I love technology. Below is my home's LAN with some of the systems I have on the house LAN. It includes a cable modem; LinkSys router with firewall, router, and digital phone ports; NetGear ProSafe wireless router with firewall, USB printer server, and four 100bT ports, LAN server; pretty much the works. The systems run WinXP Pro, Home and Media Center editions, Windows Vista, Mac OS X 10.4.5 and Suse Linux 10.0. There are really three LANs in the house: a 100bT Ethernet LAN over cat 5 wiring; a 54 mbit 802.11g wireless access point, and a 5.8GHz wireless LAN. All systems can work together seamlessly. I also have an X10 network for security and video surveillance. I have several printers: a Lexmark Color JetPrinter Z65n Photo Printer (prints photos and normal printing @4800 dpi); an Epson Stylus Color 600 (@1440 dpi); an HP Photosmart A516, and an HP OfficeJet Color 600 All-in-One (@ 600 dpi). I have a CanoScan Lide70 page scanner, and other cool accessories.
I have a SlingBox Pro on the LAN that permits us to watch TV on any of our computers or any remote computer. When I say "our TV", I mean we are actually accessing our Comcast High Definition Dual Tuner Digital Video Recorder Set Top Box (a Motorola 6412) from anywhere. I even watch HDTV channels, On Demand, or my DVR'd content on my Motorola Q cell phone. It's cool!
I have an Apple iPod Video (5th Gen) and it syncs with my Mac Mini iTunes, iPhoto, etc. I use the iPod primarily in my teaching. In the classroom I use RCA jacks to connect the iPod to the in-wall audio/video connectors and that connects to the built-in overhead projector. I use the iPod to play slides, video clips, blogs, etc., to the class. The slides originate as PowerPoint slides. I generally create and manage the PowerPoints on my Gateway, then on the Mac I drop them into iPhoto, from which then sync to the iPod. It is very straight forward. I create videos or clip them from sources largely the same way. I have roughly 2,000 slides, 2,000 photos, 14 hourse of video, and several thousand songs on the iPod. Karen has an iPod shuffle (the very small one) and she uses it during workouts.
I have X10 (a wireless protocol) cameras and motion sensor lights around the house, and we have a complete security system on all the doors and windows, as well as indoor sensors. The security system was built into the house as it was built, but I have added the motion sensor lighting and cameras. I did it for the fun of doing it, not so much because of security concerns.
Both Karen and I have VPN (Virtual Private Network) connections to our work locations. The VPN permits me to be on the office's internal LAN, but work from home. I also have a ShoreTel phone at home that is part of Lyrio's office IP phone network. That permits my phone at home to ring when someone calls me at work. Or if I am away from work and home, my cell phone rings. I can use the phone system just like I was in the office at work. So at home, from a computer, network, and phone sense, it is like I am right down the hall.
I am a tech dweeb... I love the stuff. I write software today, even though it is not a part of my job anymore. I did this website just for fun. I built the network in my home that has at least five computers networked. I built several computers, including my former Red Hat Linux server (now replaced with Suse on a newer machine). I am continuously tinkering with things like the home security system, the entertainment systems, and most especially, our computers and their software. I do it for the sheer pleasure I get from the doing.