wireless connection

[Dave Smith]

It's probably not a modem, but it may be encoding the bits with some 
kind of forward error correction before flashing the laser. I imagine it 
speaks Frame Relay or something and translates the Ethernet frames to a 
synchronous protocol like DS3. Maybe it multiplexes the signal into a 
DS3 with you and several other Utopia users. Whatever the case, it is 
most likely not a modem.

--Dave

Zak Johnson wrote:
> This is obviously very off the original topic, but it is interesting stuff.
> The fiber connection through Utopia or IProvo enters a modem-like box, but
> what is it doing if not encoding/decoding the data?
>
> -Zak
>
> Levi Pearson wrote:
>   
>> Hans is correct; a DSL modem is a modem.  A cable modem is also a 
>> modem.  Here's why:  Modem stands for MODulate-DEModulate, and 
>> modulation is the process of changing the frequency, amplitude, and 
>> phase of an analog signal in order to encode a digital signal.  Both 
>> DSL and Cable internet are digital information carried through an 
>> analog medium, so a modem is required on both ends.  I believe ISDN, 
>> on the other hand, is transmitted digitally, as are most network 
>> protocols that go over twisted pair or fiber.
>>