home networking

Cool products, companies at DEMOfall 09

Keith Shaw — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 04:00:00 +0000

The DEMOfall 09 show in San Diego showcased more than 60 companies offering pitches of new companies and products aimed to make your life better, whether as an individual user or at your company. Here are a few of my favorites:

Read more

Video "Webisodes" show Cisco-equipped digital homes

Cisco Subnet — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 21:04:23 +0000

Cisco this week released three "Webisodes" of people using its home networking and consumer technology to live a digital life. The 'Digital Cribs' Webisodes feature "tech-savvy trend-setters" using the Cisco products to enhance their home life. Read more

Cisco: virtualization is homeward bound

Cisco Subnet — Thu, 14 May 2009 17:10:00 +0000

During Cisco's third quarter conference call last week, CEO John Chambers talked about Cisco's intention of bringing virtualization all the way from the data center into the home. Hey, is that really my cat??? First of all, what is a virtualized home and why would we want it? Colin Dixon, broadband media practice manager at market tracker The Diffusion Group, has an interesting take on this...

Cisco in the home: Anonymous or poised for domination?

Cisco Subnet — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 23:07:45 +0000

Larry Hettick, a principal analyst at Current Analysis, and co-author of Network World's Convergence and VoIP newsletter, spent some time with Cisco at the recent Consumer Electronics Show where the networking giant detailed its desire to push further into the home networking space. Could Cisco dominate the consumer space as it has the enterprise space? Read more

Windows 7 news roundup -- skim this and be in the know

Microsoft Subnet — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 21:38:39 +0000

Updated 01-26-09: Google News lists tens of thousands of Windows 7 stories published in the past couple of weeks. What more is there to say about the beta operating system? And how much do you have to read before you know what you need to know? Truth is, not much. So at Microsoft Subnet we offer you what you really need ... a roundup of the news important to the enterprise. Here goes ... Read more

Linksys Network Magic helps consumers make like networking pros

Cisco Subnet — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 23:09:18 +0000

Barely three months after its acquisition of home networking vendor Pure Networks, Cisco's Linksys division has rolled out its first Pure Networks products. Network Magic 5.0 is aimed at enabling the average Joe to setup, manage and secure home networks like an IT pro, according to the pitch. The software comes in three flavors: Essentials for basic fun Read more

Cisco aims to make it easier to work from home

Cisco Subnet — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 17:32:15 +0000

Cisco is aiming its new bundle of gear and services at companies that want to set their employees up to work from home. With fewer workers on the road on their daily commutes Cisco is doing its bit to help save the planet - and to sell new gear at the same time. Called Cisco Virtual Office (CVO), the package includes IP phones and multiservice routers to be placed in home offices or branch offices and linked to corporate headquarters. And of course, Cisco doesn't just sell technology to let people work from home - it also sells technology for their recreational time too.

Read more

Cisco invests in semiconductor maker for Wi-Fi home networks

Cisco Subnet — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 01:58:07 +0000

Cisco has shelled out some more cash in the home networking market, this time a strategic investment in Celeno, a maker of semiconductors for multimedia Wi-Fi home networking applications. The Israeli company announced it has closed a $16 million Series C investment led by the networking giant. This is the blurb about Celeno on Cisco's press release: Read more

Cisco buys Pure Networks for Linksys division

Cisco Subnet — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 20:30:22 +0000

Cisco has dug a little into its pocket to purchase privately held Pure Networks, a Seattle-based provider of home networking-management software and tools. Pure Networks, which will be integrated into Linksys, enables consumers to set up a home network connecting a range of devices, applications and services, says Cisco. Pure already partners with Cisco to provide the software infrastructure and tools...

New dual-N band Linksys router geared for multimedia home networking

Cisco Subnet — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 16:36:07 +0000

Cisco subsidiary Linksys introduced a new wireless router today, tailored to the needs of home digital media content especially high-def video. What's cool about the new WRT610N is that it is a simultaneous dual-N band wireless router that operates in both the 5GHz and 2.4GHz spectrums. Users can connect entertainment-oriented devices, such as a media center extenders, audio players or personal...

