We'd put off calling support because we didn't want to deal with someone who didn't know English well and who might know even less about internet connections. So we kept struggling, resetting the modem and struggling. Finally Julia got the idea it wasn't our phone line, but the modem. I looked on the Staples.com website to see if they sold DSL modems. They did, and the customer reports included a man in Casa Grande Arizona with Qwest DSL who reported success and much faster speeds than with the old 'Actiontec' modem that came with DSL sign up. Same climate, same company, I had some hope.

I checked availability, and yes, both Staples stores had them. So Thursday night, before going to the library, we got one. While I was at work Friday, Julia studied the package. The box informed us it lacked a 'line filter'. I checked the web, saw what one looked like, and what its purpose was. Then I checked Staples.com. Yes! Availability in Yuma!

So we picked one of those up, along with another tiny device called a 'splitter' which the store 'geek' advised. We got home, I checked online to see what further advice we might get. We learned our DSL username and password would be required. Neither Julia nor I could find this. I learned from hunting old emails that we'd got hooked up to DSL in March of 2005, but had made no record of passwords. Julia found less hints than that. She lamented, "how could I have not written this down?" I found a Qwest bill, which gave a phone number for customer support and Julia called.

She wrote the info down, and we fearfully started the process. I shut down the new computer while Julia shut down the old computer. First she attached the line filter to the phone and checked to see if we had dial tone. We did, so she began undoing the rest of the cables. The old set up required a router for two-computer access, whereas this modem has several ethernet cable inlets, no router necessary.

We got everything attached as best we could, and turned on the computer nearest the phone line. We put in the CD and followed its instructions, glad we'd got the username and password ahead of time, for these were indeed requested. A few minutes pause while the modem talked to the Qwest network, then the process seemed done.