A modem connects your local networks to the Internet. Wide area network (WAN) is the name of this connection.

What is the Role of a Modem in a Network?

A modem in networking is a device that modulates and demodulates signals, meaning it converts signals between digital and analog states. This is necessary because computers use binary electrical signals, which are digital. Currently, only a few technologies, like fiber-optic cables, can successfully transport digital signals over long distances and at high speeds. In these cases, the signal must be converted to a digital format that your device can understand. Therefore, circuits need to handle both digital and analog signals. There are various methods to transmit data over long distances.

Examples of Analog Signals:

• The current that flows down a copper cable
• The radiofrequency (RF) of 4G and 5G signals

There Are Many Types of Modem

The modem may work differently depending on the type of signal used to establish a connection. You will need a specific type of modem based on your internet connection. DSL modems are different from 4G modems or fiber modems. Each type handles a different signal.

DSL modems can demodulate the analog signals transmitted over copper telephone lines. Fiber modems translate binary flashes into a digital code that your computer can understand. 4G modems must demodulate alternating currents created by the 4G antenna when they interact with radio waves traveling through space.

Modem Products

Most networking products that contain a modem fall into a few categories: mobile data modems (3G/4G/5G) that modulate and demodulate RF signals, DSL modems, or fiber modems that convert light flashes sent over fiber optic cables into electrical signals understood by a device’s logic board. While you can buy a standalone router, it is more common to use a modem and router combined, often called a “gateway.”

Gateway or Separate Router and Modem?

Gateways are devices that combine the functions of both a router and a modem. These devices may be marketed by the manufacturer as “modems with routers.” Modern networks do not benefit from separating the modem from the router.

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