switches Netgear markets network products for the business sector, most notably the ProSAFE switch range. As of May 2007, Netgear provides limited lifetime warranties for ProSAFE products for as long as the original buyer owns the product. Currently focusing on multimedia segment and business product.

Network appliances

Netgear also markets network appliances for the business sector, including managed switches and wired and wireless VPN firewalls. In 2016, Netgear released its Orbi mesh Wi-Fi system, with models for business as well as household use. The system uses a tri-band architecture, similar to the traditional dual-band, but with a dedicated 5 GHz connection between the router and a provided satellite. The addition of a second 5 GHz channel allows the network to distribute its traffic, easing congestion caused by the increasing number of 5 GHz compatible wireless devices present in many household networks. In September 2017, Netgear exited the VPN firewall product category. At CES 2021, the company unveiled the world's first WiFi 6E router that takes advantage of the 6 GHz frequency band in addition to the 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz bands. The 6 GHz frequency increases network capacity where there is high utilization of the 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz bands.

Network-attached storage Netgear sells NAS devices to small businesses and consumers under the product name ReadyNAS. With this storage hardware line, Netgear vies with competitors like Buffalo, Zyxel and HP. Netgear entered the storage market in May 2007 when it acquired Infrant (originator of the ReadyNAS line). In March 2009, Netgear began to offer an integrated online backup solution called the ReadyNAS Vault. In June 2022 all ReadyNAS product pages was removed and replaced with a link to warranty and support information. Netgear has not yet (August 2022) confirmed that it has withdrawn from the network-connected storage market and discontinued the ReadyNAS product line.

Network surveillance cameras

Netgear created home surveillance camera brand Arlo, which was spun out into a separate company in August 2018. Arlo is now publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange.

Netgear chipsets Netgear uses Realtek chipsets, which can run in monitor mode and perform wireless injection. For this function, a special driver is needed.

Manufacturing NETGEAR’s primary manufacturers are Cloud Network Technology (more commonly known as Hon Hai Precision or Foxconn Corporation), Delta Electronics Incorporated, Senao Networks, Inc., and Pegatron Corporation, all of which are headquartered in Taiwan. They distribute their manufacturing among a limited number of key suppliers and seek to avoid excessive concentration with any one single supplier. Manufacturing occurs primarily in Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, and Taiwan. To maintain quality standards, Netgear has established its own product quality organization, based in Singapore and Taiwan, that is responsible for auditing and inspecting process and product quality on the premises of ODMs and JDMs (Joint Development Manufacturers). Netgear was unaffected by US President Donald Trump's 25% tariffs on Chinese imports. Because all manufacturing is outsourced, the company was able to shift its production lines from China to Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia.

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Netgear

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Netgear claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Netgear before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Netgear ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Netgear

In research: Netgear appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Netgear in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Netgear is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1996 establishments in California, 2003 initial public offerings, American companies established in 1996, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Netgear outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Netgear in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Netgear means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Netgear out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Netgear in simple terms?

Netgear, Inc. (stylized as NETGEAR in all caps) is an American computer networking company based in San Jose, California, with offices in about 22 other countries.

Why does Netgear matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Netgear?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Netgear.