Over the last couple of years, the Internet has grown ubiquitous to a large number of consumers. These consumers are demanding Internet access from their home. The need for fast access to the Internet is coming from not only PCs, but other appliances in the home such as Web pads, Web terminals, e-mail terminals, digital TV, and set-top boxes. Also, pushing the need for Internet access are applications such as e-mail, web shopping, remote monitoring, MP3 files, and streaming video. Many of these appliances such as gaming consoles, PCs and
set-top boxes also provide broadband access and home networking to the home.
Over the past few years, these types of appliances have already formed networks with other appliances, creating various islands of technologies. For example, the PC network island has had a network of appliances, such as multiple PCs, printers, scanners, PDAs, and others. Another network island that has existed in the home is the multimedia island consisting of multiple TVs, VCR players, DVD players, receivers/amplifiers, speakers, etc. The home
networking technologies connects the different information appliances and the network islands. In this white paper, we discuss and explain the different types of information appliances that are emerging to populate the consumer's homes.
