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Network Your Home PC Without Cables

Diamond HomeFree kit networks multiple PCs or peripherals using radio signals.

By Glenn McDonald, PCWorld   

Diamond Multimedia on Monday announced a new wireless home networking package that uses high-frequency radio waves to connect multiple PCs and peripherals. The HomeFree system connects two or more PCs through a wireless Local Area Network at a range of up to 150 feet--through floors, walls, and ceilings, the company said.

Product manager Robert Jacobson said the new system is aimed at home users who want to establish a LAN of two or three PCs, but who don't want to go through the hassle of setting up complicated hardwired connections.

"We're finding more and more people are holding on to their old computers when they buy a new system," Jacobson said. "There's a real demand for networking now. People want to be able to share their printers; they want to be able to connect more than one computer to the Internet. But they don't want to drill holes in their walls."

Using the HomeFree system, multiple PCs could use the same printer, fax, or storage device, and even connect to the Internet through the same connection.

"We've included a router to simultaneously connect more than one PC to the Net," Jacobson said. "If you're using your laptop in the basement, you'd just hit your browser button and you'd wirelessly trigger your PC upstairs to dial into your ISP." Once connected, both systems could independently share the same connection, he said.

HomeFree connects at a 1-megabit-per-second throughput rate, as compared to a 10-mbps throughput for a hardwired Ethernet connection. The connection rate is still fast enough to satisfy another of Diamond's chief targets--home gamers who want to connect directly for head-to-head play, the company said. The HomeFree system operates at a high 2.4-GHz frequency to avoid interference from other transmissions such as cell phones or baby monitors. The $199 HomeFree system includes one ISA and one PCI card for connecting two systems.

Diamond is among the first companies to aggressively pursue the home market for wireless networking. Proxim's Symphony system is anticipated soon, offering a 1.6-mbps throughput at $149 per card, according to the company. Other home networking solutions, such as LANs that connect systems through existing electrical and phone outlets, are also available or in development.