What You Need for DSL

To use DSL, you must also have phone service that enters the building via a landline. You may purchase these services individually, but many companies offer bundled packages that include both. You must also have a telephone cable that you can plug into the wall phone jack and the back of a modem. Most companies provide you with this cable as part of your equipment package. You can also buy them at most stores that sell electronics.

A phone line filter plugs into the wall jack and improves the quality of both the phone and Internet signals. Without it, you will hear static on the phone line and experience a drop in Internet speed. Almost any device that plugs into the phone jack requires a filter, including fax machines and security systems.

The modem converts the incoming analog signal to a digital signal that the computer can use. It is sometimes also combined with a router, which examines the incoming data, routes it appropriately and provides additional network security. Both the telephone cable and the Ethernet cable, which transmits the Internet signal to the computer, are connected to the modem and router. This is the only device that must connect to the phone jack without the phone line filter.

To access the Internet, you must have a computer with an Ethernet or USB port and a web browser, such as Internet Explorer or Safari. Most computers have a web browser pre-installed, but you may also download one from the Internet. DSL also requires an Ethernet cable to connect the computer to the router. This cable can have an Ethernet connection on both ends, or on the end that connects to the router only, with a USB connection on the other end.