Connecting Two Modems to One Line

Line? dial-up, DSL, cable, ?

What are the modems and are you trying to use them at the same time or alternating between them for some reason?

Are they connected to the same computer or different computers?

And....... why such a strange setup?

Answering both questions. The "line" is ADSL, the son has a desk top PC and the mother has an Ipad. The mother is wondering if she purchased another modem could this be connected to the same incoming line to which the son's modem is connected without having to remove or switch leads etc. Unfortunately her son won't leave his modem on when he is not in attendance. There are several phone outlet sockets in the house. The modem is a basic Netgear wireless modem. Thanks for your interest. Mike

Sounds like a power struggle gone bad. I'm about 90+% sure the answer is no, you can't have 2 modems on one DSL line, but you could call the carrier and ask. She could probably get a second line with a separate account (for more $, of course).

This could be a problem wrapped in a headache.

What about just allowing the mother to turn the modem on when she wants to use it and turning it off when she has finished (or is there a "don't go in my room where the modem is located" privacy issue also involved)?

Modern external wireless modems are independent of the computer (ie the sons computer doesn't even have to be on for the modem to work) so I don't really see why the modem has to be turned off at all!

Getting off topic, how old's the son anyway and what is the real reason he doesn't want the mother access to the modem?

Gives the term "parental blocking" a whole new spin, don't it?

What is difficult about moving the router to somewhere where the son won't turn it off?

ONLY IF the first ADSL modem is powered down, AND you enter the correct ISP provided username and password in the connection menu in the config page of the second modem (not only the router config page entry username and password) But when the first modem must be connected again, it may NOT connect until the previous procedure is repeated, so the original owner if not technically challenged, will know that somebody messed with his connection. Now some people don't even know the ISP username and password of their own connection, because they have never used it, it was already saved in the provided router before delivery, to simplify connection, so you might have to ask ISP for it by phone, and that also requires some verification. S.M.

Thanks for your inputs. The son owns the modem and the phone line is in his name. For reasons of ignorance he won't allow the modem to be switched on or used while he is absent or sleeping. He thinks that his computer could be compromised if he allows his mother to use her Ipad through his modem while he is not present. Have tried talking with him but if I push to hard he will only turn on his mother and make her life unpleasant. Strangely the mother pays for everything as the son is always to "unwell" to have a full time job, he needs a good kick but his mother will not "hurt" his feelings! Mike

Just as I thought <sigh>, and how old is the boy?

Keep it simple, computer perfectly safe if computer off.

The son is 40 but WILL NOT leave his modem on in his absence!

That's actually worse than I expected but it now makes sense as if he was in his 20's or early 30's he would be in a generation that has a better understanding of how computers work.

40... probably to far gone, to entrenched in his own thinking, this dog ain't likely to learn new tricks. Cut this one loose, so your left with getting a new modem or phone line.

I don't know about a second modem set to the same settings as the other (may be possible and simple), alternatively you can set up modern smart phones to act as wireless hot spots so the tablet can use the cellular phone line. Actually setting this up and getting it to work with a 60-70 year old may be too difficult however and expensive depending on the data plan. Others will have a better idea on implementation than I.

Alternatively, she could just go to a local free wi-fi hotspot and use that when the son is out.

Do keep us informed as to the outcome.

And why can't she turn it on when he leaves???

The son owns the modem, the phone line is in his name, but Mom pays the bill?

The solution is simple: Mom stops paying the bill for him. He wants a phone line, he can pay for it himself.

Once the phone line is shut down for non-payment (and the son's probably miserable credit rating takes ANOTHER hit, making it harder to get the phone line turned back on), then Mom can offer to get a phone line in HER name, where SHE is paying the bills, and therefore has final say over what is and is not allowed to be connected to the line and when. If the son is concerned about 'security issues,' he can unplug his computer from the modem and from the power line when he's not using it. You can't pull data from a computer that has no power to run.

--

It's too bad the Marine Corps doesn't have a 'Devil Pups' camp(1) for 40 year-old man-children. I'd suggest sending him there for a summer or two. Assuming he didn't simply die during the first summer.

Notes:

1) Devil Pups is a Marine-sponsored summer camp that, in essence, puts the kids through 'Boot Camp lite,' all the yelling, screaming and discipline, but the Physical Training is scaled back to what the smaller, weaker, still-developing bodies can handle. And the 'crawl under the barbed wire while the range sergeants are firing just over your head' training is done with blanks, kids, even after Boot Camp, are still unpredictable, and you don't want to send one home in a box because they panicked during training.

Your another line is probably the simplest way to achieve a desirable outcome. The mother is in her 70s, a widow and supports her son who abuses her goodwill. She won't change and knows fully well that he sucks on her.

I especially like the part about the KaBoom.

Like it!!

Though I would say that if the telephone line is in his name and he pays the bill, not her., then let him keep it and get a new line installed with WLAN modem for Mama!!

I would get it installed in a lockable cabinet, directly where the line comes into the house.....

Make sure that son never gets the connection details. All paper work can be stored in the same cabinet.....an electronic lock with a 5 or 6 number electronic lock. A steel cabinet may screen the WLAN too much, unless an external antenna can be attached outside of the box.....

Though I would not be surprised to hear in the end that he wants to take that over as well. He is sick in the head, lets face it!!!

Great advice, I would like to add that this is something she should have started 20 years ago.

Forty years ago.

Forty one years would have been even better - using then some form of contraception would have fixed a large problem today!!!

Well, it seems unfair to make him pay for room and board before he's 18, besides, she can't legally kick him out of the house if he's younger than that.

The 'teach him how to care for himself' bit, yeah, that should have just stopped after toilet training.

...

This man-child *IS* toilet trained, right? Right??

Just noticed my typo:

I meant to say 'that should have NOT just stopped...'

Miss one little word and the whole sentence changes, oops.

Yes modems can be daisy chained. Output from one to input of the other. But if the first modem receiving the input is shut down it will cut the connection to the others.

So your problems not solve. Tthese modems will still be in the same room. If he wants to turn it off he can. This is not about securing his computer. All he has to do is turn it off. Or unplug the line from the modem. or close the port.

They have had 40 years to work on this relationship. As a friend I wouldn't get in the middle.

It also could be the son is shutting it down to get his mom up and out to develop personal relationships and friends like you. Those are not so full filling from a computer. And these habits are hard to break once started.

I would quit paying for his phone line. Problem solved.

yes!

Kick the lazy SOB out and surf the net!!!!!!!!!!!

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I'd say the rent just went up by the cost of an additional phone line, modem, and DSL service. Problem solved. Cheers !

I suggest adding a router or switch to the system.

Each machine will have a dedicated port and shutting down either machine will have no affect on the other.