Home Area Networks: a Primer Matthew N

Home , Home network

Volume 7, Issue 5, May 2017 ISSN: 2277 128X International Journal of Advanced Research in Computer Science and Software Engineering Research Paper Available online at: www.ijarcsse.com Home Area Networks: A Primer Matthew N. O. Sadiku, Mahamadou Tembely, and Sarhan M. Musa Roy G. Perry College of Engineering, Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View, TX 77446, United States DOI: 10.23956/ijarcsse/SV7I5/208

Abstract— A typical household today has a variety of devices (such as personal computers, smartphone, printers, and game consoles, TV, refrigerator, and air-conditioner) which are connected among themselves and to the Internet via a home area network (HAN). The HAN is an important local part of the smart grid. This paper provides a brief introduction to HAN.

Keywords— home area networks, smart homes, smart grid

I. INTRODUCTION Computer networks and their benefits have made inroads into an average household. More and more households are connected to the Internet through broadband access services. This requires using Internet Protocol for addressing and enables devices in the household to share resources. A home area network (HAN) is a computer network that operates within a house or small office/home office (SOHO) and connect digital devices within the home or office. Those devices may include telephones, fax, televisions, computers, video games, printer, scanner, home security systems, and smart appliances. HAN facilitates the communication and interoperability among the digital devices. It allows them to share resources and have a common connection to the Internet. It is capable of increasing personal productivity and enhancing home security [1]. Home area networks emerged as a result the dramatic growth of the Internet in the late 1990s. The basic IEEE 802.15.4 framework for HANs conceives a 10 meter (33 foot) communications area. A typical HAN is composed of four elements [2]: A gateway that connects the HAN to the outside networks such the LAN or WAN; the access points; a network operating system; and smart endpoints, such as smart meters, refrigerators, and appliances. HAN technology enables one to remotely connect and control many interconnected digital devices within the house.

II. TRANSMISSION MEDIA Home networks can connect devices using either wired or wireless technologies. Wired technologies were the first to appear. Basic wired technology for HAN include coaxial cable, PLC (powerline communications), twisted pairs or newer technologies such as optical fiber as a means of communication. Current wireless technologies that are being used in a HAN include Wi-Fi, ZigBee, and Bluetooth. In most cases, wireless technologies are preferred due to the ease of installation, convenience, and reliability. Wireless technologies have the advantage of providing remote control and monitoring.

III. HAN IN SMART GRID The smart grid is a modern improvement of the existing traditional power grid. It is an intelligent network of many systems and subsystems designed to provide cost-effective and reliable supply of electric power. It enables a real- time two-way information exchange between a customer and utility company through the exploitation of information and communication technologies (ICT) for the existing power grid. The HAN may be regarded a subsystem within the smart grid. It extends smart grid capabilities into the home. It plays a critical role to control the home appliances, properly use of electricity, and lower gas emission. The smart grid consists of several interconnected layers and HAN is the lowest layer, as shown in Figure 1 [3]. As shown in the figure, a typical smart grid consists a home area network (HAN), which is used to gather data from a variety of devices within the household, a neighborhood area network (NAN) to connect smart meters to local access points, and a wide area network (WAN) to connect the grid to the utility system. In a typical HAN, there are a number of electric home appliances and a smart meter, which is an intelligent device that has the potential to enable two-way energy flow communications, as shown in Figure 2 [4]. The data collected from the HAN is used by the utility company to obtain information about the energy usage of the household.

IV. ISSUES WITH HAN The main issues facing information security, like confidentiality, integrity and availability, applicable to the commercial computer networks also hold for HANs. Since HANs can be used for private, commercial or official

© 2017, IJARCSSE All Rights Reserved Page | 634 Matthew et al., International Journal of Advanced Research in Computer Science and Software Engineering 7(5), May- 2017, pp. 634-635 purposes, security and privacy are of major concern. There can be virus attacks, credit card fraud, and identity theft [5]. Encryption algorithm can be used to secure data transmission between HAN and the utility company. Managing HAN can be problematic for ordinary, non-technical home users. The main challenges include lack of networking skills, potential complexity of network management, heterogeneity of network devices, and the highly dynamic nature of user applications. It is very difficult to provide a HAN management interface that is tailored for non- experts [6]. Having compatible appliance interface is a major factor for selecting HAN technology. A standard interface is needed so that appliances of different manufacturers can be connected with HAN [7]. Although there are no standards for any of the communications and networking technologies, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has a list of technologies that can be considered [8].

V. CONCLUSION The new ICT technologies are compelling us to look at the home as an intersection point of sociology and technology. The home has become a collection of multiple centers – home as activity center, entertainment center, work center, information center, communication center, learning center, and shopping center. The integration of these centers has made the home a networked home or home area network [9]. The HAN is designed to connect heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system and other appliances to the electricity meter and the local power utility. HANs are recognized as core areas for the commercialization of the smart grid. They are gaining attention in academia and industries due to increasing consumer demands. The smart home automation enables intelligent networking of devices and appliances. Device manufacturers are striving to make home networking components more energy efficient.

REFERENCES [1] “Home network,” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_network [2] S. Saponara and T. Bacchillone, “Network architecture, security issues, and hardware implementation of a home area network for smart grid,” Journal of Computer Networks and Communications, 2012, pp. 1-19. [3] A. Noorwali, R. Rao, and A. Shami, “Wireless home area networks in smart grids: modelling and delay analysis,” Proceedings of Smart Grid (SASG), December 2017, pp. 1-7. [4] Z. Li and Q. Liang, “Capacity optimization in heterogeneous home area networks with application to smart grid,” IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology, vol. 65, no. 2, February 2016, pp. 699-706. [5] H. Sathu and R. Shukla, “Home area network: A security perspective,” Proceedings of the 6th WSEAS International Conference on Information Security and Privacy, December 2007, pp. 85-90. [6] A. I. Rana and B. Jennings, “Semantic aware processing of user defined inference rules to manage home networks,” Journal of Network and Computer Applications, vol. 79, 2017, pp. 68–87. [7] M. Z. Huq and S. Islam, “Home area network technology assessment for demand response in smart grid environment,” Proceedings of Universities Power Engineering Conference, Dec. 2010. [8] L. E. Frenzel, “HANs promise energy savings for all,” Electronic Design, June 2010, pp. 59-64. [9] A. Venkatesh, E. Kruse, and E. C. F. Shih, “The networked home: an analysis of current developments and future trends,” Cogn Tech Work, vol. 5, 2003, pp. 23–32.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Matthew N.O. Sadiku is a professor at Prairie View A&M University, Texas. He is the author of several books and papers. He is a fellow of IEEE.

Mahamadou Tembely is a Ph.D student at Prairie View A&M University, Texas. He received the 2014 Outstanding MS Graduated Student award for the department of electrical and computer engineering. He is the author of several papers.

Sarhan M. Musa is a professor in the Department of Engineering Technology at Prairie View A&M University, Texas. He has been the director of Prairie View Networking Academy, Texas, since 2004. He is an LTD Spring and Boeing Welliver Fellow.