Atheros JumpStarts New Wi-Fi Protected Set-up for Personal Wireless LANs

JumpStart 2.0 Enables Consumers to Set Up Secure Wi-Fi Networks with the Press of a Button

CES CONFERENCE, LAS VEGAS, Jan. 8, 2007 — Atheros Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATHR), a leading developer of advanced wireless solutions, announced that JumpStart 2.0, its wireless LAN configuration solution, is certified compatible with the new Wi-Fi Protected Setup™ program launched today at the 2007 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES). JumpStart 2.0 is Atheros’ implementation of the industry’s first standardized, push-button, simple configuration for personal wireless LANs (WLAN). The new specification developed by members of the Wi-Fi Alliance simplifies the process of setting up and protecting home or small office wireless networks from unauthorized access. Atheros will demonstrate reference designs using JumpStart 2.0 during CES at its booth No. 36524 located near the entrance of South Hall 4.

The Wi-Fi Alliance will certify products which implement the specification and has established a visual identifier to help consumers easily recognize products that employ Wi-Fi Protected Setup. Now, products using Atheros’ JumpStart 2.0 can be certified for Wi-Fi Protected Setup and display the visual identifier to signify interoperability with other certified products.

Nearly half of the Wi-Fi users today experience moderate to high difficulty in setting up secure home networks, and as many as 40 percent of consumers leave their networks completely unsecured.[1] The Wi-Fi Protected Setup specification provides two standardized options for setting up a Wi-Fi network. Users can enter a short personal identification number (PIN) or press a button to establish secure networks and easily add devices to existing Wi-Fi Protected Setup networks.

Atheros’ JumpStart 2.0 push-button implementation of Wi-Fi Protected Setup allows consumers to protect computers, routers, wireless printers, home entertainment devices and mobile devices – such as dual-mode handsets, cameras and VoIP phones. To provide authentication and establish security between devices with JumpStart 2.0, users press a designated button on either device and then have two minutes in which to press the button on the other device. The easy-to-use process confirms connectivity with a flashing LED on each networked device.

Wireless-enabled devices equipped with Wi-Fi Protected Setup and Atheros JumpStart 2.0 use the wireless industry’s strongest security standard – WPA2-PSK. Atheros’ push-button solution also uses the protocol underlying today’s secure e-commerce transactions, the Diffie-Hellman key exchange, a highly regarded industry method employed by a wide number of industries and devices to ensure user privacy.

“Atheros customers can be confident their products which implement JumpStart 2.0 will achieve Wi-Fi Protected Setup certification,” said Andy Davidson, Senior Director Software Engineering and Wi-Fi Alliance Technical Chair for Wi-Fi Protected Setup. “Over the past three years, Atheros has been dedicated to developing a common set of interoperable procedures for end users to secure wireless personal networks. By creating JumpStart and working with the Wi-Fi Alliance to establish this industry standard, we are fulfilling that goal.”

Atheros has been a leading force behind the development of the Wi-Fi Protected Setup specification, test bed and certification process. With industry leaders Intel, Microsoft and others, Atheros co-authored the procedures to enable interoperability of configuration methods.

For more information about Wi-Fi Protected Setup please visit www.wi-fi.org. For more details regarding Atheros’ JumpStart technology, please visit its technical backgrounder: “How a Very Simple Procedure Is Transforming Wireless LAN Security”

About Atheros Communications, Inc.

Atheros Communications is a leading developer of semiconductor system solutions for wireless communications products. Atheros combines its wireless systems expertise with high-performance radio frequency (RF), mixed signal and digital semiconductor design skills to provide highly integrated chipsets that are manufacturable on low-cost, standard complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) processes. Atheros technology is being used by a broad base of leading customers, including personal computer, networking equipment and handset manufacturers. For more information, visit www.atheors.com or send email to info@atheros.com.

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Atheros, the Atheros logo and JumpStart are trademarks of Atheros Communications, Inc. All other trademarks mentioned in this document are the sole property of their respective owners.

NOTE ON FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS:

Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this press release, including statements regarding the features, performance and benefits of Atheros' JumpStart technology, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially, including, but not limited to, difficulties in development and manufacture of new products and upgraded products, and other risks detailed in Atheros' Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005, and its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2006 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and in other reports filed with the SEC by Atheros from time to time. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof. Atheros disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.