Cisco announces the first products from the company using 802.11ac technology-- the dual-band Linksys EA6500 wifi router and the companion single-band Universal Media Connector network bridge.

The EA6500 carries x6 internal 3D antennas and is backwards compatible with all 802.11a/b/g/n wireless networks and devices. It also uses the Cisco Connect Cloud platform, helping users either manage the router or connect to other devices.

Integration with the SingleTap hardware platform also allows pairing the router with 3rd party wifi devices through Android and iOS smartphone apps (a feature that should receive an NFC boost in the future).

Meanwhile the Unversal Media Connector boosts bandwidth to the 802.11ac peak (1.3Gbps) and allows easy connection of wired devices (such as Smart TVs and game consoles) to wifi networks.

Go Cisco Announces First Linksys Smart Wifi Router and Universal Media Connector