Modem Question :)

[Iluvnetwork]

Can anyone please kindly explain to me about the modem? My understanding is that modem was used to convert analog signal to digital signal and vice versa, and it is rarely used nowadays. When I google about the modem, it states, "Yes, you can use a network router without a modem but it only let's you use your own devices and no access to the Wolrd Wide Web of network routes. You will not have a connecting to the Internet without a modem. The modem is what connects you to the Internet."   

I thoguht that modem was used because telephone uses an analog signal. Is modem L3 device? I don't get why modem was or is needed to be connected to the Internet because connecting us to the Internet is what router does right? I do know the difference between the router and the switch, but I have no idea about the difference between modem and router, and modem and switch :(

[mahditalebi · Accepted solution]

Dear Friend,

In some legacy connection there was a requirement to use an external device (modem) to do a conversion between analog and digital (0/1) waves. But right now it is not required because many routers have an special module that you can install on them to do a same thing for you. Please consider that we have two kinds of communications, analog and digital. Modems are only used when you have analog links to connect, but when you have digital links, you don't need to use modems anymore. 

Routers are devices that you can use to do routing on that which it means it will connect you to a network outside your internal network. The switch is a device that you can use to communicate with others clients in your internal LAN.

HTH

Mahdi

[Iluvnetwork]

Thanks a lot. Very Clear Explanation!