You say MODE-EM, I say Modem

[Jonathan Hutchins]

David Holland wrote: 
 
> > > Funny thing happened today after reading these posts.  I installed 
> > > RoadRunner business class at a customers house.  I had some trouble 
> > > getting connected and had to call their tech support.  I talked to 3 
> > > techs and they called it a "Cable Router" rather than a cable modem. 
 
Ok, by definition a router chooses routes for packets - decides whether a 
packet goes out pipe A or pipe B (or just stays in the local cloud without 
getting passed).  None of the Cable connectivity devices I know of do anything 
but pass the packets straight through, so they're not routers, they're bridges 
if anything.   
 
As far as I can remember, the correct term for a unit that passes traffic from 
one medium/protocol to another has been a bridge (unless it was a modem).  I 
suppose it could be an "Access Point" as in 802.11x wireless. 
 
They're called Cable Modems though.  Have been since the first cable system 
went in out west, since Lawrence got 'em, since I first heard of them.  When a 
word that may have specific meaning is assembled with a modifier (Cable in 
this case), it need not logically follow the functional definition of the 
original word.  A "Cable Modem" need not be a "modem". 

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