View source for Home network

{{Short description|Type of computer network}}
{{for|the Corus Entertainment-owned Canadian TV channel previously known as HGTV|Home Network}}
{{refimprove|date=November 2013}}
{{Area networks}}A '''home network''' or '''home area network''' ('''HAN''') is a type of [[computer network]], specifically a type of [[Local area network|local area network (LAN)]],<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Anan |first1=Muhammad |last2=Al-Fuqaha |first2=Ala |last3=Nasser |first3=Nidal |last4=Mu |first4=Ting-Yu |last5=Bustam |first5=Husnain |date=2016 |title=Empowering networking research and experimentation through Software-Defined Networking |journal=Journal of Network and Computer Applications |volume=70 |pages=140–155 |doi=10.1016/j.jnca.2016.05.001}}</ref> that facilitates communication among devices within the close vicinity of a [[home]]. Devices capable of participating in this network, for example, [[smart devices]] such as network printers and handheld mobile computers, often gain enhanced [[Emergence|emergent]] capabilities through their ability to interact. These additional capabilities can be used to increase the [[quality of life]] inside the home in a variety of ways, such as [[home automation|automation]] of repetitive tasks, increased personal productivity, enhanced home security, and easier access to entertainment. Other than a regular LAN that are centralized and use [[Internet Protocol|IP]] technologies, a home network may also make use of direct [[peer-to-peer]] methods as well as non-IP protocols such as [[Bluetooth]].

== Infrastructure devices ==
{{Main|Local area network#Infrastructure and technicals}}
Certain devices in a home network are primarily concerned with enabling or supporting the communications of the kinds of end devices residents more directly interact with. Unlike their [[data center]] counterparts, these networking devices are compact and passively cooled, aiming to be as hands-off and non-obtrusive as possible.

A [[Residential gateway|gateway]] establishes [[Physical layer|physical]] and [[data link layer]] connectivity to a [[Wide area network|WAN]] provided by a service provider. Home routers provided by [[Internet service provider|internet service providers]] (ISP) usually have the [[modem]] integrated within the unit. It is effectively a client of the external DHCP servers owned by the ISP.

A [[Router (computing)|router]] establishes [[network layer]] connectivity between a [[wide area network]] (WAN) and the local area network of the residence. For [[IPv4]] networking, the device may also perform the function of [[network address translation]] establishing a [[private network]] with a set of independent addresses for the network. These devices often contain an integrated wireless access point and a multi-port Ethernet [[LAN switching|LAN switch]].

A [[wireless access point]] provides connectivity within the home network for mobile devices and many other types using the [[Wi-Fi]] standard. When a router includes this service, it is referred to as a [[wireless router]], which is predominantly the case.

A [[network switch]] permits the connection of multiple wired [[Ethernet]] devices to the home network.  While the needs of most home networks are satisfied with wireless connectivity, some devices require wired connection. Such devices, for example [[IP camera]]s and [[IP phone]]s, are sometimes powered via their network cable with [[power over Ethernet]] (PoE).

A [[network bridge]] binds two different network interfaces to each other, often in order to grant a wired-only device access to a wireless network medium.

Controllers for [[home automation]] or [[smart home hub]]s act as a controller for light bulbs, smart plugs, and security devices.

==Connectivity and protocols==
{{Home networking standards}}
[[File:Typical_Home_Network.png|thumb|An example of a simple home network]]
Home networks may use either wired or wireless connectivity methods that are found and standardized on [[Local area network|local area networks]] or [[Personal area network|personal area networks]]. One of the most common ways of creating a home network is by using [[wireless]] radio signal technology; the 802.11 network as certified by the [[IEEE]]. Most wireless-capable residential devices operate at a frequency of 2.4 [[GHz]] under 802.11b and 802.11g or 5&nbsp;GHz under 802.11a. Some home networking devices operate in both radio-band signals and fall within the 802.11n or 802.11ac standards. [[Wi-Fi]] is a marketing and compliance certification for IEEE 802.11 technologies.<ref name="wifi">“Discover and Learn,” WiFi Alliance, http://www.wi-fi.org/discover_and_learn.php {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100704025608/http://www.wi-fi.org/discover_and_learn.php|date=2010-07-04}} (accessed June 30, 2010).</ref> The [[Wi-Fi Alliance]] has tested compliant products, and certifies them for interoperability.

