How long can the 'phone cable' from the wall to the modem be?

jasonb

Hi there,

I've got Eircom wireless Broadband, and I'm looking to move the modem from my hallway, where the Eircom phone port is on the wall. I'm planning to get a long phone cable, so that the modem can be moved. I remember back in the day of dial-up, if the cable was really long you'd get slower connection speeds. Is there a limit to the length of the cable for Broadband? Thanks!

J.

MyKeyG

jasonb wrote: »

Hi there,

I've got Eircom wireless Broadband, and I'm looking to move the modem from my hallway, where the Eircom phone port is on the wall. I'm planning to get a long phone cable, so that the modem can be moved. I remember back in the day of dial-up, if the cable was really long you'd get slower connection speeds. Is there a limit to the length of the cable for Broadband? Thanks!

J.

Really? All my years using DU I never knew the length of wire on the premises made that much of a difference. Surely considering the distance the data has already travelled the difference from port to modem would be negligible?

Agent Smith

If I remember correctly, you'll start getting noticiably slower/crapper connection at approx 100 meters.


A better option might be getting Homeplugs, and leaving the modem where it is

jasonb

I'd only be looking at about 10 metres, so that should be fine, thanks!

And my memory may be faulty about the long cable - dial up issue!

J.

Bohrio

jasonb wrote: »

I'd only be looking at about 10 metres, so that should be fine, thanks!

And my memory may be faulty about the long cable - dial up issue!

J.

A long extension can cause problems with your broadband. Ten meters should not be an issue, even more but it will depend on your line and internal setup.

Better than an extension cable use an extension socket. They are more reliable, specially in case it breaks. Also do a good job laying the wire, etc. Better than an extension socket is an extension network socket as it has already been said.

I have used extensions for a long time and they have perform fine with a minor loss in performance. Mine was 15 m. However I have seen people having issues with extensions of just a few meters long. It all depends on the quality also.

Best thing to do if you wanna go ahead with the extension cable and not the extension socket is to buy it, connect it and test it. If it works ok then go ahead and set it up!

PS: just to answer MykeyG there is a difference between the copper from the exchange to the premises and the one in the house, among other things the gauge and the fact that is twisted in most cases. Even ethernet cables have a limited working distance of approx 100 m (maybe now is more but this used to be the case).

jasonb

Bohrio wrote: »

Best thing to do if you wanna go ahead with the extension cable and not the extension socket is to buy it, connect it and test it. If it works ok then go ahead and set it up!

Thanks for all the info, the above is pretty much what I was planning to do. Whether I go with an extension cable, or an extension socket really just depends on which I find first in the shops today, or which is cheaper etc.! Not really sure why a socket might be more reliable than a cable ( it's still just two wires, right? ) but I'll gladly take your word for it.

Thanks!

J.

Bohrio

jasonb wrote: »

Thanks for all the info, the above is pretty much what I was planning to do. Whether I go with an extension cable, or an extension socket really just depends on which I find first in the shops today, or which is cheaper etc.! Not really sure why a socket might be more reliable than a cable ( it's still just two wires, right? ) but I'll gladly take your word for it.

Thanks!

J.

Its more realiable as its normally properly fixed on the wall, so nobody steps on it, doesnt get damaged by doors bending it etc

Also the socket is harder to break than the tip of the cable (rj11) which could break easily..

Irish Steve

The main issue is that extension (flat) cables are not twisted pair, so more susceptible to external interference than the twisted pair cable that is used for pretty much the rest of the wiring to the house.

If you need a long extension, it might be worth looking at getting some twisted pair internal wiring cable and an extension socket, and putting the extension socket close to where the modem is going to be sited, that way, there's less risk of en route interference.

jasonb

Thanks for the advice!

I got an extension lead and got it all sorted in the attic ( I live in a Bungalow ).

The main reason I'm doing this is I'm having problems getting decent Wireless signal in our kitchen, where we have a Roberts Internet Radio. Moving the router to the attic, over the kitchen, has helped.

However, it's still not as good as I'd hoped. I'm not sure if it's the Roberts Radio, or my Netopia Router, but the signal still seems to be quite weak.

Reading up on Home Plugs, they look like they could help. However, there are reports of them causing issues with FM & DAB, so maybe they're not the solution when there's an Internet Radio in the mix? What Make and Model of Home Plugs would people recommend, and are the faster 200 and 500mbps versions worth the extra money?

Thanks!

J.

jasonb

I hope a small bump is allowed, just looking for some advice regarding Home Plugs. Thanks!

J.