2007 News Articles
Read what people are writing about Ubicom and our products
- Futurelooks: Oct 25, 2007
D-Link DIR-655 Xtreme N Gigabit Router Review
By Stephen Fung
The network router has become as common as the microwave in most households. These magic boxes have all but become a commodity at our local computer stores, but the quest for more speed and more importantly, wireless connectivity, has led to more congestion on today's networks. Throwing bandwidth at the problem is merely a temporary fix as eventually, we run out of it all over again. That's why UBICOM and D-Link have gotten together to create a product that addresses congestion on both the wired and the wireless through the power of something called a "StreamEngine" processor. ...
The DIR-655 belong's to D-Link's Xtreme N series of wireless routers which feature the UBICOM StreamEngine processor. This "Extra Brain" if you will, acts like a traffic cop to prioritize and direct time sensitive data. ...
The processor inside the DIR-655 prioritizes traffic for both wired and wireless and with 300 Mbps to mess around with, it should be a dream team. ...
Despite the slightly deceptive marketing, the D-Link DIR-655 Xtreme N Gigabit Router is a proven workhorse that will serve you well as the hub of your Wired and Wireless Network. It provides tangible benefits over its commodity counterparts, and although it isn't cheap, it isn't a place you want to cheap out as you start adding your VOIP phones, wireless media players, and gaming systems. The DIR-655 Xtreme N Router is absolutely necessary for powering your Digital Lifestyle and I really couldn't imagine my network without it. Editor's Choice!
- Genexis: Sep 11, 2007
KPN selects Genexis fiber-to-the-home gateway
The Genexis fiber-to-the-home gateway has been selected for KPN's fiber-to-the-home roll-out. KPN has chosen the Genexis FiberXport® gateway because it matches best with KPN's ambition to build a broadband multi-service fiber network. The Genexis gateway is designed to be installed inside the home and converts signals on a fiber-optic cable to multi-play services: broadband internet, voice-over-IP telephony, television and more. ...
Genexis is continuously developing products that match the requirements and expectations of the upcoming fiber-to-the-home market. For its home gateways, Genexis works together with US-based chip-maker Ubicom. "With Ubicom's processor chips, Genexis can design and deliver the most reliable and versatile solution to its customers" says Bert Lutje Berenbroek, Ubicom's European Sales Director.
- Club Overclocker: Sep 7, 2007
Review: D-Link Xtreme N Wireless Network Gear
D-Link Xtreme N Gigabit Router (DIR-655)
The D-Link Xtreme N wireless networking line isn't your standard Mom & Pops off the shelf brand X networking gear. Not even close... D-Link has done something special here and it's not the cool name and it's not the cool looks, it's all about what's inside... To be more specific, its all about the processor inside. The D-Link DIR-655 contains Ubicom's StreamEngine® processor. StreamEngine technology delivers an enhanced online experience by employing powerful quality of service (QoS) mechanisms. The key to making this useable for a home or small office is "Intelligent Stream Handling", an algorithm which automatically manages the flow of traffic going to the Internet, without the need for user configuration. As a result, real-time interactive traffic, such as gaming, VoIP, instant messaging and video conferencing, are automatically given the appropriate priority when other users and applications use the network. In addition, Intelligent Stream Handling minimizes the impact of large-packet, lower-priority traffic on latency-sensitive traffic and eliminates delays caused by DSL or cable modem connections. StreamEngine effectively eliminates the lag and breakup problem in online gaming and other voice/video applications. For more detailed information about StreamEngine, please go to the Ubicom website. ...Conclusion
Many positive things can be said about D-Link's Xtreme N wireless networking gear. The DIR-655 router with it's StreamEngine technology is by far the fastest wireless network router I have ever used. The fact that it offers both the high speed of 802.11n and wired gigabit networking is a huge in my book. I also love the ability to customize a plethora of detailed settings with the router, especially those settings that cover security. I also like the idea that a networking novice can buy this router right off the shelf, take it home and have it up and running in just a few short minutes with the wizard CD and even the built in wizard within the router itself. ...In the end I have to give our highest marks to D-Link on the Xtreme N DIR-655 router and DWA-552 desktop adapter. Club Overclocker Recommended!
- LAPTOP Magazine: Sep 5, 2007
Ubicom to Deliver 2 Million 802.11n Chips by End of Year
By Jeffrey L. Wilson
Anyone who's spent even a modest amount of time with the 802.11n spec can testify that the new Wi-Fi standard has legs. Multiple Input Multiple Output technology, channel bonding, and payload optimization have resulted in performance that's five times greater (and with twice the range) than 802.11g. Because of this increased efficiency, businesses and consumers have flocked to 802.11n in droves to handle their productivity and entertainment tasks-and the adoption rate for the technology looks to be quite promising.
Last week Ubicom shipped its one millionth StreamEngine processor in the calendar year 2007, revealing the demand for the blazing-fast 802.11n draft standard. The company began shipping 802.11n-compatible devices in 2006 and estimates that it will ship more than two million components to leading wireless vendors by the end of the year.
