The OnHub router has quickly become an interesting novelty in the sometimes stoic home networking segment thanks to its forward-looking hardware and user-focused software. And Google isn’t letting up on the latter: the router is already receiving its first software update, about three months after the launch of the TP Link-branded OnHub and just a week after the announcement of the ASUS version.
That being said, there isn’t anything in this update that’s particularly mind-blowing. According to the changelog posted on a Google support page and corroborated by an owner on Google+, the changes are focused on better performance and network management. Here’s the full list:
- Improved client device naming
- Antenna optimizations
- Expanded use of 5GHz channels
- Improved port forwarding performance
- General stability improvements
The software version is 7390.62.2, up from 7077.122.2. It looks like the update is going out in stages (just like smartphone firmware updates), so don’t be surprised if it takes a few days for the alert to show up on your OnHub app. Interestingly, the OnHub router appears to update its software without restarting – an impressive technical feat (Android, Chrome, and ChromeOS can’t do it) and a handy one for a device that manages all of your household Internet traffic.
Update: According to the launch blog post, the OnHub router does actually reboot, but it waits until a low activity period to do so. The wording is certainly a bit ambiguous: “OnHub automatically updates with new features and the latest security upgrades, without interrupting your connection.”
- Source:
- Google support
- Thanks:
- Krishean Draconis