Digital Subscriber Line

FAQs and Installation of DSL Service

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DSL Frequently Asked Questions

What is DSL, anyway?
DSL technology turns your home or office telephone line into a three-channel data delivery system – one channel for voice, a second channel for data download and a third channel for upstream.

DSL's only logical competitor at this time is cable modem service. The primary difference between the two is that DSL is dedicated service, which means you get what you pay for. Cable modem service can vary depending on how many people in the neighborhood share the same pipe.

Does DSL require installing an additional phone line?

No. DSL service piggybacks on your existing phone line. DSL allows simultaneous analog (voice or fax) and DSL (data) transmission over the same telephone line. This is possible because the frequency varies between the two. Because of this, you can talk on your phone and access the Internet at the same time.

What can I expect when ordering DSL?

Normally, you will receive a self-install a couple of days after ordering service. This kit consists of of the DSL modem, a patch cable, several filters for your phone lines, and a CD with drivers on it. Your service might not be activated immediately, so you cannot expect to install the driver disk, plug in the modem and suddenly be online. You'll most likely be on the phone with your provider a few times until DSL service actually get turned on.

Which is better, DSL or Cable?

This is difficult to answer because each situation will differ depending on location and provider. Generally, cable will be faster, but if you live really close to your phone company, you can get great speed with DSL. You may need to experiment with each until you find what is best in regard to price and speed.

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