Not too long ago we thought we were pretty jazzy with our 14.4 kbps modems. They were a major leap from the 300 and 1200 kbps models that required complicated and bland software, and they were light years ahead of the clunky rubber wonders, into which one placed a telephone phone handset. Today 56kbps modems seem slow. But Internet access options are increasing. Still, not too many people understand how it all really works.
Most people think of modems as operating at a certain speed.
That's not entirely accurate. The more important factor is throughput - how much data can pass through at what speed. The word modem is actually an acronym. Modulation is the process that converts digital data into analog packets and sends them over phone lines to another modem, where they're reconverted to digital data. The way a modem works is analogous to pushing marbles through a pipe.