Internal modems necessary

[mustangaly]

Dell desktops (refurbished) don't come with an internal modem ... so obviosly you couldn't just hook up to a phone line and dial out .... but is it necessary to have one if you have a external cable modem w/ a wireless router hooked up to that ?

[Salmon Trout]

You need a cable modem, this may be built into the router or it may not. Cable modems are never built in to desktop or laptop computers. You do need some kind of wireless adapter though.

[Allan]

Dell desktops (refurbished) don't come with an internal modem ... so obviosly you couldn't just hook up to a phone line and dial out .... but is it necessary to have one if you have a external cable modem w/ a wireless router hooked up to that ?

No.

[Computer_Commando]

.... but is it necessary to have one if you have a external cable modem w/ a wireless router hooked up to that ?

A telephone modem is entirely different from a cable modem (or ADSL modem).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modem
What your computer needs is an ethernet port, looks like a wider telephone jack.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethernet