4 tech brands owned by Netgear

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Many large technology brands have multiple subsidiaries or sub-brands to help them differentiate their products. You’ll also see companies doing this for other business reasons, like risk isolation or asset protection, and sometimes these sub-brands appear after a merger or acquisition. Netgear is a great example, because although the company is US-owned and focuses largely on networking equipment, it has several subsidiaries with unique offerings.

Unlike other brands such as Linksys or Belkin, Netgear is not owned by any entity, foreign or otherwise – it has no parent company. It’s also one of the main reasons why Netgear was exempt from the FCC’s router ban, despite manufacturing equipment in countries outside the United States, including Indonesia and Thailand. It is primarily a US company, although some of its biggest investors include BlackRock, Vanguard Fiduciary Trust and Brandes Investment Partners.

Many will recognize Netgear for its home routers. The company also manufactures modems, mobile hotspot technology, range extenders, accessories and more. But what you may also notice when shopping the Netgear range is that there are products listed under a different name. Orbi mesh routers are quite common on Netgear’s website and third-party marketplaces like Amazon. Arlo was formerly under Netgear, but has since spun off on its own. The question is, what other tech brands are owned and operated by Netgear?

Netgear’s most obvious sub-brand is Orbi, the company’s whole-home mesh Wi-Fi brand, designed specifically to focus on more advanced home networking equipment. The first Orbi-branded system was launched in 2016 and since then, the company has continued to iterate with new models and technologies, pushing its mesh offerings to new heights. Netgear and Orbi recently launched Wi-Fi 7 models to keep up with the new standards, and Wi-Fi 8 models are currently in the works.

That’s why you won’t find mesh Wi-Fi systems available under the main Netgear name – they’re all offered under the Orbi name. If you’re considering upgrading to a new mesh network setup and want something from Netgear, Orbi is what you should consider. However, this is not the company’s only networking-related sub-brand, as besides Netgear, Nighthawk is another name to consider. In most cases and for most families, mesh Wi-Fi systems are better than regular routers, the Orbi brand does decently by ranking mesh Wi-Fi brands from worst to best, based on user reviews.

Nighthawk is another networking sub-brand of Netgear that focuses on high-performance products “built to higher standards.” Nighthawk routers support the latest Wi-Fi protocols, like Wi-Fi 7, but also come with powerful security, innovative features, and high-performance tools to optimize network tasks. Netgear’s Nighthawk gaming routers are intended to streamline online gaming and streaming performance, but are also just one facet of the brand.

What’s most striking about Nighthawk’s current offerings is that they support some of the highest speeds and bandwidth possible in Netgear’s traditional router lineup on the consumer side of the business. If you’re looking to maximize the high-speed Internet connection provided by your ISP, Nighthawk routers are a solid option. The Nighthawk RS700S Wi-Fi 7 router supports speeds of up to 19 gigabits per second. The rest of the Nighthawk Wi-Fi 7 router family promises dual or tri-band technologies with WPA3 encrypted security to accompany better coverage and performance than previous generations.

This advanced technology is what makes Netgear Nighthawk routers so expensive compared to standard options. They usually feature elite hardware specs and do a great job prioritizing the right traffic, like active gaming streams.

While most Netgear products are focused on networking and computing, Meural takes things in a slightly different direction. Netgear’s Meural digital canvas frames are intended for displaying all kinds of artwork, from personal photos to custom artwork and photographs. The Meural Canvas II takes inspiration from more traditional canvas designs: any digital artwork it displays appears behind a portrait-shaped frame.

The key to the frame series is the Meural app, which allows you to upload content, configure your new digital frame, and configure various settings. You can also set a playlist for the artwork displayed on the screen so that the frame has a consistent rotation of beautiful images. Of course, Netgear offers additional Meural models, like a smaller desktop frame, and runs a subscription service tied to the products. If you own a Meural frame, you can sign up to access a selection of artwork on your device. Certainly, there are plenty of digital photo frames and similar products out there, giving you a ton of variety if that interests you.

Although not a product-specific brand, Netgear also owns and manages ProAV for commercial and residential customers. ProAV, or sometimes simply AV, is an expert services arm dedicated to helping clients implement customized technology solutions, whether in their home, business, or on-site at major events. To give a less general example, Netgear’s Residential AV will help with “hassle-free” home setup for network equipment and related technologies, using switches, routers and access points with expert-level support not only during setup, but also afterwards, including intelligent insights. Netgear’s network switches are also found under the AV arm, whether large or small.

Think of it as a personalized design, installation and operation service for professional and personal use. The business side involves larger-scale installations supporting AV over IP for telecommunications.

If you want to manage your home network yourself, Netgear’s AV arm probably won’t be for you. But if you have a larger-than-normal property and need help with the design, you can turn to ProAV to help you grow and support your network.