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Should you use your ISP's WiFi modem/router or buy one?
When you sign up for a new internet service, you may be offered a modem and a router, or a single device that performs both tasks. Do you really need a modem and a router to use the internet? It’s time to dispel a few misconceptions.
The word "modem" is short for modulator/demodulator. It refers to a device used for dial-up Internet, which transmits data over the same copper telephone lines that voice calls use.
The modem takes the ones and zeros that represent the data packets sent over the internet and converts them into sound frequencies over copper wire. It also does the reverse, listening for the sounds coming from the internet and converting them back into binary code.