The modem is a silver box about 10" x 12" x 2" that says 2Wire on it. That may have a cooling fan inside it that comes on intermittently. I'm not sure since mine is next to my PVR which makes a slight noise from the hard drive spinning.
If you really think there's a problem with the MTS equipment, you should call MTS. They will replace it at no charge if it's faulty.