Best way to get internet connection with no landline phone?

Mevater

Thu, Jun 02 2011, 9:41 pm

Urgent- Someone living in my basement (they have a cellphone, but no landline phone) needs internet connection. I've got Verizon, but my modem is too far away from the basement, so they cant connect.

What are my options?

TIA

bluebird

Thu, Jun 02 2011, 10:30 pm

A cable modem is probably the best way to go if you want them to have their own connection.

If you want to share your DSL connection you could either run a cable to the basement or, if using a wireless network, buy a wireless router that allows you to extend your existing network.

Mevater

Thu, Jun 02 2011, 10:55 pm

bluebird wrote:

Id rather they use my internet connection, because if they get their own, Ill be the one paying (its a family member). I have wireless internet, but Verizon tells me that only works within 25 feet of the modem.

As far as running a cable, Im not anxious to drill holes through my walls and floors and through the apartment below mine, which is between me and the basement.

Do I have to pay for a landline phone in the basement, to get internet, then? If I put an extension of my phone in the basement, can I get a second modem for the basement?

yaeliq

Fri, Jun 03 2011, 5:20 am

We just redid our system, and I think this could be the solution for you... We had two cell phones through Sprint, and a landline with DSL through Verizon. We recently renewed our Sprint contract, added a third cell (to which we transferred our landline #), and got a 3G/4G hotspot. Cancelled Verizon totally! And with unlimited usage on all three cells & the hotspot, we are somehow saving a tidy $175 per month! And, I can (in theory, although I'm not sure why I'd want to) take my laptop and hotspot anywhere, so I 'm not restricted to my home.

btw, I am not at all sure why the tennant's need for internet access becomes your achrias.... I could really use a car to get to work, and I'd love to see my landlord's reaction if I told him he needed to provide one...

If it's available in your area, tell your tenants to get themselves a hotspot through their cell provider. Their problem, not yours!

Yocheved84

Fri, Jun 03 2011, 5:39 am

They can get their own wireless card to put in their computer from Verizon or get internet (I forget the term) via their iphone. So you're out of the picture on it, unless you want to contribute to their bill each month.

Hashem_Yaazor

Fri, Jun 03 2011, 5:52 am

I have a broadband card through Cricket -- it's $40 a month total (no taxes, fees, etc) for regular usage (what I need). No contract, so you can cancel at any time. I could have paid less for other options, but the no contract thing was worth it to me for my specific needs.
Broadband connections vary by location -- not everywhere gets as stable a connection as others.

Hashem_Yaazor

Fri, Jun 03 2011, 5:54 am

I think if you get wireless internet and attach the router to the modem, the space allowed between the router and device will be dependent on the router.
25 feet is WAY too little to make any sense -- I definitely think you can "daisy chain" your own equipment (wireless router) to the modem they provided you.

bluebird

Fri, Jun 03 2011, 7:55 am

Mevater wrote:

bluebird wrote:

How are your computers connected to the modem? Does it have wireless built in or do you plug your computers into it somehow?

If this is a wireless router, Verizon must have either, um, "misspoken" about the range or confused meters with feet. Most wireless routers have a range greater than 25 meters, but the problem is getting a signal through the walls, floors, and other physical barriers.

Quote:

As far as running a cable, Im not anxious to drill holes through my walls and floors and through the apartment below mine, which is between me and the basement.

I certainly can't blame you for that. I wouldn't either. Smile

Do you own the house? If so, you can probably hire someone to do it cheaply and nicely. If not... hm, could you run a cable between windows? You might need to attach it to sills and run it around woodwork to make it not stand out too much but it would be a lot easier. Make sure to get the cables that are insulated for outdoor use.

Quote:

Do I have to pay for a landline phone in the basement, to get internet, then? If I put an extension of my phone in the basement, can I get a second modem for the basement?

No, that won't work. The modem is what connects you to Verizon, not one computer to another inside your house. Think of the modem as a phone number—you only have one phone number coming into the house and then every other phone is an extension of that. So you need to create an "extension" from the modem to your computers. A wired or wireless router is what creates those extensions and that's what you need to get your relative's computer connected to. Verizon may actually build a router into the modem so that you don't have to have a separate router, which makes it confusing.

Hashem_Yaazor

Fri, Jun 03 2011, 7:59 am

Verizon "misspeaking" wouldn't particularly surprise me Wink

reyzele

Tue, Jun 14 2011, 1:05 pm

Mevater wrote:

Did they try to connect and failed ? You can also buy a modern wireless-n router and attach it to your verizon, it should be able to go through the floors.

chanahlady

Tue, Jun 14 2011, 1:16 pm

My MIL has a wireless router on the third floor, and they have no problem getting internet off of it on the first floor. Don't listen to Verizon, which has an interest in selling you more services. Routers have a much greater range than 25 feet.