# Using cable modem to connect to a dial-up one. Possible? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 13, 2005, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-cable-modem-to-connect-to-a-dial-up-one-possible/303639 "2005-05-13T03:46:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-cable-modem-to-connect-to-a-dial-up-one-possible/303639/1 "2005-05-13T03:46:11Z")
This is a long shot, but I’ve seen stranger things with networking. We use Vonage so using a 14.4 dial-up modem is out, but it would help to connect to dial-ups so I can do some work from home after hours. Is there a way to use my cable connection at home to connect to a dial-up system in a store? Thanks ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-cable-modem-to-connect-to-a-dial-up-one-possible/303639/2 "2005-05-13T03:55:03Z")
Not unless the cable modem has the hardware to talk to a modem on the other end, so I doubt it. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-cable-modem-to-connect-to-a-dial-up-one-possible/303639/3 "2005-05-13T04:20:28Z")
> [@duffer](#): > > Is there a way to use my cable connection at home to connect to a dial-up system in a store? Would the work from home be worth shelling out the $25 a month for a basic phone line? That seems like the only solution to me. ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-cable-modem-to-connect-to-a-dial-up-one-possible/303639/4 "2005-05-13T04:50:25Z")
It seems that’s the only option I have. It’s not needed really, it would just offer more available cases if I could dial in to a store. It would be worth the money, just wondered if I could avoid the hassel of dealing with Qwest again. Thanks for the info ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-cable-modem-to-connect-to-a-dial-up-one-possible/303639/5 "2005-05-13T05:07:40Z")
I wouldn’t think this would be any more difficult than using modem on a digital PBX. I assume you can plug in a standard analog, RJ11 connector phone into your vonage router. give it a shot. I doubt if you’ll get full bandwith but it’s worth a try. It’s up to Vonage to route the call to the public switch on the other end. ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-cable-modem-to-connect-to-a-dial-up-one-possible/303639/6 "2005-05-13T05:11:06Z")
:smack: And of course I miss the obvious people to ask this of. Vonage. _sigh_ It’s been a long week. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![butler1850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-cable-modem-to-connect-to-a-dial-up-one-possible/303639/7 "2005-05-13T15:30:08Z")
I’d say that if Vonage allows you to use a standard POTS phone (you’re old fashioned kind), then plug the analog computer modem in and go. If it requires some fancy digital phone, then… no. ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-cable-modem-to-connect-to-a-dial-up-one-possible/303639/8 "2005-05-13T15:51:27Z")
I don’t know how ‘realistic’ Vonage phone service is, but assuming you have no way of dialing out through a ‘real’ phone system, connecting directly is out. Back when I started university, I set my Linux box to dial up to my ISP, then publish a web-page on my account with the IP address is was assigned. If this store has a dial-up account to do this with, you could connect with VNC or some other type of remote desktop software. ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-cable-modem-to-connect-to-a-dial-up-one-possible/303639/9 "2005-05-13T18:46:57Z")
Fax machines can work with the Vonage service, so it seems that you could get a dial-up to work. Their online help suggests that you limit the baud rate on the fax to 9600, so you should try that setting on your dial-up line. If you don’t need much bandwidth, or have plenty of time, it ought to work.