Need more speed? Consider adding a second internet line

Do you need more bandwidth to power all the devices in your household, but an internet speed upgrade isn’t available at your address? If so, a second internet line might be the ideal solution for your household. It could allow you to dedicate one line to your work or school-from-home needs, for example, while you use the second internet line for everything else.

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Can you have two internet connections in one house?

Yes, you can have two separate internet connections at the same house. If both connections use the same type of service (such as fiber or DSL), you’ll still need two separate modems or network terminals.

Can you have two Wi-Fi networks in one house?

Yes, many people have two or more Wi-Fi networks in their homes. It’s common to have one Wi-Fi network as a guest network, or one as a dedicated network for remote work or education.

Reasons to add a second line

A second line can be a good choice for adding more capacity to your internet connection. Here are some of the major reasons why.

More speed, more bandwidth

If you need extra bandwidth for your home or business, a second line can be a smart way to add more capacity. With a second line, you’ll have a completely separate connection that’s great for remote work or other high-priority activities.

Uninterrupted reliability

Having a backup internet service line is potentially useful in an emergency. If your primary internet access line experiences disruption, your second line might be unaffected. Depending on your router features, you may be able to set up your second line as a failover that automatically replaces your main line if it goes down.

Separating work and personal use

You might also choose to install a separate internet line that’s exclusively for business purposes. This helps ensure your business line is always available when you need it. If your business line is used only for business calls, its cost might even be tax deductible under certain conditions.

Capacity for more users

A dedicated line is also a potentially smart solution for roommates and other people in co-living situations with shared internet connections. The extra lines can be split up between roommates, or might be reserved for high-priority uses like virtual job interviews and online classes.

Ways to use a second line

Working or schooling from home

A second line can be a must-have if you work or attend school from home using a shared internet connection. With a second line, you’ll always have a dedicated line for work or school, so you won’t have to share bandwidth with people streaming or gaming at the same time.

Gaming

Using a dedicated line for gaming helps minimize latency, so it’s a strong option for serious gamers who need the best performance their connection can offer.

Streaming

Want to enjoy your favorite music, movies, and shows uninterrupted? A dedicated second line is also ideal for streaming.

Important notes:

A second internet line requires a technician installation and a separate modem.
Some account types are not eligible for a second line, including:
- Those with pair-bonded service
- Those with plan speeds above 40 Mbps

A second internet line will be on a second account with a separate bill. You can manage multiple accounts with My Brightspeed.

To order a second internet line, contact us. A customer care agent will review the requirements and your options.

Other ways to speed up your internet

If getting a second line isn’t on the table for you right now, these are some other potentially helpful options for improving your internet speeds:

Test your speed under different conditions.

Use a free internet speed test to benchmark your internet speed under different conditions, such as:

Different areas of your home
Connected to Wi-Fi vs. Ethernet
Times when multiple users are sharing the same connection
Specific tasks like gaming or 4K streaming

Take note of when your internet speed dips and when it’s fast. The results can tell you where your connection struggles most and what might be causing it.

Use a wired Ethernet connection instead of Wi-Fi.

Wired Ethernet will almost always outperform Wi-Fi because your device is connected directly to the network. In most cases, Ethernet is the preferred option for desktop computers, smart TVs, and game consoles, since these devices don’t move often.

Move your device closer to the Wi-Fi source.

The closer your device is to the Wi-Fi router, the stronger your signal will generally be. Try to avoid placing your router near appliances or large amounts of water, and minimize the amount of walls between your device and the router.

Use a mesh Wi-Fi extender network to improve coverage in your home.

Mesh Wi-Fi extenders expand your Wi-Fi network’s coverage using nodes that pick up and transmit your Wi-Fi signal to distant areas of your home. If you’re struggling to get the coverage you need in certain parts of your home, learn about the option to add Wi-Fi extenders to your Brightspeed internet service, or check out our mesh Wi-Fi troubleshooting guide.

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More resources for optimizing internet speed

Looking for other solutions to fix a slow internet connection? Try some of our top troubleshooting articles for optimizing internet performance:

Why is my internet slow?

Internet speed drops sometimes

If your internet service is fine but you're experiencing slower speeds over a wireless connection, try optimizing your WiFi setup, or find out if a WiFi extender kit could help.

Troubleshooting slow WiFi

Do I need a WiFi extender?