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Summary: Cable and DSL modems are different types of high speed Internet, get a lesson in wireless networks and routers in this free video.
Views: 2,949 | Tags: computer, internet, computers, router, network, cable, wireless, broadband, dsl, networking, wireless router
About the Expert
David Schaefer David Schaefer of Friendly Computers has been working on computers for 13 years and has worked at Friendly Computer for 1 1/2 years. Self Taught and then 4 y... read more
On behalf of expertvillage.com, my name is David and I'm here to tell you about the differences between wireless modems, DSL and cable. First up, we have what's probably the most popular cable wireless modem out there which is a Motorola Surf 4 class modem. One of the things about this is if you look on the back you have where a coaxial cable will plug into it. From there, you also have your power and you can plug into your PC using either USB or Ethernet. On the USB cable, it has a nice port, it almost looks just like your printers or fax machine or some stuff of that sort plugs into your PC. You just plug it in to the back and then from there plug into a USB port onto your system where your system should automatically detect the modem as long as there is proper power going to it and there's nothing wrong with the modem. However, if you use the Ethernet to plug in, when you plug in with the Ethernet, you do have to make sure you run your setup disks and utilities. With the Ethernet, it does not auto detect the modem and it does not try to install it automatically on its own. The same goes for your DSL modems. With the DSL modems there are a little bit more setup with the disks you have to go through. You have to have your phone number and different things of that sort, but as far as plugging it in, the only difference is instead of plugging it in with a coax cable you would be plugging it in with a regular standard telephone line and then from there if you wanted you could have your fax machine or telephone, also, plugged into it. Once again, you can plug in using either USB or Ethernet on that. Now, these are just two of the modems that we have. Some of the modems now that they have out there are also routers included in there where you will be able to plug in not only your standard connection coming in but you will also be able to plug in up to three more machines coming into there so you could have a total of four PC's hooked up on the back of the DSL modems. So far, I have not seen any of the cable modems that also double as a router.