Media for Some general questions on DSL.

Some general questions on DSL.

Well my equipment arrived and I have some general questions:

1) Suprise, suprise, my modem is a Efficient SpeedSteam 5100 ( it says 5100 not 5100b on the box ). But no manual came with the modem, just software and a manual for the software. Also how do I find out the settings I use ie ethernet address, DNS whatever else is needed. I suspect the software configures this, but I would rather avoid the software, just whatever software is needed to control the modem. ( By the way, where can I download that? I suspect from the same place that you download the manual. )

2) They provide a cable to connect the modem to the phone socket. It looks different from standard phone cable. Unfortunately I need about twenty feet and they give me ten :( Do I need special DSL cable or is any phone extension cable good? ( Or I can use the whole ethernet cable to make up the distance and leave the modem in my bathroom ;) ).

3) They say put a dsl filter on every device. They are emphatic about this. Their drawing looks like this:

wall outlet --insert filter here--device wall outlet --insert filter here--device wall outlet --insert filter here--device ....

My configuration looks like

wall outlet --splitter -- previous modem +----Caller ID---answering machine---phone

To me it seems logical to do this: wall outlet -- combination dsl filter/splitter--dsl modem +CallerID--answering machine--phone .

but a strict reading of the manual would suggest

wall outlet -- combination dsl filter/splitter--dsl modem +CallerID--dsl filter--answering machine-- dsl filter--phone .

Which is it?

Thanks.