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=== Modem ===

The modem is your gateway to the Internet, connecting your home to your Internet service provider (ISP).

'''What a Modem Does:'''

* Converts the long-range signal from your ISP (e.g., cable, fiber, DSL) into a short-range  signal that your devices can use (eg Ethernet, Wi-Fi).  Short range signals are helpful because they are safer and because they can be used with simpler, cheaper electronic components.
* Reformats the encoded data from the signal to a format understood by your devices.
* Acts as the bridge between your ISP’s network and your home network.

'''Types of Modems:'''

* '''Cable Modem:''' Connects to your ISP via a coaxial cable.  It sends (and receives) electromagnetic signals through that cable.  (Like the signals used by news-radio stations, but different frequencies, and forced into a cable, rather than broadcast on the air).
* '''DSL Modem:''' Connects via a "twisted pair" cable -- the kind used for landline telephones.  Uses electromagnetic signals, like a cable modem, but different frequencies.  Be careful of telephone cables: they typically also carry electrical power, to power a landline telephone.  The voltage can be high enough to be painful.
* '''Fiber Modem:''' Connects via a fiber-optic cable.  More properly called an optical network terminal (ONT).  It transmits light (photons).  Inside, the cable is transparent, like plastic.  Don't point the end of the cable at your eyes: depending on the type of light used, the light can be invisible yet have enough energy to damage your eyes and blind you.
* '''Cellular Modem:''' Connects wirelessly, via the nearest cell tower -- there is no cable going to the ISP.  This is the exact same technology used by a cellphone but the ISP provides a box that looks like a DSL modem and that you place, typically, near a window, to optimize reception.
* '''Dialup modem:''' Connects via a "twisted pair" cable.  It uses only the tiny range of electromagnetic signals that telephone technology uses to represent sound.  Dialup modems often have a tiny speaker, which lets you hear the signal, for troubleshooting.  Dialup was the first technology offered by ISPs.  It is now extremely rare, because modern technologies are much much faster.

<blockquote>'''Important:''' A modem typically has only one Ethernet port, which is why you need additional devices like routers and switches to connect multiple devices in your home. A modem may have a phone jack to attach a standard telephone.
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