Cable modem

A cable modem is a device needed to allow high-speed interactive services, including Internet access, to be delivered over a cable TV network.

At the customers premises a splitter is connected to the wall socket where the cable TV enters the house. This splitter seperates the TV signal from the part that is going to the computer. The cable modem is placed between the splitter and the computer. The cable modem is usually connected to the computer through a standard (10Base-T) ethernet interface.

Unlike DSL, which provides point-to-point traffic to the ISP, cable is a shared network in that end users within an area are sharing the line.