Multiple ADSL modems on one phone line?
Multiple ADSL modems on one phone line?
Author
Discussion

cdt

Original Poster:

537 posts

312 months

Wednesday 27th September 2006
quotequote all
Is it possible to setup 2 ADSL modems on one phone line, one upstairs and one downstairs?

I know you could use wireless, one of my friends has got a spare modem/router lying about and doesn't want to buy a wireless bridge for his xbox.

slinky

15,704 posts

279 months

Wednesday 27th September 2006
quotequote all
simple answer... nope..

slinky

GreenV8S

31,027 posts

314 months

Wednesday 27th September 2006
quotequote all
I would have said yes, but only one of them could be connected at a time, which kind of defeats the 'always on' nature of broadband. Get a wireless router, or string a cable up, or run it over the mains, and you can share the connection.

thepassenger

6,962 posts

265 months

Wednesday 27th September 2006
quotequote all
slinky said:
simple answer... nope..

slinky


Slinky = Correct.

Complex answer: Yes. You can plug multiple routers and modems at the same time. However only one can be turned on and connected at a time.

guydw

1,651 posts

313 months

Thursday 28th September 2006
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I guess it depends exactly what you are trying to do ?

Your router (or modem as everyone calls it) connects you to a specific service provider. I guess it would be technically possible to run data from multiple service providers down the same physical line, but you'd need to split it all out at the exchange, and would probably get a reduced service - so in real life, no you can't....

If all you want is to share the internet connection, then there are easier ways to do that... I guess you are looking to use your telephone extension (i.e. use the wiring already in your house) - no you can't do that, not even sure you could plug a router into the extension and alternate (99% sure you can't...).

So it's wireless, or run some cat6 from your router to wherever you want to have a second connection.

GreenV8S

31,027 posts

314 months

Thursday 28th September 2006
quotequote all
guydw said:
I guess it would be technically possible to run data from multiple service providers down the same physical line, but you'd need to split it all out at the exchange, and would probably get a reduced service - so in real life, no you can't....


I think you would only be able to run one ATM link at a time oer the physical line - just as you can only use one analogue modem at a time. You could in principle have multiple routers plugged in as long as only one of them tried to bring up the connection at a time (bit like having several computers all with their own analogue modem) but it wouldn't be very useful or convenient.

catretriever

2,090 posts

272 months

Thursday 28th September 2006
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Does your friends spare modem/router have more than one RJ45 socket on the pack? If so, then presumably it can be used purely as a router without the modem bit switched on. If that's the case then he just needs enough cat5 cable to wire the Xbox to the router and then the router to the existing broadband connection.

How is the existing broadband set up by the way? Is it a usb modem connected to a PC, or is it a router/modem?

guydw

1,651 posts

313 months

Friday 29th September 2006
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GreenV8 : I don't think there's any limitation in ATM that it needs dedicated transport media (at some point multiple sessions can be sent down the same piece of wire) but you would need some kind of device to split the single piece of wire into multiple wires to have seperate connections into the DSLAM (some kind of MUX device) - it may be that the phone line would have limitations that would mean it couldn't carry the traffic. But of course you are spot on - this is not doe in real life, and frankly why would you ? In fact there are commercial disincentives to a provider in building this kind of infrastructure in an exchange - and I'd be 99% sure that you'd see a significant decrease in quality.