Integrate various network sources together
Integrate various network sources together
I have a curious networking issue. My internet comes from the building’s network and each device is limited to 5mbit, which is usually too slow for many tasks. There’s Ethernet throughout the complex, but I’m wondering if it’s possible to merge several connections into one device to bypass these limits—like a reverse switch. It might only reduce speed slightly, but it could still work. This is mainly a theoretical question; unless there’s a practical, affordable solution.
There are limited options available, though none seem completely practical in your specific case. You can use "teaming" with network cards to combine multiple adapters into one connection, but this needs the other side—like apartment networking—to recognize it via manual setup or protocols such as Link Aggregation Control Protocol or LACP. There are additional methods using software or hardware to link connections, though they introduce complexities in managing traffic flow. Depending on the approach, you might not be able to treat them as a single high-speed channel; instead, you’d get several smaller channels (e.g., 5 x 5Mbps wouldn’t equal 25Mbps for one service, but you’d have separate access for five services at 5Mbps each). Not having full control from the other end restricts your possibilities. This assumes each port has its own bandwidth limit and isn’t shared across ports. So technically feasible, but realistically challenging to achieve what you need in this scenario.
No problem at all. I looked into it and there really isn't any formal agreement for the internet here. The only official paperwork is the lease, which simply states the service is provided and payment is part of the rent. I haven’t found any other references about the internet. Also, they claim we get a gigabit, but no contract gives them an exception. It looks like they should have created a proper terms of service to protect themselves. They don’t. This apartment complex is new, but they chose not to install wired internet because they didn’t want to dig under a small creek. The internet signals bounce off dishes on buildings throughout town. Everywhere else in the neighborhood has fiber access, so we’re stuck with misleading advertising (my roommate is a lawyer).
The information suggests they mention a gigabit connection for the building but don't specify exact bandwidth per tenant. It seems they might be highlighting the building's capability rather than guaranteeing individual speeds. Whether multiple ports are managed by the same device is unclear, and it’s uncertain if connecting several devices would allocate full 5 Mbps or split it accordingly.
The marketing details are somewhat unclear, which might actually help them hide their position. All the promotions focus on gigabit internet without explaining how they achieve that speed or providing lease-based speeds. I believe it’s a gigabit connection across the whole complex, though I think the ads make it seem like you receive a full gigabit. Each device connected gets 5mbit, but performance often drops significantly, which is the maximum allowed per device.
It suggests they might treat gigabit as a single unit and intentionally restrict each port’s capacity to ensure a balanced distribution. You mentioned that the phrasing could be designed to appear appealing initially but ultimately delivers no real benefit.