Get Connected to the Web
You might be revving up your engine to cruise on the so-called information
superhighway, but the fast-paced drivers beware. Before you put the pedal to the metal,
you'll want to consider a few things. Otherwise, you will find yourself in the biggest
traffic jam of your life.
What's So Hard About Hardware?
It doesn't take a super computer to connect to the Web, but your computer needs a few
features before you can bring your Web dreams to life. Many Internet users get on the
World Wide Web to do research and aren't interested in viewing the fancy graphics at the
Dr. Seuss WWW site or hearing a scene from the next Voyager episode at the Star Trek Web
site. These users want fast connections and no frills. They're content to use the
character-based World Wide Web browsers, like Lynx. For the basic user, you can get by
with the hardware features listed in the following table.
Hardware for the No Frills Internet User
|
Hardware
|
PC-Compatible
|
Macintosh
|
|
Processor
|
80386SX
|
68030
|
|
Speed
|
25 MHz
|
25 MHz
|
|
RAM
|
4 MB
|
5 MB
|
|
Disk Space
|
8 MB
|
8 MB
|
|
Graphics
|
VGA
|
Color
|
|
Modem
|
9,600bps
|
9,600bps
|
Other users want to take their Web surfing to the maximum. They want high speed and a
lot of images. If that's you, you'll need a computer that meets the hardware
specifications listed in the following table.
Hardware for Web Surfing that Makes Your Eyes
Bug Out
|
Hardware
|
PC-Compatible
|
Macintosh
|
|
Processor
|
Pentium 100
|
PowerPC-601
|
|
Speed
|
33/66 MHz
|
40 MHz
|
|
RAM
|
16 MB
|
16 MB
|
|
Disk Space
|
8 MB
|
8 MB
|
|
Graphics
|
Super-VGA
|
8-bit, 256-color
|
|
Modem
|
28,8000 bps/ISDN
|
28,800 bps/ISDN
|
If you've got the cash, go ahead and buy a computer with muscle, since computer
technicians have their stop watches on an even faster computer every day. But don't let
the competition swallow you. Just because you've bought a 160 MHz computer doesn't mean
that you'll be the next jet airplane flying by Web sites. Your Internet connection, more
than any other feature, makes the difference between a fast flight or a nose dive.
Internet users connect either through telephone lines or through a local area network
at school or work. If you plan to use a telephone line to dial-up to the Internet from
home, the next section is for you. The connection process may seem as delicate as cracking
an egg, but there's a recipe for making the right choices and following the tips can help
make your connection a piece of cake.
Tying Up the Lines: Telephones and
Modems
To connect to the World Wide Web, you'll need a telephone line. You might be thinking,
"Duh, of course I have a telephone line." Here's the catch. When you dial into
the Internet, you have the phone line tied up for as long as you're connected. If you have
a teenage daughter waiting for a call, you might be in trouble. Nobody can call out or
call in when you're online.
One way to make your teenage daughter smile is to install a second phone line. That
way, you can use one line for connecting to the Internet, and the other line for
person-to-person calls.
Kai Pan is the marketing director for Clarity Connect, an Internet Services Provider in
Ithaca, N.Y. He thinks that the decision to purchase a dedicated line depends on the
user's needs. "A minority of users need faster access, as well as higher connection
ranges," Pan said. "Of course, with that comes a higher price."
"A minority of users need faster access, as well as higher connection
ranges," Pan said. "Of course, with that comes a higher price."
If you don't have the spare change, you can still make a connection to the Internet by
sharing your single line with the modem.
What's a Modem Got to Do with It?
If your computer doesn't already have one, you'll need to get a modem to connect to the
Internet. The modem allows your computer to use the telephone line to call another
computer. Basically, this small piece of hardware is your ticket to Internet land or bust.
When purchasing a modem at a local hardware vendor or through a mail order company,
look for some basic features. First, you can choose between an external and internal
modem. External modems are easy to connect to your computer and sit on your desk. They are
slightly more expensive, and older computers may not support the faster external modems.
