Client & Project
NETGEAR - Connectivity dongle
Product & Category
Connectivity hardware and dongle design
Services Delivered
deployed_code
Product design
hardware
Prototype design
factory
Design for manufacture
Brief
Alloy partnered with NETGEAR to design a range of 4G/LTE connectivity devices for global telecom markets, including USB modems and mobile hotspots. The focus was to improve usability, clarity of interaction, and retail shelf appeal while meeting strict manufacturing and deployment requirements.
Outcome: Production-ready design for an award-winning family of 4G/LTE devices, supporting improved usability, strong retail presence, and large-scale global rollout.
Key Outcomes
0
Supported devices
Industrial design and prototyping work delivered across 10 supported 4G/LTE device variants in the NETGEAR connectivity range.0
Red Dot Design Award
The NETGEAR AirCard 340U design received one Red Dot Design Award.0
External antenna
Support for external antenna configurations, including two antenna connectivity options for improved signal performance.
Improving sales to the world’s mobile telcos
NETGEAR is a global communications company that develops networking products to enable connections between people and machines. Alloy have worked with the NETGEAR Industrial Design team on a number of consumer wireless products, sold to networks across the world.
Two examples of our work are the Aircard 340 and 760. Both devices connect the user to advanced 4G/LTE networks, enabling download speeds of up to 100 Mbps and upload speeds up to 50 Mbps.
The Aircard 340u, winner of a Red Dot Design Award in 2015, is an ultra-slim hinged USB wireless modem offering a high speed connection for up to 10 devices. It is the first USB Modem to have an LCD interface allowing the user to easily view data use, network connection and signal strength at a glance. A significant innovation developed by NETGEAR is the robust dual axis articulating hinge, ensuring the user has the flexibility to connect to a PC without sacrificing usability or other connections.
The Aircard 760 is a wireless mobile hotspot, providing similarly impressive bandwidth speeds, access to multiple devices and also includes an embedded screen to ensure the user can see critical use information.
