When shopping for high-speed Internet, it is easy to get a little lost with all the jargon that advertisers use when describing how their technology works. There are some ways to determine what "wireless" means in the context of a DSL connection.

DSL Basics

DSL stands for "digital subscriber line." It is a high-speed Internet connection that uses your phone jack instead of a coaxial cable or satellite. Connection quality depends strongly on the distance from the provider's local Internet hub, called a "DSLAM."

Wireless Basics

Your home network can be set up in the wireless variety, which eliminates cables and allows you to connect to your modem through a wall or other physical obstruction. Information is ideally encrypted with WPA (Wireless Protected Access) to prevent people nearby from reading sensitive data.

Wireless Modems

Your DSL modem can be wired or wireless. A wired modem can connect to a wireless router that connects all your computers to that Internet connection. This choice is ideal, since a wireless modem may not have a built-in firewall.

Other Wireless Connections

"Wireless" Internet can also refer to public Wi-Fi or cell phone networks, which is enabled in some devices (such as an iPod Touch or Amazon Kindle) to connect to the Internet wherever a wireless connection is available, like in a downtown coffee shop.

Other Wireless Devices

"Wireless" can also refer to keyboards, mice, Bluetooth headsets and even printers and scanners. In this context, these devices connect to your computer instead of the Internet.

Source:

DSLAMs Explained

How WPA works

Firewalls and Network Security