In brief: New Parks Associates broadband survey

A study from Parks Associates found those users 45 and older comprise more than 40% of U.S. broadband  households. "Broadband Access @ Home III," which surveyed more than 10,000 Internet households, found the most significant growth from 2001 to 2002 occurred in the age segment 65 and older, increasing from 5% to 7.5% of U.S. broadband households.

Home networks, particularly wireless, are gaining ground among all demographic groups, according to a new study from analyst firm In-stat/MDR. In 2002, networks were installed in 10% of U.S. households, up from 8% the previous year. The report, "Ethernet Today, Wireless Tomorrow: A Look at End User Home Network Adoption Trends" says wireless is expected to soon eclipse Ethernet as the most widely deployed technology, and that households interested in wireless plan to buy within two years.

AEP Systems  recently shipped an SSL-based secure remote access appliance for small and midsized businesses, the SureWare A-Gate 1.1 The device provides authenticated access from any Web browser to network applications, like comparable enterprise products from Neoteris and Aventail. The device supports 50 to 100 concurrent remote access users and costs $5,000.

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A study from Parks Associates found those users 45 and older comprise more than 40% of U.S. broadband  households. "Broadband Access @ Home III," which surveyed more than 10,000 Internet households, found the most significant growth from 2001 to 2002 occurred in the age segment 65 and older, increasing from 5% to 7.5% of U.S. broadband households.

Home networks, particularly wireless, are gaining ground among all demographic groups, according to a new study from analyst firm In-stat/MDR. In 2002, networks were installed in 10% of U.S. households, up from 8% the previous year. The report, "Ethernet Today, Wireless Tomorrow: A Look at End User Home Network Adoption Trends" says wireless is expected to soon eclipse Ethernet as the most widely deployed technology, and that households interested in wireless plan to buy within two years.

AEP Systems  recently shipped an SSL-based secure remote access appliance for small and midsized businesses, the SureWare A-Gate 1.1 The device provides authenticated access from any Web browser to network applications, like comparable enterprise products from Neoteris and Aventail. The device supports 50 to 100 concurrent remote access users and costs $5,000.

A list of tips for cutting home-office energy bills was recently released by the Alliance to Save Energy , a coalition of business, government, environmental, and consumer leaders that promotes the efficient use of energy worldwide to benefit consumers, the environment, the economy, and national security.

• Activate "sleep" features on computers, copiers, and other machines that power down when equipment is on but not in use. Turn off equipment during long periods of nonuse. Screen savers do not save energy.

• Weather strip between doors and doorframes, and caulk between window frames and walls.

• Install compact fluorescent light bulbs and task lighting in your home office. CFLs burn cooler and use up to 75% less energy than halogen or incandescent bulbs.

• Choose Energy-Star labeled home-office equipment.

• Ever-wakeful electronics like TVs, VCRs, DVD players and cable boxes consume energy when switched off to keep display clocks lit and memory chips and remote controls working. Choose Energy-Star labeled ones, which use less energy in "off" mode.

• When working in the home office, close heating and cooling vents in other rooms. Clean or replace furnace or air conditioner air filters monthly. Have your furnace tuned up annually.

• In the winter, let the sun help heat your home office by keeping blinds open during the day. Retain heat overnight by closing blinds after dark. In the summer, keep blinds closed to reduce cooling costs.

Read more about remote offices in Network World's Remote Offices section.