A question about modems

R

rgp

Well-known Member
Location
Milford,OH
I currently have a modem 'purchased' / rented ? from a local phone company.

It is plugged into my phone line & of course house power [110V]

If I buy a modem of my own on line, plug it into my house power .... do i need to also plug that one into my phone line ? Or does it work strictly by wi-fi , to power my laptop ?

As i read the web-site ... it powers 'devices' by wi-fi alone. Which means I can cancel my internet connection with the phone company altogether ... is that correct ?

What about Netflix ? Will I still be able to have it through wi-fi ?
 

Good evening sir, I haven't used a modem since the 1990s,
we call them routers or hubs now, maybe you are using the
same type that we have, but just kept the old name, if so,
then you should have Wi-Fi built in, look around the unit and
you should find a Wi-Fi reset button, this you need to press
to allow it to find another Wi-Fi, such as a laptop.

Mike.
 
rgp said:
I currently have a modem 'purchased' / rented ? from a local phone company.

It is plugged into my phone line & of course house power [110V]

If I buy a modem of my own on line, plug it into my house power .... do i need to also plug that one into my phone line ? Or does it work strictly by wi-fi , to power my laptop ?

As i read the web-site ... it powers 'devices' by wi-fi alone. Which means I can cancel my internet connection with the phone company altogether ... is that correct ?

What about Netflix ? Will I still be able to have it through wi-fi ?
Click to expand...
As I read it, your internet is coming from the phone company. The wi-fi part only means you don't need a wired connection to your computer but internet is still from the phone company.
 

@Mike ...I bought my first laptop & internet service right around 2012, so I guess it is a modem/router ? It does have a 'reset' button on it.

But @Chet ... yes I bought it through the phone company.

I am just wondering if I can get better internet service/better connection by , buying a new modem/router ?

Or, do I need another new laptop ??
 
The speed is controlled from outside the building. Getting a fancier modem won't make it faster. But you can extend the service inside your home. I plug an ethernet switch into mine to attach multiple devices. You could plug in a more powerful wifi box that could reach out further, but the phone company incoming signal is the same.
 
The answer to your question is - Yes, you will need to plug the new modem/router into your phone line. That phone line is your connection to the internet. You can then connect your computer to the internet by using the modem/router, either through a Wi-Fi connection or an ethernet cable (this is assuming that your new modem/router is Wi-Fi capable nearly all of them are these days). the modem connects your home to the Internet, while the router creates the network inside your house. And, Mike is correct, they are normally referred to simply as routers these days since phone lines are rarely used for Internet access these days.
The answer to your second question ("As I read the web-site ... it powers 'devices' by wi-fi alone. Which means I can cancel my internet connection with the phone company altogether ... is that correct ?") is No. The new modem/router will not create an independent internet connection. Some services supply wireless internet (Star Link, Verizon, etc.) but still require some sort of router to connect your computer to the internet.
 
rgp said:
@Mike ...I bought my first laptop & internet service right around 2012, so I guess it is a modem/router ? It does have a 'reset' button on it.

But @Chet ... yes I bought it through the phone company.

I am just wondering if I can get better internet service/better connection by , buying a new modem/router ?

Or, do I need another new laptop ??
Click to expand...
A new modem would certainly improve you your internet service, here in Australia the phone company usually replaces the modem every five years (No charge) providing you return the old one (Postage paid)...Tell your phone company how old the modem is and they should replace it,if they want to charge you, just say don`t bother I will cancel with you and find another provider!!...they don`t like losing a customer
 
I cleared my 'trash' and my 'spam' in my email ... I don't believe I have any other "cache" ?

Should I maybe call my phone company [Altafiber] and ask if they have improvements since I first bought ?
 
kburra said:
A new modem would certainly improve you your internet service, here in Australia the phone company usually replaces the modem every five years (No charge) providing you return the old one (Postage paid)...Tell your phone company how old the modem is and they should replace it,if they want to charge you, just say don`t bother I will cancel with you and find another provider!!...they don`t like losing a customer
Click to expand...
You were answering my second question ..... before I posted it .

Can't hurt to call them .... Monday I suppose.
 
rgp said:
I cleared my 'trash' and my 'spam' in my email ... I don't believe I have any other "cache" ?

Should I maybe call my phone company [Altafiber] and ask if they have improvements since I first bought ?
Click to expand...
You will have a browser cache in whichever browser you use. Look into ccleaner a free program that will clear out cache files and some other junk for you. I've used this for many years, it works and it's reliable.
https://www.ccleaner.com/ccleaner/download
 
I was going to post an answer here but after researching the internet I could not find a consensus aggrement of what modems are and how they work, there were to many different opinions and discussions enought to confuse even me so I gave up...
 
deaver said:
I could not find a consensus aggrement of what modems are and how they work, there were to many different opinions and discussions enought to confuse even me so I gave up..
Click to expand...

When I moved to my condo I had the same fun, apparently a person needs a modem AND a router but that lots of times they are in the same device.

And then a person has to worry about whether the device is compatible with their Internet Provider's system, and also whether the device is appropriate for their internet speed.

It is definitely easier to just have the Internet Provider supply and set up the system (tho probably more expensive, it sounds like when using their device a person gets charged a monthly fee).

Example of devices that mention which provider approves using them and the speed they support:
modem router combos.jpg
 
actually my whole research was centered on just what is properly called a modem and as I said I could not find an agreement to the correct definition...modem router digital analog dsl cable rs232 etc....
 
Do I need a router if I have a modem?

The short answer is yes. However, most modems already have an in-built router, negating the need for an additional router. However, if you're modem is a standalone modem, then yes, to connect your devices to the internet, you'll also need a router
Most modern Modems have a built-in Router!
 
Does your Modem not have a USB socket on it, even
back in 2012 they had one, beside the 4 or 5 ethernet
sockets, if there is, you can connect via that and never
mind the Wi-Fi.

Mike.
 
Mike said:
Does your Modem not have a USB socket on it, even
back in 2012 they had one, beside the 4 or 5 ethernet
sockets, if there is, you can connect via that and never
mind the Wi-Fi.

Mike.
Click to expand...
But does that mean the Modem has to be beside the device IE Laptop or PC?
 
after some more research I have found the definitions I was looking for...it is proper to say broadband modem or dialup modem. they are different and need to be distinguished between...my broadband connects to the internet via the old tv style cable and will connect to my pc via ethernet cable but that ends there any more connections so instead I connect the cable modem to a router via ethernet thus giving me the ability to connect my pc (one or more) and a wifi connection as well. I no longer use the dialup modem.
 
kburra said:
But does that mean the Modem has to be beside the device IE Laptop or PC?
Click to expand...
It depends on the length of your USB cable, kburra.

But a few years ago, we could have a power line adapter
that plugged into the mains, then you connected the Hub
to that via an Ethernet cable, that allowed you to go to any
room in the house and plug in another, adapter and Ethernet
cable, then use another computer in that room,it was handy
in a larger building, before efficient Wi-Fi came along.

My hub still has a USB socket.

Mike.
 

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