SRS, your system looks a bit different to the UK one. Over here on domestic systems, the wires usualy go into a phone socket and I don't think you are allowed to touch the supplier (BT) side of the wiring but are supposed to plug things into the socket and have all equipment in such a way as it can be easily disconnected. The last time I broke what I think are the rules was to fit an extension bell which came with a plug to fit the socket and another slot to take the phone. I snipped that off and joined in the back instead as I did not want an unsightly arragement of one device plugged into another and then into another and that was the quickest and easiest way of doing a neat job.

We don't get DSL here on a normal line but where that sort of broadband is available have ASDL, the A standing for asynchronious (?sp). It's a bit like some (or all?) of the 56K modem standards - recieve is faster than transmit - I think ours is 512/256K. There are faster recieve speeds but options available depend not only on ISP charges for different services but on the feasability of the lines carrying the faster rates - I think we are too far from the exchange for that to be an option here.

The way we use phone and ASDL is to have filters plugged into the BT socket(s). The filter has 2 outlet sockets. One for the phone and the other for the computer equipment. The sockets are different sizes btw. I've a feeling that in the US, you use an RJ-11 for a phone. That's the one we use for modems but the phone is something else (I just call it bt).