Most users opt for internal modems. They cost less and tuck inside your computer. Many
new computers come with a modem intact, but if your computer didn't, you'll have to open
your computer case and wrestle a bit with installing the hardware.
The next consideration is speed. Viewing the heavy graphics on the World Wide Web with
less than 14,400 bits per second (bps), V.32bis/V.42bis-compliant modem would be like
trying to drive across the country without shifting above second gear. If you want to put
some turbo behind your Web browsing, a V.34 with 28,800 bps is even better—and best
yet are the new V.42bis 33,6000 bps modems.
Don't Let SLIP Slide You Out of the Internet
If you're trying to get the most for the minimum, you can connect to the Internet with
slower modems. But beware of modems without V.42 error correction and V.42bis data
compression. Many users connect to the Internet through PPP (Point-to-Point Protocol).
Some Internet Services Providers, though, still use the older method, called Serial Line
Internet Protocol (SLIP). Because SLIP doesn't include any error correction, the least bit
of line noise can knock the network connection for a loop. Without a modem that smoothes
the lines, connecting to the Internet would be like calling your friend and getting
disconnected each time you dialed.
Data compression is another helper for SLIP. Because SLIP has high latency, meaning SLIP
transfers information at a turtle's pace, the compression can make the information a
lighter load to transfer. You'll save time because data compression will get you connected
in a jiffy.
Before you shop for a modem, check with your Internet Service Provider to see what
brand and type of modem the company uses. Most modem brands work well together, but a
buying a speedy 33,600 bps modem won't do you a bit of good if your service provider
supports only speeds up to 14,400 bps. Think back to your teacher's lessons in class. The
teacher spoke at the highest speed at which each student could listen. That way, every
student understood the teacher's lesson and the teacher wasted no time. Modems do the same
thing. If you have a 14,400 bps modem and your service provider has a 28,800 bps modem,
the service provider modem will talk to your modem at 14,400 bps. That way, the modems
make stable and solid connections.
Geek Speak: Get a Grip on Jargon
Baud Rate The measure of how fast a modem can transmit and receive the electrical
"pulses" that carry data across a phone line.
Bits Per Second The measure of how fast a modem can transmit data in one second.
(Abbreviated: bps)
Error Correction Checks to make sure that data received on one end matches data
sent on the other. Without error correction, phone line noise can bump you offline.
Data Compression Data compression speeds the transmission of data by sending
repetitive patterns in data as codes. The codes take less space and time to send, so the
transmission runs quicker than with modems without data compression.
Future Trends: Beyond the Modem
The future is here for transmitting voice, video and data at a rocket-fast pace. Only here
doesn't necessarily mean in your neighborhood. With an Integrated Services Digital
Network (ISDN) connection, local digital telephone companies can transmit data at a rate
from 64 kilobits per second (Kbps) up to 128 Kbps versus the 28Kbps and 33.6Kbps possible
with regular modems. Imagine a race between a banana-seated bicycle and a Porsche. That's
the difference.
The only problem is that many cities don't have ISDN available. Pan, at Clarity
Connect, said, "ISDN is a little sporadic. It's primarily available in metropolitan
regions."
It doesn't hurt to ask if you can make an ISDN connection. Clarity Connect in a small
central New York city has been offering ISDN connections for a year and a half. Remember,
though, that your connection must talk at the same speed as your Internet Service
Provider's connection. Even if you can get ISDN, you won't get a speedier connection
unless your Internet Service Provider (ISP) also has ISDN lines.
The future hasn't yet arrived for cable lines, but it won't be long before the Internet
becomes fast enough for TV-like video. With the passage of the telecommunications bill in
February 1996, many cable television providers got the clue that the Internet is where
it's at. Right now, WebTV makes it possible for you to browse the Web through your
television set, but you still connect through the phone lines. With test sites in
progress, cable TV companies might change that. They are clocking Internet connection
speeds at 10 Mbps speeds, and they are pushing to make their cable lines the answer to
slow telephone connections.
