I was kicked off the Internet with my brother, because my PC and his Xbox used too much. I got a mobile broadband M6 Nighthawk for the Internet connection, but it is capped, so for gaming, it doesn't suffice. Can I get another modem, so we can use that one and still have an unlimited data plan separate from the other in the house?
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2It will only work if you also pay monthly for a second internet subscription. In that case, they will also ship a modem, so you don't need to buy a new modem. Using 2 modems on the same Internet line is not going to work though. Also, you can't get 2 cable modem connections, 2 different phone line connections, 2 adsl, etc... Only exception is fiber, as they sometimes have multiple networks going to the same house. Buf if you had fiber, you would not need a 2nd line. It would've been fast enough.LPChip– LPChip2025-09-01 13:35:48 +00:00Commented Sep 1, 2025 at 13:35
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>> Also, you can't get 2 cable modem connections, 2 different phone line connections, I can't speak to cable modem connections, but you can certainly get two or more phone lines.Steve Rindsberg– Steve Rindsberg2025-09-01 19:57:02 +00:00Commented Sep 1, 2025 at 19:57
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16This sounds like an X-Y problem. "My PC and his XBox used too much" sounds like you just need a higher data rate plan, or figure out some sort of quality of service on your inbound data (ie a "smarter" modem or secondary router to balance the load).throx– throx2025-09-01 22:13:56 +00:00Commented Sep 1, 2025 at 22:13
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1@LPChip I've had 4 companies offering PON, 1 even AON, 1 with DOCSIS, and 2 undisclosed "ethernets" aggressively competing for my business in the same building. It's definitely not uncommon to have multiple wires in condos, and I always get at least two for redundancy.Therac– Therac2025-09-02 17:14:52 +00:00Commented Sep 2, 2025 at 17:14
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1@LPChip Please don't post answers in the comments. This isn't even correct in all respects, e.g. "they will also ship a modem" - TekSavvy in Canada for a while required that you purchase your own modem, but you could buy them from third parties (even secondhand, I think).wjandrea– wjandrea2025-09-02 19:51:31 +00:00Commented Sep 2, 2025 at 19:51
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2 Answers
If your Internet connection is via a cable company or a phone company, then each modem (and purchased account) would use its own wire from the street box into the house. Since there is only one line going into the house, there might be an installation fee to add a second wire (cable or fiber) from the company's box near the road and run underground to your home.
If you use 4G or 5G wireless Internet hotspot modems then you can absolutely have two.
Another option is to have a home Internet plan and a business Internet plan. Business plans cost more, but having one of each at the same address is something the salespeople at the Internet company can usually do. Business plans tend to provide a more balanced upload/download speed, but ask for one to three year contract commitments.
An easier way is if you each get Internet connectivity from different companies if there are two or more servicing in your area. When talking to the ISP to ask before you order a second service, be aware that your situation is less common and the salespeople may make mistakes. Such as they presume one customer per address and cannot submit the second order without canceling the first account.
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4Cable and fiber are shared mediums, you're splitting the signal with your neighbors anyway. No reason to run a separate wire from the street. You add a splitter where your existing modem plugs in. DSL would be the only technology which would need its own drop.user71659– user716592025-09-02 01:45:17 +00:00Commented Sep 2, 2025 at 1:45
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I'm not sure where the breakout happens with fiber, but Cable can at least be shared. Way back with an early cable modem I saw traffic from neighbors when sniffing the network. A neighbor could have plugged their modem into a jack in my house and used their internet. I guess it's possible that they have changed since then or other cable companies do it differently. They could allocate an entire frequency band for you, but that would be wasteful. They also may have filters so you don't get ALL the traffic in your home cable, but I doubt it.Jason Goemaat– Jason Goemaat2025-09-02 17:58:17 +00:00Commented Sep 2, 2025 at 17:58
Yes, you can have two modems in a house. Each with a separate contract and data plan.
Just as you can have two phones in a house which are each playing YouTube videos. Each phone contains the equivalent of a modem of the sort you are asking about.
You might want to consider using a different network for each modem.
