Posted on 07/10/2006 11:09:37 AM PDT by 2Jim_Brown
New research indicates that demand for home networks -- to connect home theaters, security cameras, home lighting systems, and the like -- is increasing rapidly, even though the percentage of new homes which feature these broadband powered networks still remains relatively small. Experts are telling United Press International's Networking column that many home buyers are asking builders to install the networks as a standard feature in new homes today. By Gene Koprowski
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Well, I dont have a home line....and you are required to have one to get DSL.
Doom on them.
"Have always wanted to print out the file documents named "confidential" or "private" that people leave in their file-sharing folders and mail 'em to the addresses mentioned therein."
Yup.
I have a little story. I had a fax machine hooked up to a dedicated line for years. Then, one day, I came to work to find hundreds of pages of faxes on the floor.
It seems that a local real estate office had a new fax number that was the same as mine, except for two interposed digits.
I called the realtor and explained what had happened. He got really, really angry with me, and accused me of hijacking his faxes. I explained that I had had that number for 10 years and he had had his for a very short time. He still blustered, then asked me to deliver the faxes I had received to him. I explained that he could come get them, and bring a new 500' roll of thermal fax paper, too.
This whole thing went on for a few weeks. Turns out one of his desk clerks was dyslexix and kept writing their fax number down wrong on outgoing faxes.
I finally ended the nonsense. One day, a complete loan application showed up on my fax machine. SS#s, credit card numbers, dates of birth, and all that jazz for a couple who was applying for a loan.
So, I called the customer, briefly explained what had happened and suggested that they come get their paperwork and speak to the realtor.
Oddly enough, I never got another fax like that again.
"Well, I dont have a home line....and you are required to have one to get DSL.
"
Cable's so much better. There's no comparison.
All right Mr. Ph...
Be kind to the normal ones here and tell us what "smurf tubes" are...
Homes will be wired with the same type of building management software systems that run high end office buildings.
You will from one computer control your home's environment including heating and cooling by zone, turning lights on and off automatically or remotely, controlling home theater & A/V systems, monitoring appliances, monitoring energy usage, watering your lawns, perhaps even recharging your hybrid car's electric batteries.
The technology is already here.
If I even mentioned having a camera in my bedroom, my wife would remove and drape my cajones over the lens - and then she would hurt me real bad.
Little blue mud trail up the sides of your house. It means the exterminator will be getting a very big check from you very soon. :-).
Seriously this site defines smurf tubes as:
Smurf tube is corrugated PVC flexible tubing used to provide an easy method of upgrading structured wiring systems. The tube is run from the distribution panel to each outlet during the prewiring construction phase. Retrofit wiring can easily be pulled through the tubes without painstaking cable snaking. The most common type, Flex-Plus Blue ENT, is manufactured by Carlon, Cleveland, Ohio. Workers nicknamed it smurf tube because of its distinctive blue color.
Basically they are cheap conduits.
Yep, wireless is great. ...until someone turns on a microwave.
Just about always knocks out the wireless connection to my notebook computer. I understand from a co-worker that when he takes a call on his wireless 2.4GHz telephone it kills his kids network connection. Both microwave ovens and these phones work on the same spectrum as 802.11 wireless networks.
My son just got a notebook computer last week. He's already learned to plug in the network cable before he starts playing any network games. The 802.11 stuff is fine for general surfing I guess. But, for connections that demand performance and reliability you needed wired cat5.
"If I even mentioned having a camera in my bedroom, my wife would remove and drape my cajones over the lens - and then she would hurt me real bad."
Mum's the word, then. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge...say no more. ;>}
Not in my case. I ditched ComCast cable which was approximately $55/mo. for a faster DSL connection for $35/mo. (later the price was raised to $40/mo). Not only faster, but more reliable.
Not to mention that Verizon was recently offering a 1.5Mb DSL service for $15/mo (now $17/mo)! Not fast enough for me, but a great deal for Mom and other light weight Internet users. Comcast can't even come close to that.
I'm holding out for the iToast!
They're blue plastic tubes that run from my basement to every room in the house. There's a string inside each tube. All I have to do to pull cable is tie it to the string and pull from the other end (hopefully remembering to send along a replacement string for the next time). The tube ends at a handy junction box where I can mount whatever wallplug I like.
Frankly putting wires in the wall for this is, in most cases, a waste of money. Most wireless devices will do the job just fine and can be secured to a reasonable degree..
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