Panasonic joins Cisco to invest in home control wireless mesh maker

Cisco Subnet — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 23:25:46 +0000

Panasonic joins Cisco and others as the latest investor of Zensys, which makes the Z-Wave wireless home control wireless mesh networking technology "that allows a wide array of devices in and around the home to communicate including lighting, appliances, HVAC, entertainment centers, and security systems," according to the company. Other investors include Intel, Bessemer Venture Partners, Palamon Capital...

Windows Home Server ships

Microsoft Subnet — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 18:42:55 +0000

Microsoft yesterday (yes, on Sunday), announced that Windows Home Server is shipping. Microsoft unveiled Windows Home Server, formerly known by the code name Quattro, at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January. The software lets home Windows PC users share and store multimedia and other files, as well as install security to protect files on a home network. (Here's something to chuckle...

Cisco furthers home-networking ambitions with China's Haier

Cisco Subnet — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 23:41:46 +0000

Cisco has struck a deal with Haier, China's largest manufacturer of large home appliances that will allow the two companies to exchange knowledge of the home networking and other consumer-related markets.

The deal follows news that Cisco is in discussions with the Shanghai government to build a wireless broadband "Mega City" in time for the 2010 World Expo (see this blog entry).

Cisco and Haier will share best practices in areas such as investments and financial management and controls, Cisco said in a news release.

Read more

RE: HomePlug continues to gain supporters

Tue, 18 Sep 2007 16:37:56 +0000

People want wireless.

ZigBee (802.15.4)

Inbox — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 21:26:22 +0000

ZigBee is a wireless protocol aimed at inexpensive, low-power applications. Integrated ZigBee chipsets, with battery power slated to last six months to two years, are available for $1 or less. In addition, ZigBee-enabled devices are networked readily: As many as 65,536 such devices can be connected in a star topology or a peer-to-peer configuration. The data rate for this cost-effective and low-power technology is 20K to 250Kbps.

ZigBee, based on the IEEE 802.15.4 standard, performs very well in environments with a low signal-to-noise ratio. Radio signals extend 10 meters to 40 meters, depending on settings and signal strength).

Read more

The Slingbox as Powerline's Savior?

Keith Shaw — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 19:25:31 +0000

If home networking technology were more like the Brady Bunch, Wireless would be Marcia (Oldest, prettiest, flashiest), Home Coax would be Cindy (youngest), and Powerline would be Jan (middle child, often ignored). But at least one company has some love for Jan – Sling Media, makers of the Slingbox device that lets users watch their TV content remotely. The company today announced its SlingLink...

Cisco: 'Let me entertain you'

Cisco Subnet — Mon, 14 May 2007 23:20:21 +0000

Engadget HD is blogging about a BusinessWeek report that says that Cisco is putting the finishing touches on a "souped up" set-top box that sounds like it will help you do everything around your den bar put the ottoman under your feet.Engadget HD writes: Read more

This Week in Gearhead: Delivering Audio

Mark Gibbs — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 18:53:40 +0000

This week in Gearhead we start with some reader feedback and then carry on from the last two week's of dealing with digital music to answer Mrs. Gearhead's request for a digital thing to deal with the pile of CDs and our grumbling.

Cisco has ambitions to secure your home network

Cisco Subnet — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 23:01:04 +0000

Cnet has an interesting take on Cisco's much talked about ambitions in the consumer market. In an interview with Richard Palmer, general manager of Cisco's security technology group, it emerges that Cisco's strategy in the home market puts it in competition with security stalwarts, Symantec and McAfee, but not in their traditional markets. "We think security is going to be a fundamental requirement...

Long-range WiFi

Fri, 05 Jan 2007 10:56:24 +0000

Wouldn't it be possible to use a high gain antenna that could potentially cover a directional distance of 1 or 2 miles on both ends? I know there are antennas that can easily screw on the standard antenna port on most home wi-fi routers. Just a thought! Re: This article.