CPU System: Do I Need Speed?
Central Processing Unit (CPU) speed is about as important to World Wide Web browsing as
your tires are to the speed of your car. Sure, you couldn't drive on a flat tire, but the
type of tire has little to do with the speed of your car. Similarly, the processing speed
of your CPU—whether it's 25 MHz or 100 MHz on a PC—doesn't make much difference
in your Web cruising speed. Your system's slowest component determines the speed of your
overall system. On the Web, the slowest component is the modem or the network itself.
A lot of memory (RAM), however, can make your Web ride a little smoother. In fact, some
newer versions of Web browsers require eight to 12 MB of RAM (Random Access Memory).
Memory is a lot like human's short term memory. Storing a lot of information in your short
term memory keeps you from having to go back and relearn what you forgot. Similarly, a
computer with a large amount of memory can hold more Web pages on its local system. If you
jump from one Web site to another and then decide that you want to go back to the first
site, your computer still has the first site in its memory. The browser only takes a few
seconds to get the site back at your fingertips.
Seeing is Believing with Graphics
Hardware
Graphics on the Web have turned many novice users into artists and art critics. With
the newer versions of Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer, you can barely
hit a Web link without downloading an image or Java applet. So, how much graphics hardware
does it take to get connected? Luckily, not a lot. When choosing a graphics card, you
should look for the following:
-
Graphics processor
-
Onboard memory
-
Interface
A graphics processor, like ATI's Mach128, picks up images and does the work to display
them. This takes the burden away from the main processor, which can use its energy to
process the text on the Web page.
You don't need to snatch up a graphics card with lots of memory. A graphics card with 1
MB of video memory will work like a charm because most color images on the Web have only
256 colors and 640X480 pixel resolution.
If you have your eyes set on the future, however, you might consider buying a graphics
card with 2 MB of memory and support for 24-bit color. As network capacities increase,
that memory will come in handy to send and receive true-color images, three-dimensional
graphics and virtual reality files.
Listen Up for Audio Hardware
It's a cinch for Web users to meet audio requirements. Macintosh users already have all
the sound equipment they need to handle Web audio files. PC users just need to swing by
the local software vendor and buy Sound Blaster-compatible sound cards. From there, it's
simple. Grab a set of speakers and headphones to hook to the sound card, and you've got
the gear to tune in to the Web at full volume.
Future Trends: 3D Graphics,
Animation, Java, and ActiveX
We've heard people getting "hooked on Java," but that doesn't just mean
they're addicted to caffeine. Java, created by Sun Microsystems, is a programming language
that has taken the World Wide Web by storm. If you see graphics moving like Mexican
jumping beans at a Web site, it's usually a Java applet at the helm of the mini-animation.
These Java programs make the Web more interactive, but they also require some higher-end
hardware. You can turn off Java in your Web browser, but if you want to see the Web in
full action, consider getting a fast CPU processor. It's hard to go wrong with a Pentium
processor that is at least 100 MHz.
After Java comes ActiveX. Formerly called Object Linking and Embedding (OLE), ActiveX
is a Microsoft technology to make interactive audio, video, and animation available on the
Web. Rumor has it that ActiveX will make the Microsoft Internet Explorer browser interactive
with a capital I. Only the daring will see how ActiveX plays the Web game. And if you dare
to be on the ActiveX team, you'll want to get a fast CPU processor speed. Even the
not-so-adventurous know that, like Java, ActiveX requires more system resources.
Thinking Hard about Software
The software you need to get online isn't as cuddly as the Winnie the Pooh bears and
Tigger pajamas that helped you sleep as a child. But just like those bedtime friends that
comforted you at night, the computer software you choose snuggles up to your hardware and
helps your computer do its job. The following section will help you choose sound software
for a smooth Internet connection.
