A cable modem allows a single computer or network of computers to connect to the Internet via the cable TV network. The cable modem usually has an Ethernet LAN Local Area Network connection to the computer, and is capable of speeds in excess of 5 Mbps.Typical speeds tend to be lower than the maximum, however, since cable providers turn entire neighborhoods into LANs which share the same bandwidth. Because of this sharedmedium topology, cable modem users may experience somewhat slower network access during periods of peak demand, and may be more susceptible to risks such as packet sniffing and unprotected windows shares than users with other types of connectivity. See the Computer security risks to home users section of this document.

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