The Network Security. Org

The home network of the future

Computers without networks are hard to imagine these days, but they did once exist as islands of capability. Sneakernet was the norm - life was hard. With the LAN, and eventually the Internet, the power and convenience of networking became integral to the computing experience. A computer off the net - at work or at home - isn't that useful anymore. Going back would be unthinkable.

Equally unthinkable is the current state of home entertainment systems, which still adheres firmly to the islands-of-capability model. Even with innovations such as high-definition TV (HDTV), Dolby digital, DTS, THX and 5.1-channel sound, consumers still buy individual components and place them where they are used - usually duplicating boxes and functions in multiple locations. Components include digital video recorders (DVR); receivers; DVD players and recorders; VCRs (still useful in some cases); set-top boxes (always cleverly designed to never fit on top of the TV set); and assorted switches, TVs, projectors and speakers. And lots of wire - shielded RCA cables, speaker cables, proprietary vendor device control interconnections, USB 2.0, IEEE 1394 (aka Firewire), as well as cables for VGA, digital video input and HDMI video.

Much content is still provided via Sneakernet (most notably DVDs), but programming via cable (with an increasing fiber presence), satellite TV and even the Internet is demanding greater indoor connectivity, usually provisioned via carrier wiring. With most homes more difficult to wire than most businesses, there is a major challenge (and expense) in going the wired route. With cable the historical solution of choice, we run lots of it to our islands of capability that almost never have shared capabilities with other islands - just like computing before networks. The home network of the future - Networking for Small Business

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