What are the different types of modems?

Controller-based modems

Modems are distinguished from one another by their architecture, that is, where the processing takes place: in the modem or in the PC. A hardware modem is a "Controller-based" modem, and it does all of the work. This type of modem provides the best power and performance, and it does not utilize the PC's processing power. All three components (MCU, DPU, and DAA) are in the modem itself. It can work with many operating systems, and functionality may be upgradeable through ROM uploads.

Controllerless or Winmodems™



Softmodems are, quite simply, Software Modems. All processing is done by the PC, and the "modem" is little more than an interface to plug in the phone jack. These modems require the PC to do all of the work, and they will only run in the Windows Operating System. Many PC makers put Softmodems in the PCs that they sell to consumers, as they are extremely inexpensive. They are upgradeable.

Modem types

What kind of modems are available?