modem
MOH-dem
/ˈmoʊdɛm/
A hardware device that converts analog signals from an internet service provider into digital data readable by electronic devices, and vice versa.
Refers specifically to the device translating data between your ISP's infrastructure (fiber, coax, phone lines) and digital networks.
The story behind the word. Modem is a portmanteau created in the 1950s from the terms MOdulator and DEModulator. Modulating converted digital computer signals into analog audio tones suitable for phone lines, while demodulating reversed the process at the receiving end.
Commonly confused with
- router: A modem translates raw service provider signals into digital format; a router spreads that digital network across devices.
Collocations
- cable modem
- fiber modem
- reset the modem
- modem lights
Example sentences
- "Unplug the modem for thirty seconds to reset your connection to the service provider." Troubleshooting
- "The modem translates digital signals from computers into analog signals suitable for transmission over telephone lines." Telecommunications
Memory hook
MOdulate + DEModulate = MODEM. It translates signals back and forth like a bilingual interpreter. Translates service provider signals into usable digital data.
When not to use
Do not use to describe a Wi-Fi unit unless it is a hybrid modem-router gateway device.
Fun facts
- Early 1980s modems transferred data at 300 baud (bits per second), taking several minutes to download a single paragraph of plain text.
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