Can I Just Move my Internet to Another House?
When you are relocating, there are things that you have to shift from your former home to the new one, including your utilities such as electricity, gas, water, and even the internet. For electricity, gas, and water, there may be some need to consult with the concerned utility companies, but what about the internet service? Is it possible to just take out your modem and router and set them up at your new place like what people do with their appliances? Let's find out.
The Short Answer
The short answer, however, is – it depends. Internet service is location- and provider-locked, meaning it is unusual to change one’s service provider and move to another home with all the hardware. Nevertheless, if your new home is connected to the internet with the same service provider you were using, then moving from one home to the other is not a big deal. The two are the availability of the provider and the entire network in each of the places.
How Does Internet Service Work?
For an explanation of why you can’t just move your internet, let’s take a closer look at how internet service functions. When you order home internet access, your provider uses some media such as cables, phone lines, or fiber optics to link your home to their network. This wired connection carries data signals to and from your home through the network cable.
Your modem serves as the point where this physical connection is made to the wireless router you have at home or the office. It translates the signal provided to its network to ensure your Wi-Fi-enabled devices can connect to the internet. It is pertinent to mention here that your modem is virtually useless in case you are not able to connect to your provider’s infrastructure. If there is no common attribute or relationship, then simply moving it somewhere else in the article will not help.
That is why it is not feasible to just disconnect the equipment and assume that they will provide a similar service somewhere else. It also must have the necessary supporting infrastructure and be initiated, or as commonly referred to ‘lit up’, by your Internet Service Provider.
Transferring the Internet When Moving
If the new home you are moving to is connected by your old internet service provider then you can easily transfer service. Telecommunications firms such as Spectrum, Xfinity, AT&T, and CenturyLink enable their subscribers to move or port services to a new address within the region of operation if their networks are available in the new area.
The process typically involves:
1. Checking availability – it helps to confirm that your chosen provider offers an internet connection in your new place. Provider websites contain a form in which you can enter a new address to view the plans available.
2. Disconnect and connect dates – Decide on the disconnect date for the old place, preferably with the connect date at the new place in mind. Ideally, you do not want to go days on end without using the internet and needing it for your projects.
3. Moving service – Make a call to your provider, at least a month before you plan to shift your house. They may want to transfer service and there may be a transfer fee involved. Owned modems can often be taken along with you. The rented ones will have to be replaced, thus they will be part of the costs associated with the establishment.
4. Connecting services – On the specific date, the provider will connect the services at the new home so that the modem/routers are connected.
Although this leaves the provider side of things, you must pack, carry, and re-connect all the equipment such as the modem, router, computers, and other devices with the ability to connect to your home network.
What if You or Your New Home Don’t Have Your Existing Provider?
This becomes even more complicated if your new house is not under the network coverage of the current Internet service provider. That means if you are unable to locate your account number on the new bill then you cannot use the old information and will have to sign up for an all-new service. This may mean:
? Identifying what kinds of providers are available and what they offer in the area.
? Passing on your service to the next available subscriber in compliance with the terms and conditions of your contract thus not attracting early termination charges.
? Coordinating the date when the disconnect was done and the new date that the connection was made.
? Rented equipment that you can’t move from location to location must be replaced.
? Setting up a new provider when the equipment has been arranged.
Ensure that cancellation and transfer procedures do not charge for services received in more than one place or result in multiple service discontinuities for multiple days.
Providing your business with internet services through a nationwide ISP
Here, it may be beneficial to have an account with a major nationwide internet company as it helps to simplify connections when moving. Some of the major players in the industry that have vast networks include AT&T, Spectrum, Xfinity, and CenturyLink hence the probability of your new neighborhood being under their coverage is high.
About national telephone and cable company providers, if the two addresses being supplied are currently serviced, a switch is usually possible. Items such as owned modems will follow you to a different location with little difficulty.
Smaller regional and local providers of similar service offerings have less infrastructural support overall. Thus, if one has to change their location to an area not covered by one service provider’s Internet service, then they would have to acquire brand new Internet service.
Internet Alternatives When Moving
If coordinating new internet service isn’t feasible when moving due to timing challenges, budget constraints, or limited provider options in the new area, there are a few alternatives:
? Cellphone hotspots – this is where you utilize the hotspot or a tethering feature that is available on any Smartphone device to connect other devices to the internet. However, the amount of data varies depending on the specific cellular plan one is using.
? Free-landing Internet – Coffee joints, restaurants, libraries, etc offer free Wi-Fi that is adequate for browsing and checking emails. This element of the performance is also inconsistent depending on the location.
? Temporary hotspot devices – where one can hire a mobile hotspot for a limited period to provide connectivity as one waits to fully implement new LTE internet service. However, these options may not be cheap once you begin to use them for long periods.
? Satellite Internet: Satellite internet service providers transmit signals from satellites to special antennas installed at your home and offer internet access regardless of your geographic location. But latency lags and weather disruptions are some of the vices that are often heard.
In conclusion, it is very improbable that you can use your current Internet performance as what is commonly referred to as a “plug and play” upon moving. However, the transfer of service from one place to another if the places are equipped for it could be easily coordinated. However, be prepared for the fact that changing providers or various service areas may entail creating new accounts and equipment. Approaching connections far ahead of the relocation date will enable you to minimize disruptions to any services that you will be receiving.
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