Home LAN

Here is a hypothetical telecommuter working at home.

He has a local area network(LAN) at home. His desktop PC and a portable computer are connected to the home LAN. The portable has a wireless connection, so it can be used throughout the apartment. He also has a mobile device which can connect to his home LAN or directly to the Internet when he is away from home.

Though not common today, other information processing appliances like television and hifi sets, telephones, and radios will connect to the home LAN as well. The LAN has a high-speed connection to the Internet, and many types of information will enter and leave the home through that link. Audio and video material may be stored on a server, PC or mobile device -- companies like Apple, Cisco and Microsoft are looking for the best solution.

The wireless access point contains a radio, hub or switch, router, NAT, Web and DHCP servers, and Ethernet interfaces.

This New York Times article surveys some of the Internet-ready consumer electronic devices that were shown at a recent German trade show.


Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed on unofficial pages of California State University, Dominguez Hills faculty, staff or students are strictly those of the page authors. The content of these pages has not been reviewed or approved by California State University, Dominguez Hills.