Modems and Routers
A concrete definition of what a modem is and what a router is.
Modems
The term modem is derived from the modulation and demodulation of analog signals to digital data and vice versa. Modems are devices that can be used over telephone lines. Over telephone lines, modems can reach an average of 56 kilobytes per second. Higher speed modems are DSL modems and cable modems. Instead of using traditional phone lines, these modems utilize cables. These modems can transmit data in the hundreds of kilobytes per second range.
Routers
In some cases, having multiple internet subscriptions in one household is impractical. What should you do if you want several personal computers in your household to enjoy a single internet connection? Routers are used to connect several networks together. For example, if you have a DSL or a digital subscriber line at your home then you can route the subscription to your LAN or local area network. In this way, two or more computers in your household can enjoy the internet.
www.cisco.com, shown above are the series 800 routers from Cisco systems. If you want multiple personal computers in your household to enjoy an internet subscription then you should consider getting a router as soon as you can
