Chapter 7. Home Networks

This chapter covers the following topics:

• Home Network Requirements

• Home Network Architecture

• Topology Alternatives

• Home Media Alternatives

• Residential Gateway

• Summary

The function of Access Networks is to transfer bits to and from the home. The Home Network distributes the bits among devices in the home (TVs, PCs, DVD players, game stations, stereos, alarms, and so on) and between the home devices and the Access Network. The Home Network is a local-area network ( LAN), not unlike LANs operating in businesses today. However, Home Networks and business LANs differ somewhat. Home networks have more stringent requirements to support entertainment video, to simplify ease of use, and to reduce cost. One cost-reduction technique would be to use existing home wiring, if possible, or to use a wireless solution. The home-networking market continues to gain importance as Access Networks increase in speed, but this market is taking on a fragmented appearance in doing so. Standards include Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11, HomePNA, HomeAPI, UPnP, HomeRF, Jini, HIPERLAN, Firewire, and VESA.

The objective of this chapter is to describe requirements, issues, and alternatives for home networking and thereby frame the discussion for readers wanting to pursue this complex topic. The remainder of this chapter is organized as follows:

• Home Network requirements

• Home Network architecture

• Topology Alternatives

• Home media alternatives

• Residential Gateway

• Summary