Accessing the web – identifying a non-access method Which of the following items is <em>not</em> a method or technology used to connect to and access the World Wide Web?

Introduction / Context:
To reach the web, users employ access technologies that carry IP traffic over last-mile links, such as dial-up, ISDN, cable, fiber, or DSL. This question checks whether you can distinguish access methods from unrelated hardware components.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• “Access method” means a telecommunications technology or device enabling network connectivity.
• Examples include dial-up modems, ISDN, xDSL, cable modems, fiber ONTs, mobile data.
• A CPU is a processing unit, not a network access medium.

Concept / Approach:
ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) provided digital dial-up lines. A modem modulates/demodulates signals to carry digital data over analog lines. DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) provides broadband over copper pairs. A CPU executes instructions inside a computer but does not itself provide a network link; you still need a NIC and an access medium.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Identify which options are telecommunication access mechanisms: ISDN, DSL, Modem.Recognize CPU is a processor, not an access technology.Select “CPU.”

Verification / Alternative check:
Network diagrams show CPUs behind network interface cards, switches, and WAN links; the CPU is not the access path.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• ISDN: legacy access method for internet connectivity.
• Modem: device enabling dial-up or broadband connections.
• DSL: broadband access technology.

Common Pitfalls:
Assuming any computer component relates directly to connectivity. Without an access line and modem/ONT/NIC, a CPU alone cannot reach the web.

Final Answer:
CPU