Broadband Access Modem Vs. PC Card
There are several types of computer devices you can use to establish a high-speed Internet connection. A broadband modem is one, and a PC card is another. Depending on your situation, this functionality may overlap.
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Broadband Modem Basics
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A broadband modem is typically an external device in your home that sits in between a computer and the Internet. This computer may be a laptop or a desktop, connected to a network or directly to the modem.
PC Card Basics
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A "PC card" is a device you attach to a laptop in a PC card slot. It can also generically refer to a peripheral card inside a PC, depending on the context.
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PC Card Modems
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A laptop can use a high-speed modem to connect wirelessly to a cell phone network. Or it can use a network adapter to connect to a Wi-Fi or Ethernet network.
Other PC Card Modems
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A laptop PC card modem can also use a dial-up Internet connection. That limits you to about 5 kilobytes per second (compared to hundreds of kilobytes per second on a broadband connection), but you can send and receive faxes.
Clear Terminology
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There is no laptop PC card that can act as a wired broadband modem. That technology is physically too complex to fit inside of a PC card. However, there are internal broadband modems for desktop computers.
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