Can you have two internet providers in one house? – Answer

Given the amount of internet providers on the market today, it is hard to know which one is the best for you and your circumstances.

And while many households today have various devices that rely on the internet to function properly, others don’t – which makes finding the “best” internet provider entirely subjective depending on your circumstances.

In this article, we are going to look at whether it is possible two have two separate providers in your home and whether it’s a good idea.

Can you have two internet providers in one house in the UK? The simple answer

In short, yes it is possible to have multiple internet providers in one house, but it isn’t something that we would advise to every single household in the country.

The truth is that most people do not need multiple internet service providers in the same house. Instead of opting for two connections, you’re probably better off improving your current internet access method.

This is best done by either upgrading to high speed internet by opting for a more expensive package, or potentially using a wired connection instead.

Really, you should only ever consider getting a second broadband line if you answer yes to any of the following questions and you have the financial capacity to afford two different monthly subscriptions to internet providers;

  • Is your current sole internet provider’s connection not quick or stable enough?
  • Have you checked/tried the best possible internet speed/subscription?
  • Does your household regularly require a lot of active internet connections?
  • Do you live in a house that is four stories or bigger?

If you do decide to go ahead and get an additional internet provider set up in your home, then you will need to consider the following factors.

What type of connection do you want/need?

In the modern day there are typically three different types of connection available to users in the United Kingdom.

These are DSL, fibre and cable. These vary in price and quality with DSL being the cheapest and most basic and fibre being the most expensive, but the most impressive.

Which one you require will depend on your needs, but given the fact you are looking for an additional provider, it’s fair to assume speed is what you are looking for. See below for a breakdown of each connection type.

DSL

This is typically the cheapest type of internet connection with relatively low download speed of 25-500 Mbps and upload speeds of 5-30 Mbps.

A DSL connection uses telephone lines, meaning that you would also need to get a new landline installed if you were to go with a DSL connection as your secondary internet provider.

Cable

Until fibre came along, this way the best type of internet you could ask for. The connection runs along copper lines underground and is typically linked up with Virgin TV.

The download speeds are typically the same as you get with a DSL connection but with higher upload speeds. If you don’t have access to fibre then this will probably be your best bet.

Fibre

The grand daddy of them all, fibre internet has taken connection speeds to a whole new level.

Although it is only available to households in certain areas and comes at a premium, it is well worth getting if you can afford it and are looking for high quality internet.

fibre internet

It is perfect for households which possess loads of internet-reliant devices.

Other considerations

As touched on above, some types of internet are only available in certain locations so this is something that you will absolutely need to check before you even look at which provider you want to go with.

To check which types of internet connection your household is eligible for, check out Broadband Genie.

Another consideration is cost. It may well be more practical and cost effective to ditch your current internet provider and sign up to a premium service from another provider which offers the max speeds as opposed to just signing up to another standard one.

A good starting point to examine costs from different providers is Uswitch.

Potential alternatives

If you realise that it isn’t practical or cost effective to sign up to an additional internet provider, then there are still some alternative options available to you if you are growing frustrated with the speeds that you are getting, or if your internet cuts out every hour.

First and foremost, you should consider purchasing an ethernet cable.

Ethernet cables (using a wired connection)

Although Wi-Fi connectivity has gotten much better over the years, it’s still not quite as reliable as using cable internet directly.

ethernet cable

An Ethernet cable is essentially just a cable which connects directly from your router to one chosen device.

It can massively increase your internet speeds instantly on that device, especially if you have too many devices in your household trying to connect to your home network at the same time.

This makes it the perfect solution if you are just seeking quick speeds for your laptop/computer for work purposes, or your PlayStation for online gaming.

When you’re having connectivity issues, using an ethernet cable with your main device is a good idea.

Add in a Wi-Fi booster

Another potential solution could be to purchase Wi-Fi boosters. These are small devices which you can insert into plug sockets all over your home to boost your internet speeds in the areas of your house where you place the boosters.

They’re ideal if you want to avoid getting a second router set up, and you don’t want to have to rely on getting a cable connection.

Conclusion

To conclude, yes you absolutely can have multiple internet providers in one house – but no, you probably shouldn’t. It is likely cheaper and more effective to simply upgrade your current service to get more bandwidth rather than purchase an additional one.

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Author

Andy

Andy is a Professional Content Editor with expertise in a whole host of areas (or so he tells us anyway). His main interests are sports, tv/film and social media. He has reviewed over 100 apps so far for Apps UK.

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