View Full Version : Splitting a connection
igotdamaged
07-05-2008, 12:55
Hello all.
First post, but I need some help please :dunce:
I was originally a Telewest broadband customer who is now covered under the Virgin Media umbrella. I am currently on a "Broadband XL" package and I pay £37.00/month. I have cable broadband that arrives into the house via a Scientific Atlanta Webstar box, and I currently route the broadband into a Mac Airport Express wireless router, and spread the love around the house wirelessly. I use this Virgin Media cable connection solely for the broadband (not TV, satellite or phone etc).
Recently, I have converted our garage into an office, and now I want to extend the home network so that the new building is also covered. This is necessary because the garage is about 30m from the point at which the modem currently sits and the wireless signal is very weak. I tried adding a second Airport Express connection to extend the range of our home network which improved matters, but in all honesty isn't going to be acceptable.
I have come to the conclusion therefore that what I need to do is split the connection before it enters the house. Keep the original line going into the house as before, but at some point (ideally before the wire enters the house, split the cable so that a second wire can be run around the outside of the house and into the garage. At the moment, we have two boxes that are attached to the house (pictured below).
http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/4159/1000453qc4.jpg
This one sits externally (I took the cover off to peek inside)
http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/6162/1000454dc4.jpg
This one is mounted to the wall inside the house
So that is the background... my questions are this:
1. Is this going to be possible?
2. Can I split the cable before it enters the house (photo 1), or does it have to go into the box inside the house (photo 2) and then be split?
3. What type of connections do I need to split the signal, what are the bits called and what type of cable do I need?
4. Assuming I can split it, do I need a second “Scientific Atlanta Webstar†box to put in the garage, or are there different types of modems that will convert the cable wire into a traditional network (ADSL) type connection that I can plug into my Airport Express?
Thanks very much
To answer your question straight away, no it is not possible to split the Virgin connection. Virgin also only supply one modem per property (and you cannot buy them legally from anywhere)
What would would have to do is split the connection past the ethernet socket on the back on the modem.
If the Airport Express has a wired connection on it, you could run a ethernet cable to the garage and put a Wireless access point on the end.
If not you are going to have to use another type of wireless router
TraxData
07-05-2008, 14:32
To answer your question straight away, no it is not possible to split the Virgin connection. Virgin also only supply one modem per property (and you cannot buy them legally from anywhere)
What would would have to do is split the connection past the ethernet socket on the back on the modem.
You could then run a ethernet cable to the garage and put a Wireless access point on the end, if the Airport Express has wired connections on it
You can have 2 modems per household as long as they are under different names.
As posted by Ben, it would be easier easier to just run Cat5 to your garage with some form of protection.
You CANT HAVE TWO MODEMS. Especially if you are ex-tw
In ex-ntl it was possible to achive on the billing system. In ex-tw it never has been.
Now that the whole of Virgin are on the ex-tw billing system, you can now not do it in ex-ntl areas
TraxData
07-05-2008, 14:42
You CANT HAVE TWO MODEMS. Especially if you are ex-tw
In ex-ntl it was possible to achive on the billing system. In ex-tw it never has been.
Now that the whole of Virgin are on the ex-tw billing system, you can now not do it in ex-ntl areas
Wrong.
I know various people in both ex-tw/pure/ex-ntl areas with 2 modems in one household and until a week ago i had 2 modems as well.
*sighs*
Ok so maybe it was possible in ex-tw as well then. That was in the past.
You cannot have two modems NOW unless the property is flats or an agreed student property
Toilet-Duck
07-05-2008, 14:49
Ben is wrong, you can get a splitter which will split the cable from 1 main into 2 terminals which allows you to have 1 cable into the house and another into the office, this is what VM use to split the signal to allow multiple boxes in the same house.
Somthing like this for example which is what we kinda have on our property:
http://www.homedepot.ca/wcsstore/HomeDepotCanada/images/catalog/c9265d36-df61-4d53-a86f-d58dc6ed5586_4.jpg
However you would need to check the signal before and after to make sure you havent signifcantly altered the SNR and power levels, you may need to add a device whcich increases or decreases the levels you can get these cheap for about 99p of ebay...
Then simply buy cable from ebay that allows you to attach your modem to the other terminal! :)
Ben is wrong, you can get a splitter which will split the cable from 1 main into 2 terminals which allows you to have 1 cable into the house and another into the office, this is what VM use to split the signal to allow multiple boxes in the same house.
You can split the cable all you like but unless you have something on the end then all it is is a bit of split cable!
And Virgin don't do multiple modems
Somthing like this for example which is what we kinda have on our property:
http://www.homedepot.ca/wcsstore/Hom...c6ed5586_4.jpg
However you would need to check the signal before and after to make sure you havent signifcantly altered the SNR and power levels, you may need to add a device whcich increases or decreases the levels you can get these cheap for about 99p of ebay...
Then simply buy cable from ebay that allows you to attach your modem to the other terminal!
From what i read he doesn't want to have to unscrew the modem from one cable and put on another bit, he wants to be able to use it everywhere all the time. So what you have described doesn't work
Toilet-Duck
07-05-2008, 14:56
That wouldn't help him at all as he would have to then cart the modem from one place to another, as Virgin won't supply him with another modem
I dont think he wants another modem he wants to MOVE the modem hes got.... He wants to split the cable so that he can put the modem along with the router in the garage so the signal is better he needs to split it in order to put it in the garag....
