Sir90210 is right. Who is the company who you send your check to every month for service?
My advice:
Turn off your DSL box, and your laptop. Then turn on the DSL first, wait for it to come up completely (should take about 60 seconds) THEN turn your laptop on.
Also, buy a router as Dreamteacher said, this will give you a layer of security between your computer and the 'net. I recommend a Linksys, but Netgear is a decent brand as well. The router that she was talking about also included Wireless (wifi) functionality. Did your laptop come equipped with that? If so, i recommend you get a router with wireless built in. 'G' is the current wireless speed, an older, slower version is 'B', i recommend G. If you don't have, or don't want wireless connectivity, just get a DSL/Cable router/switch. this will allow you to connect multiple computers to your internet connection as well. Don't go to Wal*Mart though, the kid behind the counter won't have any idea of what he's talking about. Go to Circuit City, Best Buy, Office Max, Comp USA, or a similiar store. The person working there will be much more knowlegable.
and again, if you do get a router, turn off the DSL box, plug it all together, and turn on the DSL first, the router second (at this point, your computer should be fine, you might have to reboot, but hopefully it won't necessary)