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History of Modems: Bits Per Second

Modems were first used to convert digital data for transmission over analog telephone lines, starting at speeds of 110 bps. As internet infrastructure developed in the late 1970s and 1980s, modems became familiar to consumers and the primary form of home internet access. Modern dial-up modems can transmit at speeds up to 56 kbps, while broadband modems use more advanced signaling for dramatically higher speeds used with DSL and cable internet connections. External broadband modems plug into home routers to connect multiple devices to high-speed internet access.

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41 views2 pages

History of Modems: Bits Per Second

Modems were first used to convert digital data for transmission over analog telephone lines, starting at speeds of 110 bps. As internet infrastructure developed in the late 1970s and 1980s, modems became familiar to consumers and the primary form of home internet access. Modern dial-up modems can transmit at speeds up to 56 kbps, while broadband modems use more advanced signaling for dramatically higher speeds used with DSL and cable internet connections. External broadband modems plug into home routers to connect multiple devices to high-speed internet access.

Uploaded by

Roxanne Espiritu
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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History of Modems

The first devices called modems converted digital data for transmission over analog
telephone lines. The speed of these modems was measured in baud (a unit of
measurement named after Emile Baudot), although as computer technology developed,
these measures were converted into bits per second. The first commercial modems
supported a speed of 110 bps and were used by the U.S. Department of Defense, news
services, and some large businesses.

Modems gradually became familiar to consumers in the late '70s through the '80s as
public message boards and news services like CompuServe were built on early internet
infrastructure. Then, with the explosion of the World Wide Web in the mid and
late 1990s, dial-up modems emerged as the primary form of internet access in many
households around the world.

Dial-Up Modems

Modems used on dial-up networks convert data between the analog form used on
telephone lines and the digital form used on computers. An external dial-up modem
plugs into a computer at one end and a telephone line on the other end. In the past,
some computer makers integrated internal dial-up modems into their computer designs.

Modern dial-up network modems transmit data at a maximum rate of 56,000 bits per
second. However, inherent limitations of public telephone networks often limit modem
data rates to 33.6 Kbps or lower in practice.

When you connect to a network through a dial-up modem, the modem customarily
relays through a speaker the distinctive handshaking sounds between your device and
the remote modem. Because the connection process and data patterns are similar each
time, hearing the sound pattern helps you verify whether the connection process is
working.

Broadband Modems

A broadband modem like those used for DSL or cable internet access uses advanced
signaling techniques to achieve dramatically higher network speeds than earlier-
generation dial-up modems. Broadband modems are often referred to as high-speed
modems. Cellular modems are a type of digital modem that establishes internet
connectivity between a mobile device and a cell phone network.

The word modem is a mashup of the term modulation/demodulation, which is the technical


term for the conversion between digital and analog signals.

External broadband modems plug into a home broadband router or other


home gateway device on one end and the external internet interface such as a cable
line on the other. The router or gateway directs the signal to all the devices in the
business or home as needed. Some broadband routers include an integrated modem as
a single hardware unit.

Many broadband internet providers supply suitable modem hardware to their customers
at no charge or for a monthly fee. However, standard modems can be purchased
through retail outlets.

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