How to Switch From Dial-Up to DSL

DSL service comes in from your regular land-line phone cable.

So you're looking to get rid of that old, slow dial-up Internet service and enter the 21st century with high-speed DSL. Digital Subscriber Line, or DSL, is the easiest and often cheapest way to upgrade your service, as it requires no additional wiring to your home as long as you have a working phone line. The new hardware is minimal and usually provided, and can be installed by just about anyone.

Things You'll Need

• DSL modem kit from your local phone company

Instructions

1. Call your phone company, and ask to be upgraded to DSL. The activation usually takes a few days, during which the company will send you everything you need to get started.

2. Install your DSL modem. Locate a place in your home where you would like to connect your computer, then locate the nearest phone jack. Disconnect any phone line coming out of that jack, and connect the phone jack that came with your DSL modem kit. Connect the other end of the phone cord to the "Line In" port on the back of your DSL modem.

3. Connect your modem to your computer. Locate the output port from the DSL modem, which is roughly twice the size of a regular phone jack and is called an Ethernet port. Then connect the Ethernet cable from your DSL modem kit to this port the same way you connected the phone cords. Then locate an identical Ethernet port on your computer. This is usually in the back, and probably close to where you previously connected your modem.

4. Plug your DSL modem into a power plug, and turn it on. Give the modem several minutes to boot up. Then open a browser (e.g. Internet Explorer or Firefox) on your computer. If you do not have Internet, call your phone company, as your DSL likely has not been activated yet.

5. Install your DSL filters on every other phone in your home. DSL has the drawback of putting a lot of static on your phone line, which can be heard if you're talking on the same line, or interfere with things such as fax machines and alarm systems. Simply disconnect your phone from the phone jack, and clip the wire into the phone jack on the DSL filter. Then plug the filter back into the same phone jack. Repeat for all remaining phone connections.

Tips & Warnings

• Your phone company may not provide you with enough DSL filters. These can be easily purchased at your local electronics store for a negligible amount of money, and are universal for all DSL services.

References

• Verizon: Residential High-Speed Internet