SBC Yahoo DSL

SBC Yahoo DSL offers fast, reliable broadband at a bargain price. In fact, it's cheaper than a lot of dial-up ISPs, including America Online. How cheap? It costs just $14.95 per month for SBC Yahoo DSL Express and $24.95 per month for the faster DSL Pro with a one-year contract. Without a contract, SBC's month-to-month plans are overpriced: $49.95 for DSL Express, or $55.99 for DSL Pro. Obviously, SBC's cut-rate broadband has proven popular; the service has 6 million subscribers in its 13-state region, which includes California, Texas, Connecticut, and a large swath of the Midwest. Overall, we think EarthLink offers a better package.

Setup is easy. Unlike cable broadband, SBC Yahoo DSL is a do-it-yourself install. (For $200, SBC will install it for you, though.) After ordering SBC Yahoo DSL via phone or the Web, you receive an installation CD, the required cables, and a DSL modem or router in the mail. Our setup kit arrived within a week. The well-organized CD uses illustrations to guide you through hardware setup, which consists mostly of connecting the DSL modem or router to the PC, an AC outlet, and a phone line. You'll also have to place a DSL line filter (supplied by SBC) on every phone, fax, or answering machine that shares the same line. Software installation involves a few mouse clicks and some minimal data entry and is painless. We were done within an hour.

SBC Yahoo's basic DSL modem, the Siemens 5100, is free, but if you have multiple computers, consider purchasing the $50 2Wire Home Portal 1701HG, a wireless gateway for the home that lets you connect computers, printers, audio streamers, and other peripherals via Ethernet (four ports), USB (one port), or Wi-Fi. The $80 Wireless Home Networking bundle for laptops from SBC Yahoo adds an 802.11g wireless PC Card adapter. (Note: All prices are after rebates. You'll also pay sales tax and a $12.95 shipping fee.)