Recipe for Getting Online
|
Item
|
Description
|
|
Internet Services Provider (ISP)
|
Like your telephone company that
supports your phone service, an ISP gives you access to the Internet. Each time you
connect to the Internet, you dial up your ISP with your modem, enter a username and
password, and then you're turned on to the Internet.
|
|
TCP/IP support
|
TCP/IP is a computer language
(called a network protocol) that enables computers to communicate with one another.
All computers that connect to the Internet and World Wide Web must use TCP/IP—even
your computer. Windows 95, Windows NT, and Macintosh include built-in support for TCP/IP.
If you have Windows 3.x, you need to get TCP/IP software, sometimes called a protocol
stack, for your computer. One such stack is Trumpet Winsock.
|
|
Connection software
|
After you configure your TCP/IP
software, you need connection software to dial up and connect to your ISP. This software
is sometimes called dialer software. Windows 95 has dialer software included in the
Dial-Up Networking feature. If you use Trumpet Winsock to connect Windows 3.x to
the Internet, Winsock has its own dialer.
|
|
Internet and Web software
|
Internet and Web software turns
the nuts and bolts of the Internet connection into the lively browsing you've heard about
from friends. Never fear if you're confused about which software to buy. The articles on
WWW browsers and e-mail and Usenet newsgroups can help you sort through the software
packages. You might also consider getting FTP, Gopher, and Telnet software. If you like a
quick and easy package, Internet software suites, like Spry's Internet in a Box and
Microsoft's Internet Starter Kit, make your connection a snap.
|
Hopping on Board with an Internet
Service Provider
If you're connecting from a business or school, your key to an Internet connection may
be baby steps away. Ask your systems administrator for help with setting up your
connection.
For those of you connecting from home, hold on tight. You're a hop, skip, and a jump
away from being able to peel out of this chapter and get hooked to the most addictive
service of your life—the Web, that is.
Before you start springing to action, you have to find an Internet Service Provider
(ISP). These providers charge you a few dollars a month and in return, they make a bridge
for your computer to cross over and reach the Internet world.
ISPs come in two basic flavors: national providers and local providers. The national
providers include companies such as AT&T, MCI, America Online, and CompuServe. Local
ISPs range from local telephone companies to local Internet businesses.
Local Public Libraries Offer More than Dusty Old Volumes
Public libraries have gotten savvy in recent years, and many libraries offer free Internet
service for their users. The Saint Joseph County Public Library in South Bend, Indiana was
the first public library in the U.S. to have a World Wide Web server. Joyce Hug, an
information specialist for the library, said that the library has been offering Internet
access to the public since May 1994. "It's something all libraries are trying to do,
if they want to stay viable," Hug said. "They realize it's what people
want."
Hug also mentions that beginners love using the library connections to the Internet,
especially since the South Bend library offers basic Internet classes. "The ones that
come in are the ones that aren't ready to dial up from home. The Internet isn't a big part
of their life yet," Hug said.
But the Internet is getting bigger. Hug explains that their Internet users have increased
tenfold in the past year. "We have had to institute time limits. They must sign in,
and we limit them to one hour if people are waiting," Hug said.
If you're not sure how much you plan to use the Internet, call your local public library
and see if you can give it a whirl for free. It's likely that you'll get a taste and want
to wrap up and take home an Internet doggy bag for keeps.
Seek and You Shall Find: What to Look
for in an Internet Service Provider
Choosing an Internet Service Provider isn't like signing a lifetime contract, but you
should be aware of the so-called fine print. For example, what do you want to do on the
Internet?
-
Do you want to do business online, using e-mail, transferring files and using Web
resources?
-
Do you want to get your children to jump on the Internet train and ride with the online
sources into the 21st century?
-
Or do you just want to have fun and jump links like a cyberjunkie?
