TABLE OF CONTENTS Networking devices in the home and small office/home office (SOHO) that provide one complete network that can be controlled from a central location have become increasingly popular. Many companies are providing the link from the providers to the user using twisted pair wire, coax cable, fiber optics, wireless and satellite with the objective to increase the bandwidth for both high-speed connections and provide this bandwidth to an increasing number of users.
Networks have been in use for some time; however in the recent years and with the increase in the number of users and computers, the Internet, and all of the different ways that information is being brought to the home, networking and distribution are in high demand. The technologies that are under consideration for home distribution include wireless, power line, and phone line communications. Wireless will be the most successful technology because it affords networking in the home without requiring wires and a new infrastructure.
Various types of networking, protocols, and hardware devices have been developed in the past with various standards describing these networks to provide interoperability with other devices. When a network is used in a local area, for example the SOHO, it is referred to as a local area network (LAN), versus a wide area network (WAN), which covers and networks a wider space. A LAN links multiple devices for data transfer and sharing of resources in a small geographical area, such as the home or...
