The cable to connect a PC to a modem is called a serial cable, a modem cable, or straight-through cable. In this cable, all the pins are connected one to one without any twists, crosses, or fancy arrangements (that is, unless you need to use a 9-to 25-pin converter should the modem cable come with a 25-pin connector and the PC has a 9-pin serial port). |
On occasion, two PCs are connected in a DTE-to-DTE arrangement. When this happens, the cable's pinout is changed to simulate the action of the modem by cross-connecting a number of the pins and creating what is called a null modem, or modem eliminator, cable. Both the modem cable and the null modem cable are generic, and you can purchase them at any electronics store. |