Google pushes into IoT and connected homes with OnHub WiFi router

Company wants to improve WiFi connectivity in homes

Google has unveiled a wireless router aimed at solving poor connections in homes and marking Google's commitment to the Internet of Things (IoT).

Trond Wuellner, group project manager at Google, said in a Google blog post that the OnHub has been developed in partnership with network hardware firm TP-Link, and boasts an antenna design and smart software that adjusts the router automatically to avoid interference and keep the network at peak performance.

"At the end of the day, we want our WiFi to just work so that we can do all the things we love to do online. Here's to WiFi with the reliability, speed and security you want at home, without the frustrations you don't," he wrote.

"You can even prioritise a device so that your most important activity - like streaming your favourite show - gets the fastest speed."

OnHub has a cylindrical design in a bid to provide a router that is stylish and will not prompt people to hide it out of sight in places that can hamper WiFi signals.

"You'll be happy placing OnHub out in the open, where your router performs its best," added Wullner.

OnHub can also be managed remotely through the Google On app for iOS and Android, allowing users to carry out checks on the network and see how much bandwidth their connected devices are using. If the app detects a problem with the WiFi it will offer suggestions as to how to solve it.

Furthermore, passwords can be emailed or sent as a text message from the app to other users to prevent the need to write the password on easily lost notes for later reference.

More interesting is OnHub's support of Weave, the cross-platform language that will allow devices running on Google's IoT operating system and Brillo platform to communicate.

In effect, OnHub could be seen as Google's first Brillo-enabled device and, with plans to design more OnHub devices with other partners in the future, notably Asus, Google looks to be making a considered push into the connected homes and IoT spaces.

This could present an attractive proposition for developers, who will be able to tap into a fledgling ecosystem on the cusp of expansion while using standardised languages and platforms.

The IoT is not the only market Google is targeting. The firm is interested in robotics, having showcased the testing of a 6ft-tall running robot called Atlas.