If you’ve had ADSL broadband internet for some time you may have collected a number of ADSL modem routers at you replace. One question I’ve been frequently asked is this: “I have a second phone socket in another room, why can’t I just plug the second router in there to use the internet?” In this article I’ll explain why!
Firstly I’ll explain how ADSL works. Basically an ADSL modem is a device which sends a signal down a phone line in much the same way as your voice goes down the phone line. The only difference is that it is sent at a higher frequencies, above those used for the your voice. A similar device, but will multiple ports sits at the telephone exchange end.
These link they create over the phone line is a point to point link. When you put an ADSL modem into a phone socket, it will send this signal up the line, but it can’t share. It’s the same as if an old 56k dialup modem is on the line, if a modem is using the line, nothing else can use it. ADSL gets around this problem somewhat in that voice can still go over the line, but that’s because the voice and data connections are separated by frequency.
So how do you get an internet connection at another location in your house? There’s a few options. Wifi is a common one, but has some issues that some people prefer to avoid. There are some power line network connection devices, but these also have some issues. Really the best way is a Cat 5 LAN cable from where your existing ADSL modem is to where the device you want to connect is.