![]() ![]() Fibre modems convert binary flashes of light into a digital signal interpretable by your PC.DSL modems demodulate analogue signals coming through copper telephone lines.You’ll therefore need a specific type of modem depending on your type of internet connection.ĭSL modems, 4G modems and fibre modems each deal with a different kind of signal. The variable frequencies of 4G and 5G radiofrequency (RF) signals.ĭepending on the type of signal being used to provide a connection, the modem will work slightly differently.The alternating current carried down a copper wire.Since analogue signals can be translated, or ‘modulated’, into analogue and back again, there are many more methods available to us when it comes to transporting data over long distances. ![]() Successfully transporting a digital signal over long distances at high speeds is, at present, limited to a select few technologies (including fibre optic cable).Įven in these instances, the signal has to be converted into a digital signal that can be interpreted by your devices’ components.įor this reason, it’s necessary for circuits to be able to use both analogue and digital signals. This is necessary because computers operate through binary electrical signals, which are digital in nature. In networking, a modem is a device that modulates and demodulates (hence the name mod + dem = modem) a signal between analogue and digital states. This connection is known as a wide area network, or WAN for short. Modem vs Router: What’s the Difference? What is a modem?Ī modem is a device that connects your local network to the Internet. A router directs traffic through your network to specific devices. Ī version of this story ran in 2019 it has been updated for 2023.A modem is a device that translates analogue signals into digital and vice versa. Have you got a Big Question you'd like us to answer? If so, send it to. And as long as it doesn’t interfere with the router, feel free to hide your modem behind a houseplant. Now that you know the router is what directs Wi-Fi signals, you can boost your home network by placing it in a central location away from electronic appliances. ![]() But it’s worth knowing the difference-especially if you care about improving your internet connection. When they’ve been sitting in the same spot in your home for years, it’s easy to think of your router and modem as basically the same thing. The router also works in the other direction by routing data sent from your computer back to the web. After connecting your devices, the router “ routes” your modem’s networking traffic their way, either through Ethernet wires or wirelessly through Wi-Fi (that’s what the antennas are for). The router hooks up to your modem via an Ethernet cable and acts as a conduit between the direct internet and your home network. Routers usually lie flat and have antennas sticking out of them. But if you want to provide internet to all the laptops, desktops, and smartphones in your home at the same time, you’ll need a router. You can connect to the internet with just a modem as long as you don’t mind plugging your device directly into the Ethernet port. ![]()
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