What is a cable modem?
A cable modem is a device that allows high-speed data access — from a PC to the Internet — via a cable TV (CATV) network. It is a modem in the true sense of the word — it modulates and demodulates signals — and it delivers Internet data to the desktop at blazing speeds. It simply uses the increased bandwidth of the TV cable instead of an ordinary phone line. Find out more...

What is a cable modem?
A cable modem is a device that allows high-speed data access — from a PC to the Internet — via a cable TV (CATV) network. It is a modem in the true sense of the word — it modulates and demodulates signals — and it delivers Internet data to the desktop at blazing speeds. It simply uses the increased bandwidth of the TV cable instead of an ordinary phone line.

Cable modems can be part modem, part tuner, part encryption/ decryption device, part bridge, part router, part NIC card, part SNMP agent, and part Ethernet hub. They typically have two connections: one to the cable wall outlet and the other to a computer.

Online access via cable modems allows PC users to download information from online services up to 1,000 times faster than today’s fastest telephone modems. Here’s a quick comparison between a cable modem and a typical traditional modem. Cable modem speeds range from 500 Kbps (500,000 bits per second) to 10 Mbps (10 million bits per second).

A traditional V.90 56K modem tops out at only 56,000 bits per second. That’s a difference of 444,000 bits per second. Hardware companies are presently developing 30 Mbps cable modems (30,000,000 bits per second) - which are thousands of times faster than ordinary telephone modems.
New cable modem technologies are being developed - so home or office PC users will be able to download more information from the Internet in less time.