Standard curtain rods -- the types with brackets that install to the wall to hold the rod in place -- can be used on cement basement walls. You simply need the proper hardware, which consists of masonry anchors. To install the curtain rod, find the location for the wall brackets and mark the screw holes in each bracket. A masonry anchor should be installed at each hole, then the brackets can be installed to the wall as normal.
Cable rods have almost exactly the same installation process as standard curtain rods, so they can be used on basement walls as well. The rods consist of brackets, just like standard curtain rods, but don't use a standard-sized metal rod. Instead, the “rod” is a thin piece of metal that stretches between the two brackets. To install a cable rod on cement basement walls, determine where you want to place the brackets and mark the screw holes, then install masonry anchors and screw the brackets into place.
If you'd like to put a curtain between two walls of a basement, you can forego hardware altogether by using a tension rod. A tension rod has two connected pieces that extend away from each other and lock into place. When extended from one wall surface to another, the pressure from the interior of the rod pushing out to the walls holds the rod in place. A tension rod also works in a concave window frame, because the rod can be extended between the two sides of the frame.
Masonry anchors serve as hanging hardware for any object that you want to hang on a concrete or cement wall, including a curtain rod. Though each type of mortar anchor installs a little differently, the basic process remains the same. Install the anchor by first drilling a hole roughly 1/8 inch smaller than the diameter of the anchor, then tapping the anchor into the hole with a hammer. Once you have the anchor in place, the screws goes into the anchor and expand the anchor to ensure a tight hold.