Modem

A Modem is a device that converts digital information produced by a computer to analog for the purpose of transmitting it over standard telephone lines. Once at its destination, the modem at the receiving end converts the analog signal back to digital so it can be accepted by the connected computer. Modems can be external devices or internal PCI cards. DSL and Cable devices are also called "modems" but the use is inaccurate since they do not convert digital to analog to digital. Modem stands for modulator-demodulator. See the term PCI in this glossary for more information.