[A*UG] Newbie question

[Abhinav]

Hi
I am thinking about installing asterisk at home and I am a complete
newbie. I have few basic questions and I would appreciate if someone
could point me in the right direction to get answers
1. What kind of service do I need so I can make calls to non-ip phones?
2. What kind of internet connection do I need to have clear
communication? It is for home use,  for two to three people. The
internet connection is mainly used to surf the web and watching web
videos etc.
3. What kind of hardware do I need besides a linux box? Special phone?
What interfaces a normal phone to the server?

Thanks
-Abhi