Low power, close range communication based on [[IEEE 802.15]] standards has a strong presence in homes. [[Bluetooth]] continues to be the technology of choice for most wireless accessories such as keyboards, mice, headsets, and game controllers. These connections are often established in a transient, ad-hoc manner and are not thought of as permanent residents of a home network. A "low-rate" version of the original WPAN protocol was used as the basis of [[Zigbee]].

== Endpoint devices and services ==
Home networks may consist of a variety of devices and services. [[Personal computer]]s such as [[Desktop computer|desktops]] and mobile computers like [[Tablet computer|tablets]] and [[smartphones]] are commonly used on home networks to communicate with other devices. A [[network attached storage]] (NAS) device may be part of the network, for general storage or backup purposes. A [[print server]] can be used to share any directly connected printers with other computers on the network. 

[[Smart speaker]]s may be used on a network for streaming media. [[DLNA]] is a common protocol used for interoperability between networked media-centric devices in the home, allowing devices like [[stereo system]]s on the network to access the music library from a PC on the same network, for example. Using an additional Internet connection, [[televisions|TVs]] for instance may stream online video content, while [[video game consoles]] can use online multiplayer.

Traditionally, data-centric equipment such as computers and media players have been the primary tenants of a home network. However, due to the lowering cost of computing and the ubiquity of smartphone usage, many traditionally non-networked home equipment categories now include new variants capable of control or remote monitoring through an app on a smartphone. Newer startups and established home equipment manufacturers alike have begun to offer these products as part of a "Smart" or "Intelligent" or "Connected Home" portfolio. Examples of such may include "connected" light bulbs (see also [[Li-Fi]]), home security alarms<ref>{{Cite web |title=Akamai, Plume join for wired, wireless security coverage |url=https://www.fiercewireless.com/wireless/akamai-plume-join-for-wired-wireless-security-coverage |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210513162654/https://www.fiercewireless.com/wireless/akamai-plume-join-for-wired-wireless-security-coverage |archive-date=2021-05-13 |access-date=2021-05-13 |website=FierceWireless |language=en}}</ref> and smoke detectors. These often run over the Internet so that they can be accessed remotely.

Individuals may opt to subscribe to managed [[cloud computing]] services that provide such services instead of maintaining similar facilities within their home network. In such situations, local services along with the devices maintaining them are replaced by those in an external [[data center]] and made accessible to the home-dweller's computing devices via a [[Wide area network|WAN]] Internet connection.

==Network management==
<!-- Suggested Edits: Should mention portions of zeroconf that Windows 10+ has implemented such as mDNS, and rephrase below paragraph now that HomeGroup was deprecated and removed (RIP). -->

Apple devices aim to make networking as hidden and automatic as possible, utilizing a [[zero-configuration networking]] implementation called [[Bonjour (software)|Bonjour]] embedded within their line of software and hardware products. 

Microsoft offers simple access control features built into their Windows operating system. Homegroup is a feature that allows [[shared disk access]], shared printer access and shared scanner access among all computers and users (typically family members) in a home, in a similar fashion as in a small office [[Workgroup (computer networking)|workgroup]], e.g., by means of distributed peer-to-peer networking (without a central server). Additionally, a [[home server]] may be added for increased functionality. The ''[[Windows HomeGroup]]'' feature was introduced with Microsoft [[Windows 7]] in order to simplify file sharing in residences. All users (typically all family members), except guest accounts, may access any shared library on any computer that is connected to the home group. Passwords are not required from the family members during logon. Instead, secure file sharing is possible by means of a temporary password that is used when adding a computer to the HomeGroup.<ref>Greg Holden, Lawrence C. Miller, [https://books.google.com/books?id=UoN0PAlIUScC&dq=windows+homeGroup&pg=PA93 Home Networking Do-It-Yourself for Dummies], John Wiley and Sons, 2011.</ref>

==See also==
*[[Access control]]
*[[Computer security software]]
*[[Data backup]]
*[[Encryption]]
*[[Firewall (computing)]]
*[[Home automation]]
*[[Home server]]
*[[Indoor positioning system]] (IPS)
*[[Matter (standard)|Matter]]
*[[Network security]]
*[[Smart, connected products]]
*Software update
*[[Virtual assistant]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[[WikiBooks:Transferring Data between Standard Dial-Up Modems]]
*[https://datatracker.ietf.org/wg/homenet/charter/ Home Net WG of the IETF]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Home Network}}
[[Category:Computer networking]]
[[Category:Wi-Fi]]
[[Category:Personal computing|Network]]