Connect Broadband – The Basics

If you have just shifted over to a different city and have gone in for the services of a new internet service provider, or if you have changed from one internet service provider to the other, then chances are that you might need to change some settings on your computer. The primary thing is to check out the type of internet connection you shall be getting. If you get DSL or Cable service you will need to know how to connect broadband to your computer.  While the phone company or cable provider will send someone over to do the initial hook up, it is always good to know what they are doing in case you need to move things later and don’t want to pay for a service call.

A broadband connection means that you are opting in for the services of a dedicated high speed internet service provider.  These providers will supply you connections either through a cable line, phone line or a dedicated fiber optic connection that first goes into a main box in the building and from there, individual subscribers are provided with connections to their apartment.  Most new connections are done with some sort of hook up as described below.

Check out the cable that they have installed in your room and connect the RJ5 connector at its end on the appropriate slot on the modem. You cannot make a mistake since there are just three slots on the modem: one of them is for the power supply, one is for the RJ5 connector, and the last one is for the RS232 connector (same as the one you find in the Ethernet cards). Since the RJ5 slot is smaller in size than the RS232 ones, you shall have no problem in locating it. Do so and connect the RJ5 cable to it. Next take out the patch cable (a cable with RS232 connectors on both ends) and connect one end of it to the appropriate slot in the modem.

Connect the other end of the patch cord to the Ethernet port of your computer. Now attach the power cable first to the modem and then attach the power adapter to the power supply and turn on the same. Power on the modem and see if all 4 lights (some models may have more lights, especially if they are a modem/ router combo) are glowing… it may take a few seconds for the WAN (wide area network) light to stop flickering and then settle to a constant glow. Congratulations! You no longer need to ask how to connect broadband?