A peer-to-peer network of devices connected together with data being streamed
over
a digital network. Network devices include one or more data communication units
that are locatable in two or more zones. Data communication units may be room stations
and door stations connected to hub modules at an entertainment hub and local units
connected to the entertainment hub. The entertainment hub may be connected to the
Internet, either directly or, indirectly through one of the connected data communications
units. Room stations include a sending unit, a receiving unit and an intercom unit
(provide intercom, paging and station monitoring) and are located in different
zones, each controlling local reception of data from the data stream and each may
place data into the data stream. Room stations operate independently of each other
such that a person at a first room station may select to receive audio data from
another unit while a second person at a second room station is receiving data from
yet another unit, each individually setting sound volume and tone controls independent
of the other. Audio sources may include a radio tuner, a compact disc player, a
mini-disc player, a microphone, a cassette player and a compressed audio data source
and, any unit may select audio data from any audio source independent of other
units. Room stations may include an interactive display and keypad with commonly
used commands in a command menu. A time display may be included and stations may
be time programmable. Some units may selectively disable issuance of commands from
other network devices.
