Consumers plug into home networking

The number of consumers installing their own networks is rocketing, with analysts predicting that the worldwide number of home networks will grow from 37 million in 2003 to nearly 111 million in 2008.

According to IDC, splitting a broadband connection between PCs and sharing files and printers has driven home networking adoption.

And networking is quickly becoming an integral feature for many consumer electronics devices, such as stereos and telephones.

Jonathan Gaw, research manager for IDC's consumer markets home networking programme, said in a statement: "Home networking will reach its full potential as incumbent services and systems incorporate connectedness into their existing offerings.

"In the long run, the majority of households with home networks may not even consider themselves a home network household. Rather, they will use connected devices as a matter of course, a natural evolution."

As home devices become easier to connect and more powerful in capabilities, new uses for them will emerge - just as the internet led to new and more applications for personal computing, IDC predicted.