Step 1 – Place a DSL line filter on all telephone lines in the house. This will filter the voice services out from the Internet traffic and ensure that phone calls don’t interact with Internet usage. Most line filters simply plug into the phone jack and consist of two ports. One port is used for DSL traffic, while the other goes to phones.
Step 2 – Plug in the modem’s power cord and locate its Internet connection port. Since AT&T uses DSL lines to deliver Internet services, the port will use a standard phone cord. Plug the cord into the DSL modem’s Internet port and turn the modem on.
Step 3 – Plug an ethernet cable into the modem’s first ethernet port. If preferred, a USB cable may be used instead, though most modems only have one USB port so networking may be limited. USB is also incapable of reaching download speeds of ethernet so a delayed loading may be noticeable when surfing the web. Plug the other end of the connecting cable into your computer.
Step 4 – Insert the software disc that came with the DSL modem into your computer’s optical drive. This will prompt an installation menu to appear where you can install the DSL modem’s drivers. After choosing to install the drivers, the computer will recognize the modem as a network connection device.
Step 5 – Connect to the modem using your computer’s network connection software. This is usually located in the lower right-hand side of a computer’s taskbar. Insert the username and password provided by AT&T and choose the connection type. In the connection menu. You may choose to automatically connect to the network, or to require a password prompt before each future connection. Save your preferences and open a web-browser to test the Internet connection.