What is a Cable Modem?

This Cable Modem tutorial is designed to answer most questions about Cable Modems and the associated technology. Somehow I just got tired explaining the same stuff again and again. Now it is on-line and we can start our conversation at a level past the most basic stuff.

Assumptions

This presentation deals mainly with what I term 2nd generation Cable Modems. As from the following definition:

1st generation

Proprietary systems. Not based on widely accepted standards. Cable Modems from different vendors does not work on the same CMTS/Head-End. This includes among others the first Com21 systems.

2nd generation

Systems based on standards. MCNS/DOCSIS 1.0/1.1 (US etc.) and DVB/DAVIC 1.3/1.4/1.5 (Europe). Cable Modems from different vendors work together (or can be made work together). This is the systems that are shipping right now (98/99).

3rd generation

Time will tell. Looks like we will see wireless modems based on the cable modem standards and some more symetrical cable modem systems also.

Also this presentation deals only with "real" Cable Modems (as in "real men" :-), that does two-way communications on the cable. That excludes the telephone modem return systems, although most of the presentation applies to these systems as well. I do accept that telephone return systems are quite important as a step on the migration path towards "real" Cable Modem systems. But from my (very) technical viewpoint, they are not quite as interesting.

Table of Contents

You can go through the tutorial page by page by using the [Proceed to...] link on every page and you will be taken back here at the end.

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