A cordless modem comprises a radio pair interfaced to a standard data/fax modem which allows a user of a personal computer to wirelessly connect to a telephone line. One end of the radio pair is a remote unit interfaced to the modem contained within the PC while the other end is a base unit connected to a standard telephone wall jack. The base unit can selectively discriminate and adjust for signals received from a telephone voice handset or data signals received from the cordless modem remote unit. Upon receiving an off-hook signal or an incoming call signal, the base unit identifies the type of data (i.e., voice or computer modem data) and adapts accordingly by placing an FM modulator in either of a narrow band deviation or a wide band deviation covering the required range of the particular signal combined with local echo. That is, when voice data is present, a low deviation, narrow filter combination is selected. If, on the other hand, the computer data from the cordless modem is detected, a higher deviation, wider bandwidth filter is selected. In addition, the remote unit switches a pre-detection filter from one mode to another depending on whether it is connected to a computer modem or to a voice handset. Security from eavesdroppers as well as the mitigation of signal fading is provided by overlaying a pseudo-random number (PN) code on the FM modulated signal.