Wire Your Office For Less Than $4K

DSL

Now that you've equipped your office, you can plan how you'll communicate with the rest of the world. Internet access via DSL is getting increasingly affordable, and having DSL access will make working from your home office more efficient. Companies like Earthlink can not only get you connected, but also offer solutions for building and hosting your Web site. You can get e-commerce capabilities for an initial $25 to $175 and $15 to $80 monthly (prices vary depending on the services you need), and Earthlink also offers domain registration and e-mail hosting services.

Cable Internet Access

Cable is another broadband option that's increasingly available. Cable access is provided by a set-top box that connects to the Internet over your TV's coaxial cable. Providers of cable access include Comcast , Cox and AT&T Broadband ; fees typically range from $30 to $50 monthly, with a $50 to $150 set-up fee that covers wiring, an Ethernet card for your PC and software to configure your system. That's a small price to pay for connection speeds that are about 20 times faster than a dial-up modem. For more information on cable Internet access, visit www.cable-modem-internet-access.com .

		Built for Broadband Broadband access from home is becoming more pervasive. According to a recent NetRatings study, high-speed Internet access jumped 148 percent from December 1999 to December 2000. As more employees begin to telecommute and more entrepreneurs set up shop from home, having a home office that's wired for broadband access is becoming increasingly important. Many homebuilders are catching on to the trend and building homes that are pre-wired, thanks to support from PATH (Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing), established in 1998 as part of the National Science Foundation. With tech industry heavyweights like Lucent and IBM as members, PATH's chief aim is to promote the use of technology in the home. The Yankee Group projects that by 2003, there will be 10 million internally networked homes in the United States. If yours is an older home, the cheaper route is to purchase local area networking products that take advantage of the house's phone or electrical outlets. Wireless networks based on the 802.11b standard are also growing in popularity. Check out www.wiring.com for the lowdown on every type of wired and wireless network.