WLAN for the Home

Electronic News, Jan 11, 1999 by Peter Brown

Philips Semiconductors at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) introduced a wireless local area network (WLAN) frequency hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) radio evaluation board that is targeted at home networking applications. The need for networks in the home may continue to grow in 1999 as more electronic products begin to converge and support similar standards. The leading contender for most LANs is the IEE 1394 interface that allows a high bandwidth interface for multiple applications.

However, emerging quietly in the consumer market is the IEEE 802.11 standard for wireless home network environments. Philips' evaluation board supports this standard as well as the HomeRF shared wireless access protocol-cordless access (SWAP) specification. A wireless network can allow consumers to share voice and data between PCs, peripherals cordless phones, remote control display pads and other handheld devices. Also, WLANs share an ISP connection between PCs and other new devices while having the ability to review incoming voice, fax and e-mail messages from a PC-enhanced cordless phone. The evaluation board from Eindhoven, Netherlands-based Philips is available now at a price of $250.