Confused on some networking/coax issues

Spev · April 5, 2015

I have a question about Coax cables. The modem as far as I know is outside my house. It leads into my home office via ethernet cable which connects to the router. Now as far as I know I can connect a coax cable to a modem and get internet correct? I have a Coax cable that leads into my office as well. I recently replaced my router (default supplied from ISP) with a new one. I just connected the ethernet cable from the ISP router into my new one, and ofc setup the router and was up and running. Now my old router had the ethernet plugged into the WAN port just like my new one, but it ALSO had the COAX cable that leads into my office connected to it was well...................I have no idea why this was? What did that do for me? Since replacing the router nothing has changed.(& there is no coax port on my after market router) I'm wondering since my modem is outside what the heck the coax cable on my old router was for? I would love to know.

My 2nd question is can I buy a 2nd modem and connect it to that coax cable? I'm sorry if these are dumb questions. A LOT of people are on my main router, but I can also get internet from that coax cable as well correct? If I buy a after market modem from like Best Buy lets say, and connect it to that COAX cable, I should have a 2nd line of internet correct? Theoretically, I could do this anywhere in my home? Lets say I don't have an ethernet port in a room but I do have a coax cable being used for a TV. (& I don't want to use wireless) I could unplug that coax used for TV, buy a new modem, and then have a fresh internet connection there?

Will the speeds be exactly the same through this cable for internet? If so, is the bandwidth somehow shared between that internet connection and my main internet connection to my router? What I'm trying to get at is, if I do that is it sort of like a "fresh" internet connection, where nobody else would be able to hog that bandwidth if I had just one ethernet connection attatched to the model to the coax? Sorry if these are really dumb questions...

KTFO|SGTmoody · April 5, 2015

I have a question about Coax cables. The modem as far as I know is outside my house. It leads into my home office via ethernet cable which connects to the router. Now as far as I know I can connect a coax cable to a modem and get internet correct? I have a Coax cable that leads into my office as well. I recently replaced my router (default supplied from ISP) with a new one. I just connected the ethernet cable from the ISP router into my new one, and ofc setup the router and was up and running. Now my old router had the ethernet plugged into the WAN port just like my new one, but it ALSO had the COAX cable that leads into my office connected to it was well...................I have no idea why this was? What did that do for me? Since replacing the router nothing has changed.(& there is no coax port on my after market router) I'm wondering since my modem is outside what the heck the coax cable on my old router was for? I would love to know.

My 2nd question is can I buy a 2nd modem and connect it to that coax cable? I'm sorry if these are dumb questions. A LOT of people are on my main router, but I can also get internet from that coax cable as well correct? If I buy a after market modem from like Best Buy lets say, and connect it to that COAX cable, I should have a 2nd line of internet correct? Theoretically, I could do this anywhere in my home? Lets say I don't have an ethernet port in a room but I do have a coax cable being used for a TV. (& I don't want to use wireless) I could unplug that coax used for TV, buy a new modem, and then have a fresh internet connection there?

Will the speeds be exactly the same through this cable for internet? If so, is the bandwidth somehow shared between that internet connection and my main internet connection to my router? What I'm trying to get at is, if I do that is it sort of like a "fresh" internet connection, where nobody else would be able to hog that bandwidth if I had just one ethernet connection attatched to the model to the coax? Sorry if these are really dumb questions...

Hi

ok. the coax cable may have been a previous installment for you connection. I very highly doubt that you have 2 internet connections, if you did i would asume you would know because you would be paying a higher ammount for it?

The coax cable was probably just connected because the guy that fitted the router just pluged it in to the new one regardless if it was a live connection or not.

The fact that both where in at the same time previously could have caused issues so i suspect its not a live conneciton. You could alsoways plugin your old modem and see if the link comes up.

The speed supported of coax depends on what grade it is. Here is a link to a table with the bandwidth capability of the different grades: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DOCSIS#Bandwidth_tables

r3bify · April 5, 2015

If I were you, I'd plug something into it and find out.If you still have the old one, try hooking it up with only the coax plugged in and test it out.

urworstnit3m3r · April 6, 2015

@Spev

Cable internet works like this..

Coax comes to the house, and into a box outside(demark location) and is generally just a spot to ground the cable to there is no modem outside the house.

after that it goes inside usually the basement or attic, then splits out to the rooms for outlets, these outlets then have a jumper(short piece of coax) that go from the outlet to the piece of equipment, IE the modem. the modem they had was most likely a wireless modem. which is why it had coax on it.

you can technically use another modem but it will not work unless the provider activates it on their network and you will have to pay for an extra internet package. you cant just plug up two modems and get two internet lines

so if you have say 70$ internet package you get one modem.... if you want to activate another modem that's another 70$ a month. and generally they wont even do it.

You can move the modem to another coax location in the home. but it might not have the right power of signal and may degrade your service. you can not just go to Walmart buy another modem and presto get another Internets

all bandwidth is on one coax cable that leaves the home, tv.voip, internet all travel on this one wire.

and the cable has nothing to do with the speed, its the DOCSIS technology that controls that, IE the protocol the provider uses.

@KTFO|SGTmoody

DOCSIS is not a grade method it is just a technology such as IPv4 IPv6 or HTTP. it is how the data is transmitted over the cable..IE DOCSIS( Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification.)

The cable is just there so that the radio frequencies have something to travel on.