Some question so I can understand residential gateways.

[bupkus]

I read an article at ExtremeTech.com about residential gateways. The following is a quote that I don't understand.


<< A few residential gateways available today add a parallel printer port and come with software you can install on your network PCs that create an addressable port that the PCs treat as a local port but actually refer to the port on the gateway. >>


I get the printer port but the rest of the sentence makes no sense to me.
There's more:


<< Later in the year residential gateways with internal hard drives for network storage will be available--these devices will likely run on Linux or other non-Windows operating systems and act as network servers, but in a manner that is transparent to users. >>


What would these be used for, or is this like a server on a pc but used for... what?
Stil more:


<< Today home networks aren't used often for voice transmission, but the manufacturers are promising that voice will be one of the "next big thing" with Internet applications and for home networks. As streaming media technology and networks to support it develop further, that too will show up on residential gateway feature lists >>


Perhaps I lack imagination but what is this likely to do for me? People on the same network can share voice and video? Is this for home security folks who want to see if the baby sitter is abusing their kids? My nephew is expecting their first and I'm sure they would want this. Especially if they could VPN to their network and see and hear for themselves.
Is this available now for home security? My brother and his wife need to travel alot and they have mentioned they'd like to check on their teens and also their dogs?
For that matter I've got people using my property for a dump site and then stealing fruit from my trees. If I call the city to complain the city will cite me to make me clean it up at my expense. I gotta film these guys!

 

[Tallgeese]

<< software you can install on your network PCs that create an addressable port that the PCs treat as a local port but actually refer to the port on the gateway.>>
<<I get the printer port but the rest of the sentence makes no sense to me. >>

It is talking about the "printer" software that works with the gateway. When you install the software on a PC, the PC thinks that the printer is "local," but it actually redirects it to the gateway's parallel port across the network. Their description is MUCH more convoluted than it needs to be, IMHO.

<< residential gateways with internal hard drives for network storage will be available--these devices will likely run on Linux or other non-Windows operating systems and act as network servers, but in a manner that is transparent to users.>>
<<What would these be used for, or is this like a server on a pc but used for... what? >>

Again, their description is unecessarily wordy. Basically, they are saying that some RGs are coming that have hard disks to support file storage

<< Today home networks aren't used often for voice transmission, but the manufacturers are promising that voice will be one of the "next big thing" with Internet applications and for home networks. As streaming media technology and networks to support it develop further, that too will show up on residential gateway feature lists>>
<<Perhaps I lack imagination but what is this likely to do for me? People on the same network can share voice and video? Is this for home security folks who want to see if the baby sitter is abusing their kids? My nephew is expecting their first and I'm sure they would want this. Especially if they could VPN to their network and see and hear for themselves. >>

I think many vendors with try to add VoIP at some point and try to replace home telephone infrastructures (especially long-distance), but it won't happen until VoIP gains greater acceptance in Enterprise networks. Typically, features "trickle down" as they age and are seen as "commodity" features, rather than "cutting-edge."

<< Is this available now for home security? My brother and his wife need to travel alot and they have mentioned they'd like to check on their teens and also their dogs? For that matter I've got people using my property for a dump site and then stealing fruit from my trees. If I call the city to complain the city will cite me to make me clean it up at my expense. I gotta film these guys! >>

Dunno how reliable such a setup would be, which is the most important thing with any monitoring system. I'd check solutions from security companies also, just to get an idea what's out there.

HTH