Linksys facts for kids
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| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Networking equipment |
| Founded | 1988 |
| Founders | Victor Tsao Janie Tsao |
| Headquarters |
Irvine, California, United States
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| Products | Routers, DSL/cable gateways, switches, wireless access points, storage and security IP cameras |
| Parent | Cisco Systems (2003–2013) Belkin (2013–2018) Foxconn (2018–present) |
Linksys Holdings, Inc. is an American company that makes computer networking products. These products are mostly sold to people for their homes and to small businesses. Linksys was started in 1988 by a couple, Victor Tsao and Janie Tsao. They were immigrants from Taiwan who came to the United States.
Linksys makes many products. These include Wi-Fi routers, mesh Wi-Fi systems, and Wi-Fi extenders. They also make access points, network switches, and other Wi-Fi networking tools. The company's main office is in Irvine, California. You can buy Linksys products directly from their website. They are also sold by online stores and in electronics shops. As of 2020, Linksys products were sold in 64 countries. Linksys was the first router company to sell 100 million products!
History of Linksys
In 1988, Janie and Victor Tsao started a company called DEW International. They later changed its name to Linksys. They began the company in their garage at home in Irvine, California. The Tsaos used to work as consultants. They helped American tech companies connect with manufacturers in Taiwan. This helped Linksys succeed early on.
The company's first products helped many computers share one printer. Later, they started making Ethernet hubs, network cards, and cords. In 1992, the Tsaos began working for Linksys full-time. They moved the company and its growing team to a proper office. By 1994, Linksys had 55 employees and made $6.5 million each year.
Linksys got a big boost in 1995. This was when Microsoft released Windows 95. This new computer system had networking features built-in. This made more people want Linksys products. Linksys started selling its products in stores like Fry's Electronics in 1995 and Best Buy in 1996. In the late 1990s, Linksys made the first affordable router with many ports. This helped Linksys become a popular brand for home networking. By 2003, Linksys had 305 employees. It was making over $500 million in sales.
In 2003, a larger company called Cisco Systems bought Linksys. Cisco added more products to the Linksys line. For example, they bought a company called Sipura Technology in 2005. Sipura made VoIP products. These let you make phone calls over the internet. Cisco sold these products under the Linksys brand. In 2008, Cisco also bought Pure Networks. This company made software to manage home networks.
In 2013, Cisco announced it would sell its home networking part, including Linksys, to Belkin. This deal gave Belkin 30% of the home router market.
In 2018, Foxconn bought Belkin and its companies, including Linksys. Foxconn is a very large electronics company from Taiwan. They bought Belkin for $866 million.
In 2021, Harry Dewhirst became the CEO of Linksys. Later that year, a cybersecurity company called Fortinet invested $75 million in Linksys. They wanted to focus on making home networks safer for people working from home. Fortinet invested another $85 million in Linksys in September 2021. Mark Sanders became the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) in October.
In 2023, Linksys started to grow globally. They opened a development center in Taipei, Taiwan. They also opened a new sales and marketing center in Amstelveen, The Netherlands. These new offices are near major technology centers and universities.
Linksys Products
Linksys first sold devices to connect computers and printers. Later, they moved into connecting home and business networks. They used wired Ethernet and wireless technologies. Their networking products include Gigabit switches, Wi-Fi routers, and smart mesh Wi-Fi systems. They also make Wi-Fi extenders, Wi-Fi access points, and other networking parts.
Linksys Aware was launched in 2019. It is a home monitoring system. It tells users about movement in their home using the Velop Triband system. In 2020, Linksys released Linksys Shield. This is a service that helps parents control what their kids see online. It works with the Velop AC2200 Triband system.
The company also announced Linksys Cloud Manager 2.0. This included a special login page for guests.
Routers
Linksys released its first Wi-Fi router in 2001. They have continued to release new routers as Wi-Fi technology improves.
The WRT54G router was special. Its software was based on the Linux operating system. Later versions used different software and had less memory. The original Linux model was still available as the WRT54GL.
In 2017, Linksys launched the Velop line. This is a mesh router system with multiple units. It uses three Wi-Fi radios to give you better coverage.
In 2020, Linksys started selling smart routers for homes. They also sold Velop Mesh Wi-Fi systems.
In April 2021, Linksys launched its first Wi-Fi 6E certified systems. These included the Hydra Pro 6E router and the Atlas Max 6E mesh system. In January 2022, Linksys launched the Hydra Pro 6. This was a simpler version of the 6E model.
Wi-Fi Systems
The Linksys Intelligent Mesh line, called Velop, combines Linksys software and hardware. It gives you faster internet speeds throughout your home. It uses "nodes" that work together to create a strong network. In 2019, Linksys Aware was the first to use mesh nodes as motion sensors. They use Wi-Fi signals to detect movement without needing other devices.
Linksys also sells Wi-Fi extenders. These work with most Wi-Fi routers. They can be dual or tri-band units. They are plug-in devices that get rid of "dead zones" where Wi-Fi doesn't reach. They do this by talking wirelessly with your router.
In 2018, Linksys released its cloud-based Wi-Fi management for businesses. It was called the Linksys Cloud Manager.
Linksys sells mesh Wi-Fi routers built for Wi-Fi 6. These offer speeds and capacity four times faster than Wi-Fi 5. The mesh Velop Wi-Fi 6 was announced in October 2019.
In 2020, Linksys introduced 5G mobile hotspots. They also made modems, mesh gateways, and outdoor routers.
At CES 2021, Linksys announced new Velop mesh systems and routers. These support the latest Wi-Fi 6E technology.
HomeWRK
HomeWRK is a Wi-Fi 6 router system with two parts. It creates separate wireless networks for your personal use and for work. It also has security features from Fortinet. These features block harmful software like malware and ransomware. They also filter online content.
See also
In Spanish: Linksys para niños
- Broadcom Inc.
- Free Software Foundation, Inc. v. Cisco Systems, Inc.
- Linksys iPhone
- List of router firmware projects
- Marvell Technology Group
- Ralink
Images for kids
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Logo used from 2013 to 2022
