DSL
DSL stands for "Digital Subscriber Line" and is a very specific type of "broadband" or "high-speed" Internet connectivity service. DSL runs over your phone line, but unlike dialup service, DSL uses different frequencies than voice services, so you can use both DSL and Voice at the same time without interference (note that DSL requires a "filter" on your phone line so that the DSL signal isn't co-mingled with your Voice service.
Unlike Dialup, which can be used on virtually any telephone line, your telephone line has to be provisioned by the telephone company (e.g. Qwest) to allow DSL. You can check to see if your telephone number qualifies .
Even if you phone line qualifies for DSL, you may not be able to obtain all the speeds generally provided by the telephone company. This is due to a number of factors, but the qualification tools available through Qwest or through us will tell you what speeds you qualify for. In most cases, the fast the speed, the higher the cost.
You should try to match your speed requirements to your needs. If you use your DSL email and very light web-surfing, a 256K connection (five times the speed of dialup) is probably adequate. If you're an "E-Bayer" or frequently download pictures or other large files, 1.5Mb is probably a better speed (twenty-five times the speed of dialup)>. If you use the Internet as part of your job, or if you're a gamer, you probably want to increase your speed to 3.0Mb or even higher.
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