I have come to the conclusion therefore that what I need to do is split the connection before it enters the house. Keep the original line going into the house as before, but at some point (ideally before the wire enters the house, split the cable so that a second wire can be run around the outside of the house and into the garage. At the moment, we have two boxes that are attached to the house (pictured below).
TraxData
07-05-2008, 14:57
*sighs*
Ok so maybe it was possible in ex-tw as well then. That was in the past.
You cannot have two modems NOW unless the property is flats or an agreed student property
Again, your wrong, as long as its under 2 seperate names then you can have 2 modems in one household.
Toilet-Duck
07-05-2008, 14:58
And yes 2 modems on seperate accounts at the same address works fine for us....
Read other topic....
igotdamaged
07-05-2008, 15:00
What I was hoping to do was to use something like this:
Download Failed (1)
At some point in the system to split the cable in two directions.
One going into the house, and the other going off to the garage...
?
Again, your wrong, as long as its under 2 seperate names then you can have 2 modems in one household.
Not any more. As from the 05/05/08 unless the address is phyiscally split on the billing system (Which is only done for flats and somtimes student properties) you cannot have more than one modem per property
Doesn't matter if they are the same name or different names
---------- Post added at 15:03 ---------- Previous post was at 15:02 ----------
What I was hoping to do was to use something like this:
http://www.maplin.co.uk/images/300/qq69.jpg
At some point in the system to split the cable in two directions.
One going into the house, and the other going off to the garage...
?
But for that you would need two modems. Which you are not going to get
igotdamaged
07-05-2008, 15:05
But for that you would need two modems. Which you are not going to get
How do you mean "won't get"? Surely I can just buy another one off ebay?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Scientific-Atlanta-Webstar-from-Telewest_W0QQitemZ190218852557QQcmdZViewItem
Oh here we go.
ONLY VIRGIN MEDIA CAN ISSUE YOU WITH A MODEM. YOU CANNOT BUY ONE LEGALLY
How do you mean "won't get"? Surely I can just buy another one off ebay?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Scientific-Atlanta-Webstar-from-Telewest_W0QQitemZ190218852557QQcmdZViewItem
would be illegal if you hooked a modem not supplied by VM onto their network
igotdamaged
07-05-2008, 15:13
ONLY VIRGIN MEDIA CAN ISSUE YOU WITH A MODEM. YOU CANNOT BUY ONE LEGALLY
Ah, I see. Apologies, I am new to this stuff!
So if Virgin Media were to legally supply me with one (which I understand you don't think it very likely they would) would the splitting of the signal idea work?
Yes but then even if Virgin were to supply you another modem (which they won't) they would do all the work anyway.
They would also charge you the rental for the second modem all over again, so you would pay at least another £18 per month
igotdamaged
07-05-2008, 15:17
Excellent :tu:
That's all I wanted to know.
TraxData
07-05-2008, 15:18
Not any more. As from the 05/05/08 unless the address is phyiscally split on the billing system (Which is only done for flats and somtimes student properties) you cannot have more than one modem per property
Doesn't matter if they are the same name or different names
---------- Post added at 15:03 ---------- Previous post was at 15:02 ----------
But for that you would need two modems. Which you are not going to get
Explain how the poster above has 2 modems in one household then ;)
Without going down a different road of how many modems a customer can have, it would better all round for the OP to get CAT5 cable from the modem he already has install this into the garage/office he intends to convert. This would benefit all as it's a better connection than wireles, he won't disrupt/disturb or cause problems to his service and others on the network by doing a self instlall of a splitter, as you will not have the correct tools connectors ect to do a proper job.
So buy enough CAT5 cable install into garage/office and enjoy a good service this way.
Explain how the poster above has 2 modems in one household then ;)
Because they got them installed before the rules were tightened?
Im not denying that it hasn't happened in the past, I'm saying as from Monday this week it is extremely extremely unlikely it will happpen NOW
mathiaskt
07-05-2008, 17:29
I think it will be easier to just get an STP or FTP (this will protect against electromagnetic field which is very bad for data) and run it from your router to where ever you want (just remember that the maximum distance must not exceed 100m). At the end of this cable, you can use a switch or an access point.
well my mate has 2 modems, under the same name, same property so dont know what your all banting about. all this cant have two modems stuff
Can't have them NOW, not then.
I.E definately can't have two modems from 05/05/08
whydoIneedatech
08-05-2008, 17:40
Anyone who thinks they can get 2 modems or more from Virginmedia, I challenge you to try and order them now! and if successful please post on here to let everyone know.
I think we will get Tumbleweed first ( plus more post saying my mates got 2 ) as Ben is right No One can order a Second Modem for their property as of 5/5/2008.
Do not just post I got a Second Modem, we require written documentary proof from Virgin dated after 5/5/2008.
maybe not from now, just the ones that has it, is lucky i guess!
Rather than try splitting the line or running Cat5 cable down to the garage, have you thought about trying a pair of Home AV plugs (http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=home+plug&tag=googhydr-21&index=aps&hvadid=689560509&ref=pd_sl_4htgk9qyfb_b)? These use your electrical wiring as a conduit to 'spread the love' :D.
I have a pair and they work a treat - just watch out for using those socket extenders: some have filters on which knock out the signal.
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