Today ASUS announced the release of the RT-N16 wireless-N Gigabit router that emphasizes what ASUS calls the three "S's" - speed, simplicity and security. In addition to the wireless-N capabilities, the RT-N16 offers four Gigabit Ethernet ports and two USB ports for connecting printers and external storage devices.

The RT-N16 conforms to the latest 802.11n draft specs with a theoretical maximum throughput of 300Mbps and also is backward compatible with 802.11 b/g devices. The unit's powerful CPU and 128MB of memory help ensure it can handle multiple simultaneous networking tasks with no lag.

Management of the router is accomplished through the EZ UI graphical user interface that incorporates a host of different connectivity features under a single interface. Bandwidth management is handled using the EZQoS function where you can easily allocate bandwidth according to individual user needs. To support network usage of a shared printer, the EZ All-In-One Printer function allows multiple users to simultaneously access a printer and use its print and scan functions. The AiDisk feature allows users to easily set up file-sharing via the web in minutes.

The unit also offers security features through the WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) interface that allows users to set up secure Wi-Fi Networks within minutes and lock down the network to prevent potential intrusion by unauthorized outsiders. In addition to NAT and stateful packet inspection features, users can choose from different encryption protocols including WEP, WPA-PSK, WPA2-PSK, WPA-Enterprise, WPA2-Enterprise and RADIUS.

ASUS did not disclose availablity or pricing information.