Why Wi-Fi will become ubiquitous

Some of the details may have been different, but Lo recalls that similar concerns surfaced when cash machines debuted. In his mind, it's just a matter of time before all the pieces fall into place for Wi-Fi.

Even as Wi-Fi moves beyond the early adopter set, questions linger about price, security and service. Lo's answer is that gear manufacturers and chipmakers will come up with faster, less expensive and more capable products, a trend he says will lead to the integration of wireless technology in every new device. Lo also sees a market for retrofitting older devices, such as TVs and radios, with Wi-Fi capabilities. He spoke with CNET News.com, offering a hardware maker's perspective on the industry's march toward an untethered future and what it will mean to users.

NetGear is a networking company that sells everything from switches to networking power plugs. But Wi-Fi is getting the attention these days. How significant is it to your business?
In the next 18 to 24 months, it will probably permeate 60 to 70 percent of our products.

How are things changing on the ground?
When Wi-Fi first started, it was just about cards that plugged into your PC and then access points. Then Wi-Fi moved into routers, firewalls and switches. It will become a standard feature. You used to have to pay extra for an Ethernet card, a 56K modem, a DVD drive. Over the years, all of those things became standard features that came with a PC. The same will happen with Wi-Fi. Eventually all digital devices will have to be connected to the Internet. We're talking about MP3 players, basically anything with digital media, whose use is growing every day.

How do you see the sequence unfolding?
All PCs need to be able to be connected to the Internet -- either through a wired or wireless means. We're pretty far along already. Today you practically cannot buy a PC -- unless you want something really dirt cheap, and even then you have to make an effort to find one of those -- that does not have a wired connection to the Internet. Now the wave is starting to outfit every PC with a wireless connection to the Internet as well. That's where the revolution is starting.