The Connected Home (1)
Thursday, 09 December 2010 20:01
A (Simplified) History of the Connected Home
Written by Steve Gorretta
I’m commonly asked how the ClearAccess approach to home networking, and our use of TR-069 technology, is better for remotely managing home networks than other standards such as SNMP. Let’s look at how the broadband market has evolved over the last decade, and you’ll see how we got to where we are and why this approach makes sense.
When broadband first became widely available in the late 90s, most households had a single, shared personal computer that connected to a DSL or Cable modem. Those modems were very basic devices, and at best were managed using SNMP (the S is for “Simple”). SNMP was used to view the modem configuration, and possibly upgrade the modem software.
Over time Moore’s Law continued to make PCs more affordable. By the middle of this decade many households had multiple devices sharing broadband, and were connecting over WiFi. This brought about a demand for home network firewalls, NAT routing, and remote configuration tools. SNMP wasn’t suited for this complexity, so a consortium of DSL providers, chip makers, and modem vendors created the DSL Forum (now called Broadband Forum, since it applies to all methods of access). The TR-069 standard emerged, which was initially tailored to handle auto-provisioning and remote management of these complex home gateways. Telco and cable operators also realized that with TR-069 they could manage new services such as IPTV and VoIP.
Since the TR-069 standard was created, the number of Internet-connected devices has continued to grow, while the increase in online gaming, WiFi-enabled smart phones, web cameras, and over-the-top video players has significantly increased the complexity of the home network. ClearAccess arrived on the scene with an idea on how to use the TR-069 standard to drive a new kind of management approach to this problem. ClearVision is designed as an apps platform that leverages standards like TR-069, while creating an innovative “cloud-based” user experience. For example, now I can more easily troubleshoot connectivity problems, change my Parental Controls settings while on the road, and remotely access devices in my home through a smart phone app. One of the most popular features we recently tested in a consumer focus group is the ability to see the WiFi signal strength and bandwidth usage for each device in the home—these are things you can’t with just any TR-069 ACS.
Combining this applications approach with a well established, secure communications standard like TR-069 has helped service providers address the problems consumers face with the increasing complexity of their home networks, as well as create a path for new apps offerings. Looking to the future, there are a number of other emerging technologies we want to plug in such as UPnP-DM, DLNA, and XMPP that can add another layer of richness to device management, and the apps that can be provided through our existing ClearVision platform.
When broadband first became widely available in the late 90s, most households had a single, shared personal computer that connected to a DSL or Cable modem. Those modems were very basic devices, and at best were managed using SNMP (the S is for “Simple”). SNMP was used to view the modem configuration, and possibly upgrade the modem software.
Over time Moore’s Law continued to make PCs more affordable. By the middle of this decade many households had multiple devices sharing broadband, and were connecting over WiFi. This brought about a demand for home network firewalls, NAT routing, and remote configuration tools. SNMP wasn’t suited for this complexity, so a consortium of DSL providers, chip makers, and modem vendors created the DSL Forum (now called Broadband Forum, since it applies to all methods of access). The TR-069 standard emerged, which was initially tailored to handle auto-provisioning and remote management of these complex home gateways. Telco and cable operators also realized that with TR-069 they could manage new services such as IPTV and VoIP.
Since the TR-069 standard was created, the number of Internet-connected devices has continued to grow, while the increase in online gaming, WiFi-enabled smart phones, web cameras, and over-the-top video players has significantly increased the complexity of the home network. ClearAccess arrived on the scene with an idea on how to use the TR-069 standard to drive a new kind of management approach to this problem. ClearVision is designed as an apps platform that leverages standards like TR-069, while creating an innovative “cloud-based” user experience. For example, now I can more easily troubleshoot connectivity problems, change my Parental Controls settings while on the road, and remotely access devices in my home through a smart phone app. One of the most popular features we recently tested in a consumer focus group is the ability to see the WiFi signal strength and bandwidth usage for each device in the home—these are things you can’t with just any TR-069 ACS.
Combining this applications approach with a well established, secure communications standard like TR-069 has helped service providers address the problems consumers face with the increasing complexity of their home networks, as well as create a path for new apps offerings. Looking to the future, there are a number of other emerging technologies we want to plug in such as UPnP-DM, DLNA, and XMPP that can add another layer of richness to device management, and the apps that can be provided through our existing ClearVision platform.
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