Connecting to the Internet—Hardware

Your connection to the Internet:

1. Your computer is connected to a modem.
2. Modem is connected to the incoming data connection. The modem converts the digital signal from your computer to an analog signal to travel along the data connection. The modem also converts incoming analog signals to digital signals that your computer can understand.
3. Data connection through telephone lines or cable system to a router.
4. Router sends the signal where it needs to go over the interconnected networks of the Internet.

If you are connecting to the Internet through a telephone line or through cable, you'll need a modem to convert the analog signal into a digital signal that your computer can understand. Modems can be internal or external and connect your computer to the data connection through a cable. The modem you use will depend on the type connection you have. The data line then plugs into a network of either phone lines or cables, which connect to a router at the cable or telephone company. A router is a special type of computer that controls the inflow and outflow of data on networks connected to the Internet. The router sends the data where it needs to go through the interconnected networks of the Internet.