So why are OEMs such as D-Link and Linksys including Ubicom's chips in their routers? Ubicom's n-processors operate at the 5-GHz frequency to avoid interference from neighboring wireless signals. The other differentiator StreamEngine, a patent-pending technology that identifies and prioritizes real-time interactive communications such as VoIP, instant messaging, and gaming. This "Intelligent Stream Handling" also minimizes the impact of lower-priority data on latency-sensitive traffic, eliminating the delays caused by DSL or cable modem connections.
"802.11n is an excellent addition to the digital lifestyle," said Keith Morris, vice president of marketing for Ubicom. "Whether you're streaming photos, music, or home movies, you'll see a consistently smooth and stable experience." This isn't just marketing hype; StreamEngine-powered routers like the D-Link DIR-655 Xtreme N Gigabit Router have performed like champs in our wireless tests.
Ubicom estimates that by the end of 2008, 802.11n will be embedded in nearly 80 percent of Wi-Fi-enabled devices.
- VON Magazine: Sep 2007, page 22
Do It in Silicon
By Bob Emmerson, European Editor
The digital home is a fast growing market, and from a QoS/QoE perspective it is one of the most demanding. Today's home gateways/IADs have to distribute multiple streams of content within the home in real time; intelligently allocate resources to competing applications to avoid degradation of service; act as the gateway to and from the outside world; validate and authenticate users; protect digital assets from unauthorized intruders; and be low cost, manageable, and easy to use. A very tall order!
Traditional processors employ interrupt-driven processes to handle network traffic, but this model breaks down when required to handle continuous high-bandwidth traffic together with sensitive real-time streams. Ubicom (www.ubicom.com) is located in Sunnyvale, Calif., and the company's core competence is communications and media processors (CMPs). The architecture of these silicon chips enables sustained high-throughput processing while simultaneously classifying and prioritizing delay-sensitive traffic. Packets can stream directly to on-chip memory and be processed by any of the 10 independent threads.
The multi-threaded architecture allows each of the 10 threads to run a different application while still maintaining deterministic processing for each thread. This guarantees that no thread will affect another's performance resulting in a powerful combination; i.e., high-performance routing and high-quality streaming.
Owera (www.owera.com), a Norwegian SIP and provisioning company, provides turnkey VoIP solutions based on a Ubicom CMP. Owera provides a robust SIP SDK that includes protocols, drivers, and applications that have certified with many softswitch platforms and proxies. The combined technologies have enabled the development of solutions that detect different streams and automatically separate them into 255 different queues. This results in an IAD that delivers, high-fidelity VoIP together with low-latency online gaming, P2P file sharing, Web browsing, e-mailing, and streaming IPTV. With the addition of Owera's remote-provisioning system, the gateways and IADs are offered to the market as residential, robust-performance solutions for IP services with the focus on quality and profitability.
- Connected Home News: Aug 31, 2007
UbiCom delivers millionth StreamEngine Wi-Fi processor for 2007 as demand for 802.11n soars
US firm UbiCom has announced that it has delivered one million StreamEngine family processors so far in 2007, and reports that interest in 802.11n-compliant devices is soaring.
The company started shipping 802.11n-compliant devices in 2006 and expects to ship over 2mn components to wireless home networking vendors by the end of 2007. The 802.11n draft standard offers increased throughput and preferential operation at 5 GHz, avoiding interference from neighbouring wireless networks.
- EE Times: Aug 15, 2007
Report: Tests show 802.11n outperforming 802.11g
By Fanny Mlinarsky, President, octoScope
Wireless LAN systems based on draft-compliant IEEE 802.11n chipsets from four vendors are significantly outperforming 802.11g-based systems — although with notable variations between products. ...
Summary and conclusions
The draft 11n equipment tested appears to be well suited for video distribution in the home and can carry multiple video streams to WLAN-enabled displays and set-top boxes with ample coverage of a typical house. The WISH video prioritization algorithm implemented by the D-Link DIR-655 router further improves video quality and range by doubling the proportion of bandwidth allocated to video. The impressive routing performance of the DIR-655 demonstrates that the Ubicom processor used in this product is unsurpassed in Gigabit-11n routing. - Computer Shopper: Jul 2007
D-Link DIR-655 Xtreme N Gigabit Router Review
By John R. Delaney
Good wireless throughput and above-average broadcast range are just two reasons why D-Link's DIR-655 Xtreme N Gigabit Router should be at the top of your networking wish list. You also get four high-speed Gigabit Ethernet ports and an impressive Quality of Service (QoS) configuration tool to help you prioritize bandwidth usage for specific applications. At $179.99, the DIR-655 costs more than other Draft N routers, but it's worth it. ...
When enabled, the QoS engine, powered by Ubicom's StreamEngine technology, will help boost gaming performance by prioritizing game-specific network traffic. You can let the QoS engine handle the load automatically, or you can manually set priority levels in the QoS engine rules screen. Additionally, the Wireless Intelligent Stream Handling (WISH) feature can prioritize application-specific streams over your wireless network, such as those used by Windows Media Center systems or game consoles.
- New Electronics: April 5, 2007
Nice threads!
By Graham Pitcher
A change of name, a change of management and an injection of finance appear to have worked wonders for Ubicom. Where previously, as Scenix, it developed configurable microcontrollers aimed at such applications as lawn sprinkler controls, today Ubicom is playing in the fast world of consumer electronics, developing network processors for use in leading edge data communications equipment.
