And the multi-computer household is here to stay. According to a survey from Parks Associates, a Dallas-based research firm (www.parksassociates.com), the U.S. now has more than 15 million multi-PC households, 14 percent of the total number. In addition, as the Internet has grown, many computer users have moved beyond the traditional desktop or laptop computer to access the Web, send and receive faxes, or do electronic commerce. Now there are hand-held data assistants, land-line and mobile telephones, and televisions that perform the same functions. In this appliance- rich environment, the question becomes how to connect it all.

The answer is home networking, one of the next big movements on the technological pike. Increasingly, households that have more than one PC or Internet-enabled device want to connect them for ease of use and cost savings through shared equipment.

Networking also allows users to share Internet accounts, so instead of having a separate account for each computer, the household needs just one.

A number of major technology companies, including IBM, 3Com Corporation, Bell Atlantic Corp., FutureSmart Networks Inc., and Lucent Technologies Inc., are pushing networking solutions for the home. Local area network (LAN) devices allow computers to share a central printer, scanner, or hard drive. Centralized wiring, usually from the telephone company, is another way household computing devices are being connected, particularly in new homes, or "new builds," as they are known in the industry. Parks Associates found that many U.S. consumers were willing to pay more than $500 to have LAN equipment or wiring installed. And by 2005, the firm predicts, consumers will spend more than $14 billion annually for home networking systems and equipment.

Broadband access to the Internet, as it becomes ubiquitous in the new millennium, is expected to give further impetus to the home networking movement. Broadband allows users to access the Internet at speeds hundreds of times faster than with a typical 56-Kbps dial-up modem, using technologies like canle modems, digital subscriber lines, and fiber optics.

Here is a small sample of the home networking products and services on the market:

*Home Wireless Networks Inc. of Atlanta (www.homewireless.com) has introduced a wireless networking device designed for homes and small businesses. Home Wireless Networks' product performs three key functions: It operates as a PBX that includes caller ID, call conferencing, call transfer, and extension-to-extension calling. It is an Internet gateway, giving users the ability to share a single Internet account among all the computers on the network (Every computer can be online at the same time, but the gateway ties up only one telephone line.). And as a wireless LAN, Home Wireless Networks' device is not dependent on electrical or telephone lines.

It uses digital spectrum technology, producing clear voice and data quality. The basic cost is about $600 for a home or $1,200 for a small business and varies depending on the installation configuration.

*WebGear Inc., of San Jose, Calif., is selling a wireless home networking kit called WebGear Aviator 2.4., which allows home networking of desktop or notebook PCS up to 1,000 feet apart. For more information, see www.webgear.com.

Or if you're building a home, look up FutureSmart Networks Inc. at www.futuresmart.com or OnQ Technologies Inc. at www.onqtechnologies.com for cutting-edge information and specifications on wiring for home networking.

-- Marvin V. Greene