Using Visual Tools to Close the Home Networking Digital Divide

As computer networking has moved out of managed environments and into the home, householders - whether they want to or not - have had to tackle problems of home network maintenance. Unlike in enterprise environments, however, householders often do not plan or manage for network growth. In this paper, the author presents the results of a preliminary study examining householders´ conceptual models of their home networks. He then examines characteristics of home networking technology leading to difficulties in setup and maintenance tasks. The author concludes by proposing future research focused on visual tools that empower all householders to understand and maintain their home networks.