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Networking & Telecommunications vocabulary · Network Devices

Modem

Meaning in networking & telecommunications, with examples

/ˈməʊdem/nounCore term

In networking & telecommunications, modem means: A device that converts digital data into signals that can travel over telephone, cable TV or mobile networks, and converts incoming signals back; the name comes from modulator-demodulator.

In Turkish: modem

How it is used

In strict technical English, a modem only handles the line signal; routing and Wi-Fi are done by a router. Most home boxes from ISPs combine a modem, a router and an access point, and people loosely call the whole box the modem or the router. On fibre lines the device that ends the line is called an ONT.

Example sentences

  1. Restart the modem first and wait until the DSL light stays green.

  2. The ISP sent a new modem because the old one didn't support the faster line.

Common collocations

  • cable modem
  • DSL modem
  • restart the modem
  • 4G modem
  • modem lights
  • routerA device that connects different networks and decides, packet by packet, the best path for data to reach its destination, usually based on IP addresses.
  • ISPShort for internet service provider: a company that sells internet access to homes and businesses, usually over fibre, DSL, cable or mobile networks.
  • broadbandHigh-speed internet access that is always on, delivered over fibre, cable, DSL, mobile or satellite networks, as opposed to old dial-up connections.
  • last mileThe final part of a telecom network that connects the operator's local exchange or street cabinet to the customer's building; it is often the slowest and most expensive part to build.
  • access pointA device, usually mounted on a ceiling or wall, that sends and receives Wi-Fi signals and connects wireless devices to the wired network.

More terms: Network Devices

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