Combine Two Internet Connections

This article teaches you how to combine two or more Internet networks into one main network. In doing so, you will split your download speed between the two or more available internet connections so that your overall browsing speed remains unaffected by large downloads or continuous streaming.

Steps

Bridging Windows LAN and Wireless Connections (PC Only)

  1. Make sure you have a USB Wi-Fi adapter. You'll need at least one of these for your computer to be able to recognize more than one wireless network.
    • In most cases, installing a Wi-Fi adapter is as simple as plugging it into your computer's USB port.
    • After connecting your USB Wi-Fi adapter, you should be able to connect to another network by clicking the Wi-Fi icon in the bottom right corner of your screen, selecting a network to which you aren't already connected, and clicking Connect. Doing so shouldn't disconnect you from your current network.
  2. Hold down ⊞ Win and tap X. This will open the Windows quick-access menu directly over the Start button (bottom left-hand corner of your screen).
    • You can also right-click the Start button to open this menu.
  3. Click Control Panel. It's below the Task Manager option.
  4. Click Network and Internet.
  5. Click Network and Sharing Center. It should be at the top of the window.
  6. Hold down Ctrl and click each active network. Doing so will select each network you wish to combine.
    • Active networks are the ones that don't have an in the corner of their icons.
  7. Right-click a selected network. You should see a drop-down menu appear.
  8. Click Bridge Connections. You may need to confirm that you want to do this as an administrator. Your selected networks should now be working together to split your internet connection.[1]
    • If you aren't using the administrator account, you may not be able to combine these networks.

Using a Load Balancing Router

  1. Purchase a load-balancing router. You can connect multiple modems with different wireless networks to your load-balancing router in order to process all of the modems' connections through one broadcast.[2]
    • A load-balancing router will cost you between $40 and $90.
  2. Connect any modems to your router. If you have two or more wireless networks broadcasting from separate modems, you can connect them to your load-balancing router by attaching one end of an Ethernet cable to the square "Internet" port on your selected modem and then connecting the other end to a square port on the back of your router.
  3. Install your router's drivers. These will usually come on a disk.
  4. Open the router's configuration page on your computer. The configuration page is usually reachable by completing the router's installation. If you don't see an option marked Configure, Properties, or something similar, consult the router's manual.
  5. Click Advanced.
  6. Click Load Balancing.
  7. Click the "Enable Application Optimized Routing" box. This should uncheck it.
  8. Uncheck the "Enable Bandwidth Based Balance Routing" box. Unchecking this box and the one before it will allow your load-balancing router to distribute your connected Wi-Fi networks in one single connection.[1]
  9. Click OK.
  10. Connect your computer to your load balancing router. This process will vary based on the router you purchased, but you should be able to do so by selecting your router's name from your computer's connection manager and entering the router's password (it should be on a sticker located beneath or on the back of your router).
  11. Enjoy your combined connections' speed. If you've completed your load-bearing router setup and connected your computer to the router, you should notice a difference in your browsing speed!

Using Speedify

  1. Know that Speedify is a paid service. While you can test out Speedify for up to one gigabyte of downloaded data for free, you'll need to pay a monthly (or annual) fee to continue using Speedify after this.
    • As of February 2017, the monthly cost for an unlimited subscription to Speedify is $8.99, while the yearly cost for the same subscription is $49.99.
  2. Make sure you have a USB Wi-Fi adaptor. As long as you've plugged in and installed your USB Wi-Fi adapter, you should be able to click Connect on a second wireless network without having to disconnect from the one to which you're currently connected.
  3. Open the Speedify Download page. You can download the Speedify setup file from here.
  4. Select your platform. You'll need to click either Mac or PC on this page. After doing so, your download should commence automatically.
    • MacOS Sierra doesn't allow for more than one wireless connection at a time. If you're using a Mac, you'll need to download a third-party Wi-Fi manager to continue with this method.[3]
  5. Double-click the Speedify setup file. This should be in your default "Downloads" folder (e.g., your desktop or documents folders).
    • You may have to allow Speedify access to your computer before you can continue.
  6. Follow the on-screen instructions. Speedify will automatically update itself before you can use it. Once it's done updating, it should open to the full Speedify program.
  7. Make sure the Speedify switch is green. This is in the middle of the app's screen. After doing so, Speedify will automatically review and combine your internet connections.
    • If you want to upgrade your Speedify account at any time, you will need to click the Upgrade button at the bottom of the app window. You may need to disable the Speedify switch first.
    • Upgrading your Speedify account means you'll need to create an account with Speedify. You can do this from within the app.

Tips

  • Speedify is the newest version of the "Connectify Dispatch" app.[4]
  • While combining your internet connections doesn't exactly double your download speeds, it does increase your bandwidth (e.g., the amount of space you have to download things before you notice any slow-down).
  • Try streaming a movie while downloading a large file with your internet connections combined to see how much your bandwidth has improved.
  • If you don't have another wireless network outside of your home or work network available, you can set up your smartphone as a wireless hotspot to create your own custom wireless network.

Warnings

  • If you choose to download a Wi-Fi manager for your Mac, make sure you're doing so from a Find-if-a-Website-Is-Legitimate that won't infect your computer or steal your information.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 http://techwelkin.com/combine-multiple-internet-connections
  2. ↑ http://www.tp-link.com/en/products/details/cat-4910_TL-R480T+.html
  3. ↑ https://support.speedify.com/article/117-how-to-combine-two-wi-fi-internet-connections
  4. ↑ http://lifehacker.com/how-to-combine-multiple-internet-connections-into-one-s-1699431630
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