Even after deciding how you want to use the Internet, matching your needs to the
Internet Service Provider's features can be like threading a needle. ISPs can be as alike
as apples and bananas, but you'll want to make a list and check off the following features
about an Internet Service Provider before making your ISP decision.
Software and Documentation
Many travelers would rather drive around a new town for hours before asking for
directions to their destination, and many new Internet users would rather fumble through
their connection before asking their ISP for help. Remember that you're paying for ISP
help, and getting connected doesn't have to be like untangling a knot. Ask your ISP for
user manuals and software that make a great map for getting you online fast.
Technical Support
At some point your e-mail message won't send, your World Wide Web browser will crash,
or your modem won't dial. That's when you'll need to call for help, and if you choose the
right ISP, they'll be waiting by the phone. Pan, at Clarity Connect in Ithaca, N.Y., said
that the number one feature users ask for is technical support. "That's by far the
most critical issue because there are a lot of people who are novices to the
technology," Pan said.
In fact, some local ISPs, like Clarity Connect and Michiana FreeNet in South Bend,
Indiana, will go to a users home if they have trouble with a capital T. If your ISP
can't make the trip to your home, make sure that you have a phone number and e-mail
address where you can reach technical support services. Some national ISPs, such as
America Online, offer extensive online technical support for their subscribers.
24-hour, 7-Day a Week Customer Service
Many users do not turn on their computers to "surf" until late in the evening
when the kids fall asleep or on weekends (instead of mowing the lawn). Internet connection
problems don't always happen between nine and five. Make sure your ISP has someone on
staff you can call at odd hours.
Training
Ever try to cook your first meal without a recipe? Many ISPs realize that users need a
boost to get the most out of their Internet connection. Some ISPs, such as Clarity
Connect, offer weekend seminars, online information, and frequently asked question (FAQs)
lists to help ease the Internet navigation for a new user. You can waste a lot of time if
you don't know where and how to look for out-of-sight Web resources.
Price
Internet Services Providers charge anywhere from $5 to $30 per month for an Internet
connection. Check with your ISP to see whether they offer a flat rate, or whether they
have additional charges if you connect more than a certain number of hours per month. If
you plan to e-mail and surf until your eyes bug out, choose an ISP with a flat rate
service.
Access
If you've ever tried ordering tickets by phone to see your favorite band, you know that
busy signals can be painful. Likewise, getting a busy signal when you dial into your ISP
is enough to make any online user want to pull the plug on the Internet.
John Schmitt, an America Online (AOL) subscriber, said that when AOL went to a flat
rate of $19.95 on December 2, 1996, his phone signals got buzzed. "Before the pricing
fiasco, it wasn't really a problem to get connected," Schmitt said. Now, though,
Schmitt has a hard time getting his modem to connect to AOL. "They've got to do
something to accommodate the new traffic," Schmitt said.
And they are. America Online spokesperson, Steve Sigmund, said that they plan to add
more modems to keep their 7 million users connected. "We've taken a lot of steps to
upgrade the system," Sigmund said.
It's just in time for Schmitt, but before you select an ISP, make sure that they can
support your calls into the Internet.
World Wide Web Home Pages
If you're looking to get a little fame through your own Web page, ask your ISP for
help. Some ISPs offer training in HTML code (the language of the World Wide Web) and let
customers put their home ages on the Web for free. Other ISPs charge users a small fee to
store the personal Web pages on the ISP server.
Special Services
In order to compete in the Internet market, many ISPs offer great extras
for subscribers. Currently, AOL offers 50 free hours of Internet connect time. For $19.95
per month, AOL also has chat rooms and instant message capabilities. The provider compiles
online information, such as stock quotes, news, and sports information. You can even find
a date at Love@AOL. As a user for nearly a year, John Schmitt thinks the AOL graphics put
the information in a neat package. "If I were putting beginners on, AOL would be the
place I'd send them," Schmitt said.
