Hybrid home networking standard approved
IEEE latest creates seamless connectivity over Wi-Fi and various wireline links, certification will start soon
Published: 16 January, 2012
An important standard for converging wireless and wireline connections in the home has been approved. The IEEE 1905.1 Working Group has unanimously ratified the draft hybrid networking specifications, the only industry standard to bring together several key networked home protocols - Wi-Fi as well as the wireline links, 1901/HomePlug, MoCA for coax cable, and 802.3/Ethernet.
The HomePlug Alliance, which controls the IEEE 1901 powerline standard, welcomed the approval of the new specs, promising to support the ensuing certification programs to ensure interoperability of hybrid networking products. The Alliance first agreed to support 1905.1 in June last year.
IEEE 1905.1 is a software abstraction layer which allows applications and upper layer protocols to be neutral to the network technology underneath. It will be designed into mobile devices like smartphones, as well as stationary home gadgets like game consoles, network-attached storage, Blu-Ray players, set-top boxes and routers. This will enable a single network with seamless interoperability, and unified set-up, security and management, even when several different connections are being used, and will allow packets to be transmitted according to quality of service (QoS) priorities.
Among the supporters of 1905.1 are the arch-rivals for home network silicon, Qualcomm and Broadcom. Other contributors include Cisco, Orange, Ralink, Sigma Designs, SPiDCOM and STMicro.
"The hybrid home network is clearly the network of the future - offering the best networking technology to meet the consumer's needs - so IEEE establishing this standard is significant," said Rob Ranck, president of the HomePlug Powerline Alliance, announcing support for the effort last year.
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