AT&T DSL Options

Digital Subscriber Line, or DSL, connects users to the Internet by accessing home and neighborhood land lines. Data travels through these land lines to a central hub, which then routes the connection to the internet. The general speed of DSL connections depends on how close the home is to the central hub, quality of the home and neighborhood land lines and servicing equipment. The higher the speed, the higher the monthly cost.

AT&T; makes high-speed Internet available without needing an active phone account with the company. Prices range from $15 to $25 per month at the time of publican, with higher prices attributed to faster speeds. DSL Direct 768K, which would serve well for basic email accounts, has a downstream speed of 768 kilobytes per second, or Kbps. DSL Direct 1.5M speed is 1.5 megabytes per second, or Mbps. DSL Direct 3.0, which could support Internet chat and social networking, is 3 Mbps, while DSL Direct 6.0 provides downloads up to 6 Mbps and can serve for basic online game play.

The U-verse speeds are considerably faster than Internet Direct plans. U-verse customers can also subscribe to high-definition television services. U-verse Pro downstream speed is 3 Mbps, ideal for sharing photos. U-Verse Elite offers 6 Mbps service. U-verse Max makes file uploading easy at 12 Mbps. If the customer is into downloading movies, MaxPlus serves at 18 Mbps. People who use video conference services and intense online gamers may want to use MaxTurbo DSL, which has a downstream speed of 24 Mbps.

U-verse subscribers get a Wireless Gateway that allows for laptops and PCs to connect without a direct line to the DSL router. Otherwise, standard DSL users must purchase a DSL modem, power supply and connecting data cable. A DSL 2-line phone filter is also needed if phone service is also used. All of this equipment can be purchased separately, although AT&T; has some for sale on its website.