Member Avatar for Serunson

At the moment i have to trail a long phone cable along my landing to get from where the phone line comes in to my computer.

i currently use an external modem made from BT (The BT Voyager 105) to get my broadband connection. My computer has an internal modem which I'd like to use instead of trailing wires across my landing.

My built in modem is a Smart Link 56K Voice Modem. It is connected through a PCI port on my motherboard.

What I'd like to know is how i can connect the current phone line cable to my internal modem. Could you please tell me what components i would have to buy, and any new software to get installed. Also i would like to know if i would keep the speed of my broadband connection. Would it drop down to a dial-up speed if i use my internal modem?

Final question is it worth doing?

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by jbennet

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Short, practical answer for : the PCI "voice" modem in your PC is an ordinary analog dial‑up modem. It speaks the old 56k dial‑up standards and cannot talk the ADSL protocol that your broadband line uses — so switching to it would mean dial‑up speeds and losing your broadband connection. For a bit more background on the technical difference see ADSL and the dial‑up standard family (V.9x) such as V.92.

If the goal is simply to stop running that long phone lead across the landing, practical options that keep broadband are:

  • Put your ADSL modem/router where the phone line enters (the master socket), then run Ethernet from the router to the PC through the loft or wall. Ethernet carries the broadband data reliably and is what ADSL routers output.
  • Keep the modem at the master socket and use a wireless router or wireless access point so the PC connects over Wi‑Fi.
  • Use powerline (HomePlug) Ethernet adapters to carry network traffic over the mains if you want to avoid new cabling entirely (see Power‑line communication).

Steps to follow: locate the master socket, plug the ADSL modem/router there (don’t put a phone microfilter on the modem socket), fit microfilters to any telephones/extensions, then connect the router to the PC with Ethernet or via Wi‑Fi/powerline. If the PC has an onboard Ethernet port you do not need a separate NIC.

Not worth doing: switching from your ADSL device to the internal 56k modem to avoid a cable — you would trade broadband for dial‑up. The easiest tidy fixes are moving the router to the master socket and using Ethernet, wireless, or powerline to reach your PC.

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Member Avatar for jbennet

The internal modem wont be a broadband one. It will be a standard one.

Why not get an wireless router (which acts as a broadband modem) and use that?

Member Avatar for Serunson

to costly :(
boo

what about a cable router?

Member Avatar for jbennet

a wifi router is like £35

a wired router would work i suppose but isnt the whole point of this that you want to get rid of trailing cables?

Member Avatar for Serunson

Well i can put the cables through the loft, that dot matter, what i want to know, is who much all the cables and routers cost if i choose this method?

Bennet don't u have an old wired router and stuff, that i may perhaps use?

Member Avatar for jbennet

a wired ADSL router with builtin modem is like £30 and its about £10 for 15m of ethernet cable. The network card is £5 to £20

total cost £45 to £ 65

A wifi adsl router with builtin modem is £35 - £40 and its £15-£30 for a card

total cost £50 to £70

so as you can see they work out about the same price in the long run.

Member Avatar for Serunson

why do i need a network card?
My comp worked at ur house without the need for a network card?
i know u need one for wireless systems, but not with wired systems.

Member Avatar for jbennet

oh yeah i forgot that you had a builtin network card (ethernet port on your motherboard)

Member Avatar for Serunson

thanks for a panic attack

Member Avatar for Spriggan

c'mon, just crimp the guy some cable!

Member Avatar for jbennet

i already gave my other friend whose also called james (me and serunson are called james too) like 100m of homemade ethernet. dont have a clue what on earth he does with it all.

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