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On Sat, Apr 14, 2012 at 3:10 PM, Neil Winchurst wrote: > Now I am getting a bit confused, some of the reviews are saying that > 'this router does not include a modem so you will need to add one'. I > thought that all routers included a modem automatically. Obviously I am > getting a bit confused here, and Google has not helped. Can anyone > explain please? They are separate things. A modem converts as digital signal that can be received by computers to an analogue one that can be sent over a phone line and vice versa. A router routes digital signals between computer networks. As your Internet traffic enters your house via a telephone line, you need a modem to turn it into a digital signal. If you have more than one device using the Internet connection, or if you want to use wi-fi, you will need a router to make sure the incoming traffic is sent to the right device. Because most people will need both a modem and a router, they are generally included in the same device. You can buy them separately though but if you need both, there's probably little point in doing so. (It's not too difficult to set up a Linux box to do the routing and it certainly gives you more control over what happens. You'd still need something to do the wi-fi though.) Martijn. -- The Mailing List for the Devon & Cornwall LUG http://mailman.dclug.org.uk/listinfo/list FAQ: http://www.dcglug.org.uk/listfaq