Cable modems deliver high speed internet through an established cable television service (exclusively from the cable company.) Cable internet infrastructure and hardware includes coaxial or fiber optic cables, cable line splitters, cable modems and router, and ethernet cables to connect to the computer. A Cable line can be split, allowing separate connections to the a computer and a television. A user can watch cable television and use cable internet all coming from a single cable line. Inquiries from local cable companies can be made about cable internet service, which are available at competitive prices and sometimes within bundled multi-service packages and deep discounts. Cable internet service is very reliable and is rarely affected by external factors. The use of cable wires and fiber optics means that there are no distance limits for the service delivery and very low losses of signal strength if any.

DSL and cable modems allow computers to be connected in a network, such as a small home or office network. Multiple computers can connect to each other and share files and folders and a single internet connection. Typically, routers or “access points” are connected to the modems to provide network connections among the computers and other peripherals. Ethernet networks can be created by physically connecting all the computers to the router or modem with Ethernet cables. Wireless networks can be created by connecting computers to the router with either PCI or PC cards or USB wireless adapters.