Picking up the internet on a wall phone connection on a laptop pc?

Question

I tried the wireless connection in the office and had no luck. I guess i need to hook up with the wire connection in the wall. I have thje Dell Inspiron. It is supposed to have a modem. Can I just hook in the wall connection and pick up the provider or do I need to add software from the provider? What doi I do when If with the pushing of the right buttons when I am connecting to the provider in the wall connection? Please elaborate/ Do I need a router? Whst is a router for?
thanks

Answer 1

Yes. Normally. If your laptop has a built in modem, you can use it to dial out, BUT you will need a service. AOL, Earthlink, Mindspring, these are all ISP Services. The Service is the number (usually a local access number) which you dial up and get your internet connection.

However, please note that this means you need an ANALOG phone line. Your modem will not work with a Digital Phone line.

Answer 2

You will need to get DSL service from the telephone provider in your area. They will then provide you with a package that has the Modem/Router, Filters (needed so you can use your phone while on the computer) and software to set up you computer the DSL.