How to Fix a Slow AT&T DSL Connection

DSL modems use phone lines to transfer data.

The maximum speed of your AT&T DSL connection is determined by the Internet service package to which you subscribe. More expensive packages are generally faster, but many home connections don't reach the speeds advertised for their package. DSL modems share phone lines with regular telephone service. If a phone, modem or home network is set up improperly, DSL and voice signals interfere with each other, resulting in a slow Internet connection.

Things You'll Need

• DSL modem
• Ethernet cable (2 or more if using wired router)
• DSL filter dongles
• Wired or wireless router (optional)mode

Instructions

1. Unplug the phones in your house from the telephone outlets.

2. Plug a DSL filter dongle into each telephone outlet.

3. Plug the phone into the DSL filter dongle.

4. Contact AT&T and ask them to install a "POTS-splitter" or "DSL splitter" at your address if they haven't already. Make sure someone is home when the technician installs the DSL splitter so you know where it is.

5. Set up the DSL modem as close to the DSL-splitter as possible. Connect the modem to the jack marked "Internet" or "Digital" on the DSL-splitter. Modems connected to the other port will not work.

6. Set up your network router as close to the modem as possible. If the modem is in an inconvenient location, you can set up your router elsewhere, though you may need a fairly long ethernet cable to connect it to the modem. Alternatively, you could use a wireless router.

Tips & Warnings

• The DSL technician may have installed DSL filters on your phones when initially setting up your Internet service, but phones may have been plugged in elsewhere since then.

• If your house already has a DSL-splitter installed and you're not sure where it is, contact AT&T and ask how to find it.

• Your AT&T DSL connection might not be the problem. Check out Resource 1 for some other potential causes of slow Internet connections.

References

• Cisco: Using POTS Splitters and Microfilters in a DSL Environment
• Compute Magazine: How To Speed Up Your Broadband DSL Throughput
• Home Phone Wiring: Installing the DSL splitter near the NID
• Tech FAQ: DSL Splitter

Resources

• Velocity Guide: Slow DSL Internet Connections