Google OnHub 802.11ac WiFi Router Also Supports Bluetooth 4.0, Zigbee/Thread, and Automatic Firmware Upgrades

Google has just announced OnHub, a $200 router designed in cooperation with TP-Link which the company claims will be “fast, secure, and easy to use”. It should indeed be fast as it’s a Class AC1900 router capable of 600 Mbps with 802.11n and 1300 Mbps with 802.11ac. Router are gateways between home networks and the Internet, but most of them aren’t updated automatically, leaving them vulnerable to attacks, while OnHub should get its firmware regularly updated over-the-air and include a Trusted Platform Module (TPM), making it more secure. Finally, Android and iOS apps are available to easily manage the router.

OnHub (TGR1900) router specifications:

WiSoC – Qualcomm Atheros IPQ8064 dual core Krait processor @ 1.4 GHz
System Memory – 1GB DDR3L
Storage – 4GB eMMC, 8MB NOR flash
Connectivity
- 802.11 b/g/n 3×3 with smart antenna
- 802.11 a/n/ac 3×3 with smart antenna
- AUX wireless (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 1×1) – I don’t understand what this means/is for yet…
- 10/100/1000M Mbps WAN and LAN port (QCA9337 Gigabit switch)
- Compatible with Zigbee/Thread , Bluetooth 4.0
- Wireless Security – WPA2-PSK
- 13 antennas in total
- Supports up to 128 devices over WiFi
USB – 1x USB 3.0
Audio – 3W Speaker
Security – Infineon SLB 9615 Trusted Platform Module
Misc – 6x tri-color array LEDs, ambient light sensor
Power Supply – 12V/3A DC, 100-240V 50-60Hz AC
Dimensions – 19.05 cm (H) x 11.68 cm ()
Weight – 860 grams

The router appears to run Gentoo Linux based on the open source licenses page. Android 4+ and iOS 7+ apps will be released in the next few weeks, but in the meantime, some more details can be found on the router’s support site, which explains a little how to use the app, and that Bluetooth and 802.15.4 radios are currently turned off and inactive, but eventually they’ll be useful for home automation.
The router will launch on August 31, 2015 for $199.99 in various online and brick-and-mortar shops, such as Amazon US, Newegg or Walmart, but unfortunately it will only be available in the US, and soon in Canada. You may want to checkout OnHub router pages on Google and TP-Link websites for further details.

Thanks to Nanik for the tip.

Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft)

Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.