Trendy as they may seem, these add-ins are becoming common among ISPs
because users can't get enough of them. Local ISPs often give a free World Wide Web
browser, such as Netscape Navigator, to their subscribers. Pan, at Clarity Connect, said,
"Providing Netscape makes the process a lot easier for the novice."
"Providing Netscape makes the process a lot easier for the novice."
Check with your ISP choices to see what freebies you can get. Remember,
the customer always comes first!
Finding ISPs
Since Internet Services Providers don't just drop from the sky, some
places where you are bound to find an ISP include the following:
Yellow Pages It's hard to believe, but just a few years ago, the Internet was
barely a glimmer in the public's eye. Now, Internet has a boldface listing in the
local Yellow Pages. If you have an inkling for a local ISP, look in the Yellow Pages.
Chances are they're in there.
Local Telephone Company National telephone companies like AT&T, MCI, and
Sprint aren't the only ones offering Internet service. Many local phone services offer
connections at cheap rates. Call and find out what sort of deal you can make with them.
They might find you You don't have to look far to find some Internet Services
Providers. If you have purchased a computer recently, America Online will certainly find
you. They usually send one or two diskettes per month to new computer users. If you see a
good offer, take it. Some diskettes give you up to 50 free hours of Internet access.
National Internet Providers
|
America Online
|
Vienna, Va.
|
|
|
(800) 827-6364
|
|
|
http://www.aol.com
|
|
Ans CO+RE
|
Elmsord, N.Y.
|
|
|
(800) 456-8267
|
|
|
http://www.ans.net
|
|
AT&T Worldnet
|
Bridgewater, N.J.
|
|
|
(800) 967-5363
|
|
|
http://www.att.com/worldnet
|
|
BBN Planet
|
Cambridge, MA
|
|
|
(800) 472-4565
|
|
|
http://www.bbn.com
|
|
CerfNet, Inc.
|
San Deigo, CA
|
|
|
(800) 876-4103
|
|
|
http://www.cerf.net
|
|
CompuServe,Inc.
|
Columbus, OH
|
|
|
(800) 524-3388
|
|
|
http://www.compuserve.com
|
|
Global Enterprise Services, Inc.
|
Princeton, N.J.
|
|
|
(609) 897-7300
|
|
|
http://www.ges.com
|
|
IBM Internet Connection
|
Armonk, N.Y.
|
|
|
(800) 888-4103
|
|
|
http://www.ibm.com/globalnetwork
|
|
MCI Telecommunication, Inc.
|
Washington, D.C.
|
|
|
(800) 550-0927
|
|
|
http://www.internetmci.com
|
|
Netcom On-Line Communications
Services, Inc.
|
San Jose, CA
|
|
|
(800) 353-6600
|
|
|
http://www.netcom.com
|
|
PSINet, Inc.
|
Herndon, VA
|
|
|
(800) 827-7482
|
|
|
http://www.psi.net
|
|
Sprint
|
Kansas City, KA
|
|
|
(800) 225-5408
|
|
|
http://www.sprintbiz.com
|
|
Spry/CompuServe Internet
|
Bellevue, WA
|
|
|
(800) 777-9638
|
|
|
http://www.spry.com
|
|
UUNET Technologies, Inc.
|
Fairfax, VA
|
|
|
(800) 488-6384
|
|
|
http://www.uu.net
|
The Give and Take of Getting
Connected
Subscribing to an ISP isn't as easy as pulling the postcard from your
dream magazine, checking the "Bill Me Later" box and waiting for the first issue
to arrive at your doorstep. But the following sections might help you sort out the items
you'll give to and get from an ISP. Some ISPs ask for more and give less, while other ISPs
ask for less and give more. If you think you are missing an ingredient, be sure to ask
your ISP.
The Give: What Users Give the ISP
Login Name or Username This is a unique name you choose that lets you login to
the ISP. Some people get creative with usernames like "Ricedream," but usually,
login names are part of your name. Pat Buckman, for instance, may be pbuckman.
