What is a high-speed cable modem and how does it differ from DSL?
A cable modem is a device that connects to your existing cable feed and to an Ethernet network card in your PC (also called a NIC for Network Interface Card). A cable modem is a true modem, but it is a much different device than common dial-up modems. Today’s cable modems are external devices that connect to a network card in your computer and support much higher speeds than dial-up devices. At this time, your cable company determines the cable modem you need to use. Initially, there were no standards and the various cable modems could not talk to each other. However, the industry has recently agreed on the Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS) standard. This will allow modem manufacturers to make compliant cable modems and should result in lower equipment costs and less confusion for consumers.
