Today, the pervasive hardwired network is made up of Category 5 Ethernet cabling, and 802.11n Wi-Fi is the wireless networking technology du jour. But as we demand more content, higher-quality content and utilize more IP (web-based Internet Protocol) devices, our homes will need a lot more bandwidth than Cat 5 and 802.11n can provide.

“The days of adding a router and wireless access point [to beef up your network] for a couple of hundred dollars are long gone,” says Andrew Wale, vice president marketing for Vantage Controls. “In the near future, custom electronics (CE) professionals will integrate equipment into homes to provide homeowners
with enterprise-grade networks.”

Indeed, your home will need a strong, solid network to handle the plethora of streaming high-def content, and distribute that content to the bedroom TV, rec room, stereo system and other places—without any compression of the signal. The proliferation of Internet-connected devices such as surveillance cameras, TVs, even kitchen appliances, and new technologies like digital home healthcare and telepresence products—only makes big-bandwidth networking more essential.

Adds Clark Roundy, vice president of marketing at Luxul: “Never underestimate a company like Cisco. Bigger companies that have traditionally focused on commercial markets may delve into residential sooner than you think.”

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Lisa Montgomery - Contributing Writer

Lisa Montgomery has been writing about home technology for 15 years, with a focus on the impact of electronics on a modern lifestyle.