Ever since the first Internet toaster was demonstrated at the 1990 Interop conference in San Jose, the concept of the fully connected home - where all the major home systems and appliances talk seamlessly with each other - has been met with a mix of amazement and amusement. While consumers are personally more connected than ever, the various systems and appliances in our homes remain blissful islands unto themselves, with no effective means - or apparent need - to communicate. However, the need for appliances to communicate is rapidly emerging, and fortunately, so are the means with the advent of ZigBee low-cost wireless platforms.