Password A password is your personal key through the doors of an ISP. When you
log into your ISP, you enter a login name and password. If either your password or login
name does not match the ISP's list of users, you won't be able to connect to your ISP. To
be on the safe side, keep your password a secret from other users.
Credit Card Number If you choose to be billed by credit card, you'll enter the
number online. Some ISPs offer an alternative for people who don't have a credit card, or
who don't want to give the number online. Ask your ISP for other payment options.
Don't be Duped—Choose a Local Number
Some Internet Services Providers give you a long list of phone numbers to choose as your
dial-up number. Think smart when making a choice because some numbers on the list may be
long distance phone numbers. That means that every time you dial into your ISP, you're
charged long distance charges by your phone company in addition to the ISP charges you
accumulate each month.
Don't sweat it too much, though. Just look for the one or two local numbers on the list,
and choose one of those. If there's only one local number and your ISP asks for a second
choice, choose the first number again (as your second choice).
The Take: What you Take from the ISP
Internet e-mail address You use e-mail addresses to send and receive e-mail once
you're connected to the Internet. Usually, the e-mail address is your username and domain
name of the ISP. It has three parts: the username; the at symbol (@); and the
domain name. Pat Buckman's e-mail would be pbuckman@isp.com. The trick to using and
sharing your e-mail address is to use it exactly as you get it. If you make any changes to
the address, you might get back a message marked Return to Sender.
Host name This is your computer's name on the Internet. Although you might want
to assign this yourself, your ISP must do this because it is only effective when you're
connected to the ISP. Usually, the host name is simply your username.
IP address Your IP (Internet Protocol) address is like a street address, but
with numbers only. IP addresses are four-part numbers separated by periods, and they must
be entered exactly as your ISP gives it to you (170.203.93.5). Sometimes, you will not be
given an IP address to enter on your computer because your ISP will assign an IP address
to you each time you log into the Internet. These type of IP addresses are called dynamic
IP addresses. Ask your ISP if you need an IP address to get connected with the provider.
News and e-mail server names These are the names of the ISP's usenet news and
e-mail servers. E-mail server names may be pop.uunet.com. News server names may be
nntp.uunet.com. Like e-mail addresses, these need to be typed exactly as the ISP gives
them to you. Otherwise, you won't be able to read your e-mail or subscribe to usenet
newsgroups.
TCP/IP: May the Force be with You
TCP/IP isn't exactly a new Star Wars character, but TCP/IP does save the
Internet world from a lot of chaos. This computer language enables computers to talk with
one another (called network protocol). If you didn't have TCP/IP, it would be like
trying to drive a car on a road with no rules—no stop signs, no speed limits, no
proper side on which to drive. Sound dangerous? It can be if your computer doesn't
understand another computer. That's why you have to get this TCP/IP configured—and
soon.
Getting TCP/IP
After you subscribe to an ISP and have all the software, hardware, and
information, you need to configure your system to be able to access the Internet.
Configuring the TCP/IP isn't always a snap, but your ISP might send you software that can
do the job in a flash.
If not, gather together your Windows 95 Setup disks or CD-ROM and
manual. You'll have to gallop through the Internet Setup Wizard steps that get you ready
to giddyup and go onto the Internet.
If you use another system, such as Windows 3.x, you will have to
purchase TCP/IP software from a vendor. On a Macintosh, you can use the built-in Mac TCP
software and configure the TCP/IP stack in the Control Panels of the System folder.
Dialing-Up
After you have the protocol secure, you'll have to make sure that your
dialer works with your modem. In some cases, Windows 95 automatically creates a dial-up
networking icon during the Internet Setup Wizard steps. If not, continue with the steps in
your manual that set your dialer spinning onto the Internet.
If you're using Windows 3.x, the TCP/IP package the you
purchased—such as Trumpet Winsock—should include dialer software. Use the
software instructions to configure the dialer, or ask your ISP for help.
