Google’s Take on the Smart Wireless Router – OnHub

Google Inc. is making a WiFi router in order to provide better Internet connections which make it easy for people to access its digital services, apart from other smart features. The internet giant's OnHub, a cylindrical device that Google claims is "the new way to Wi-Fi", is being pitched as an alternative to frustrating home routers that lose connection easily in the frequency noise of a general home network.

Google is promises OnHub will be sleeker, more reliable, more secure and easier to use than any other router made by any company. Google worked closely with networking device maker TP-Link in order to build OnHub.

Aesthetically, the OnHub looks much better than an average router. Users generally hide routers due to wiring and slobbish features. In the case of OnHub, the antenna are located inside the device rather than protruding from the top. Google says this will make people more willing to have it out in the open, thus allowing it to beam a better signal. OnHub will also scan the airwaves for free radio frequencies and select the one that is most likely to give the best connection.

Users will be able prioritize devices, so if a laptop needs a stronger connection than your internet radio, that can be arranged. Rather than negotiating a typical router's buttons, the OnHub is controlled via a smartphone app. The device is built for the smart home, supporting Bluetooth and Weave (Google’s connected home communication technology).

"While we count on Wi-Fi more than ever to be entertained, productive, and stay connected, we’re streaming and sharing in new ways our old routers were never built to handle," the company said.

Pre-orders for the $199 (£130, although UK pricing and launch has not been announced) wireless router can be made at Google's online store, Amazon and Walmart. The device will go on sale physically in brick-and-mortar stores in the U.S. & Canada in early September. Google claims not to use OnHub to monitor a user's Internet activity, as many tech enthusiasts believe this is a method to present better advertising to a more targeted user.

Google insisted it hadn't broken any laws, however, it paid $7 million in 2013 to settle allegations of illegal eavesdropping on unsuspecting users.

Software Development companies such as Google will have a huge impact on the smart home automation market in the years to come!