Essential Guide to Home Networking Technologies, The

CONSUMER REQUIREMENTS

The end users of a home network drive a different set of requirements than traditional enterprise network environments. These requirements include:

• Ease of use, low complexity— Unlike an enterprise network, there is no network system administrator or IT department in the home. As a result, home networking must be easy to use and simple to install. A home network must be "invisible," providing seamless operation with little or no user intervention or maintenance.

• Reliability— Home networks must be reliable. The network needs to resolve interference from other home networking devices as well as common household appliances, such as microwave ovens and cordless phones.

• Scalability— As consumers begin to buy home networking products, ...