# Is this a Digital or Analogue Modem?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-digital-or-analogue-modem/26640>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 24, 2000, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-digital-or-analogue-modem/26640 "2000-07-24T13:35:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![MadHatter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@MadHatter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadHatter)\
**Post date:** [July 24, 2000, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-digital-or-analogue-modem/26640/1 "2000-07-24T13:35:58Z")

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I have a Maestro Companion 33.6 kbps modem. Is this a digital or analogue modem?

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**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\
**Post date:** [July 24, 2000, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-digital-or-analogue-modem/26640/2 "2000-07-24T13:38:00Z")

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The end that connects to your computer is digital. The end that connects to your phone line is analog.

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**Author:** ![MadHatter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@MadHatter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadHatter)\
**Post date:** [July 24, 2000, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-digital-or-analogue-modem/26640/3 "2000-07-24T13:39:44Z")

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OK…

As opposed to an ISDN connection which is digital…  
mine would be a…

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**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\
**Post date:** [July 24, 2000, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-digital-or-analogue-modem/26640/4 "2000-07-24T13:50:40Z")

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“Modem” is short for modulator-demodulator. A modulator converts digital signals from the computer into an analog signal and sends over the phone line. A demodulator receives analog signals and converts it to digital. So a modem is by definition an analog device.

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**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\
**Post date:** [July 24, 2000, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-digital-or-analogue-modem/26640/5 "2000-07-24T13:57:32Z")

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The “33.6” part tells you that it’s a traditional modem, not ISDN. Traditional modems go up to 56 kbit/s (though I’ve never witnessed one actually connecting faster than 33.6).

I believe ISDN is 128 kbit/s. You don’t see too much ISDN anymore now that we have DSL and cable connections, which is much faster and much cheaper.

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**Author:** ![vandal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/858c86/32.png) [@vandal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vandal)\
**Post date:** [July 24, 2000, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-digital-or-analogue-modem/26640/6 "2000-07-24T15:54:04Z")

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Your modem is analog.