Internet cables?
I recently moved into an apartment and haven't gotten my internet yet. I bought a computer and it looks like it came with a phone cable. If I wanted to get the high speed internet the apartment offers, do I need to buy a different cable? The phone cable is just for dial-up internet, right?
Answers & Comments
Verified answer
If your apartment offers it, you will need to see if it is wireless or not. If it is wireless than you will probably need a wireless g adapter, if not than you will probably just need an Ethernet cable to plug it into the wall. You probably won't need a modem if the apartment offers their own but you should check with them.
Phone and ethernet jacks, RJ-11 and RJ45 respectively... do look very similar.
The way to tell the difference is by counting the number of wires... UTP (Unshielded Twisted Pair) cat3/5/6 wiring, which makes up ethernet cables and also in wall phone cables, has 4 wire pairs. Standard phone cords have only 4 wires, no twisted together. ALthough some cords only have two wires, since ring/tip is all you actually need to make a call.
If the plug has 4 "pins", it is a phone cable. If it has 8, it is a network cable.
Broadband modems almost always come with the proper cable.
Yes if it has 4 pins it is a phone cable. You need an 8 wire Cat-5 cable. Most internet providers will give you the cable though once they come to set up your connection. You will need to make sure you have a network card though.
That is correct, you will need to buy the Ethernet cable, might even come with the internet package. It looks like the phone cable but its bigger.
i have sprint dsl service with no dial up it runs through the regular phone line to a router and then from a ether net cable to my lap top. its cheaper then the other cable services but might not be as fast on the down loads.
For broadband connection, ordinary phone cable is not sufficient. Separate network cables are needed
Yes, you will need a different bit of hardware, but most broadband subscriptions include a modem that connects via USB. You will likely get all the hardware you need, but check with pre-sales tech support for the company you plan to go with, they will tell you if you need anything else.
Yes, the phone cable is for dial up.
If you are getting broadband installed they should give you everything you need when they install it.