For all types of broadband internet, a modem of some degree is required. Whilst there are a number of different modems available depending on your choice of broadband, they’re all used to transmit and receive data.

Cable Modems

A cable broadband modem enables a broadband connection from the same cable that you currently use to gain access to cable TV in your home. The installation setup just uses a different frequency from what you’re currently using for your cable TV signal.

DSL Modems

Where a cable modem would connect through your TV cable, DSL broadband modems connect through your home telephone line. Voice calls from your landline phone are broadcast on a narrow frequency band which means that there is a broad frequency band left over. The DSL broadband modem will then use this broad frequency to transmit and receive data through.

Because the DSL modem uses different frequencies for the internet and voice calls, this means that you can use both independently. So you can chat on the phone whilst you surf the internet.

Wireless Modems

The major broadband service providers are these days providing customers with wireless broadband modems. The wireless modems allow home users to create their own wireless networks, which enables any of their wireless devices to access the internet without a physical connection via Wi-Fi.

The wireless broadband hub will be connected to a phone line at a single point in the home, and from there it will send and receive data to and from any wireless device that has been setup to communicate with it.