For millions of people, using the Internet is one of the most important functions of a PC. Few computer features have the potential to change your life as profoundly as the World Wide Web and email.
To join the Internet party already in progress, you need three components: a connection, such as a modem, cable modem, DSL, or corporate network; an Internet account; and Internet software, such as a Web browser or email program. This chapter guides you through setting up your computer for Internet access, and then shows you how to use Internet Explorer to find your way around the Web.
Note
Microsoft constantly improves and updates Internet Explorer. Windows 2000 comes with version 5.01, but that version has been succeeded by Internet Explorer 5.5 (or an even later version). Use the Windows Update tool (see Section 3.11) to upgrade your version to the latest available.
While you're at it, you may want to install the free software component called Windows 2000 High Encryption Update. Doing so not only adds a few features to your browser, but also improves the security and stability of your system.
Most people in big corporations connect to the Internet through the office network. The company sets up a high-speed Internet connection and attaches it to the network using a device called a router; if that's your situation, you've been spared the process of setting up and configuring an Internet account.
Most people at home, however, connect to the Internet using a standard dial-up modem, although a growing minority pays higher monthly fees for a higher-speed connection, such as a cable modem or Digital Subscriber Line (DSL).
For a dial-up connection, you connect a modem to a standard telephone line. Some people install phone line just for the computer; others let the modem share the regular voice line.
Tip
If you use a single phone line for both phone calls and modem calls, you can buy software (if you sign up for call waiting and caller ID features) to make this line-sharing more efficient. If you're surfing the Web when a voice call comes through, this kind of program makes a window pop up that tells you who's calling, so that you can decide whether or not it's worth signing off the Net to take the call. (You can read more about these programs, and download trial versions, by visiting http://www.pagoo.com/cc.asp , http://www.angelfire.com/biz/cfscredit/icm.html, or http://www.callwave.com .)
Once you've installed your modem (if it didn't come preinstalled), you can sign up for an account with an Internet Service Provider (ISP). The ISP supplies the telephone number that your modem will dial, along with the account name and password you use to connect. Most of the world connects to the Internet using this modem/ISP arrangement, thanks to its low cost, easy setup, and flexibility (you can easily switch ISPs whenever a better deal comes along).
The increasingly popular cable modems and DSL give you Internet connections that can be 5 to 50 times the speed of a traditional dial-up modem. For example, to download a 2 MB file with a standard modem, you have to wait at least 5 minutes. A cable modem, on the other hand, transfers the same file in about 10 seconds. Even complex Web pages pop up almost immediately.
Note, however, that these connections aren't as flexible as dial-up modems. Your local cable TV company provides your cable modem, so you can't very well switch to another cable provider if you don't like the service. And you may find that the service slows down during peak hours.
A DSL connection is similar in many regards: Once again, the DSL box connects to an networking card in your computer; a technician from the DSL provider (often the phone company) does the installation and setup for you; and when the installation is complete, your computer remains online around the clock. You can even make phone calls and surf the Net simultaneously.
The biggest limitation of DSL is that your PC must be within a certain distance (about three miles) of the phone company's nearest central office. The faster the connection, the shorter the distance it can span.
Once you've chosen a method of connecting to the Net, you need an Internet account. You can get one in either of two ways: by signing up for an online service, such as America Online (AOL) or Microsoft Network (MSN), or by getting a direct Internet account with an Internet service provider (ISP), such as EarthLink, IDT, AT&T, MCI WorldCom, or any of hundreds of smaller, local companies.
Tip
The Internet is filled with Web sites that list, describe, and recommend ISPs. One of the best such listings is at http://www.boardwatch.com. (Of course, until you've actually got your Internet account working, you'll have to do such research on a PC that is online, such as the free terminals available at most public libraries.)
Online services and ISPs present both significant pros and cons. For example:
Most ISPs cost $20 a month for unlimited Internet use; America Online and MSN cost $22 per month.
Online services strike many people as easier to use, because you can use a single program for all Internet functions, including email and Web surfing. When you sign up for an ISP, on the other hand, you use a different application for each function, such as Internet Explorer for surfing the Web and Outlook Express for email.
Because online services are slightly easier to use than ISP accounts, and because they attract many first-timers, people who consider themselves Internet experts may look down their noses at MSN and America Online members.
Signing up for an online-service company is easy; you simply insert one of the ubiquitous starter CDs you find in your mailbox every week or so, or call the company to request one. When you run the installer, you type in your name, address, and credit-card number when requested, and begin surfing.
If you'd prefer to sign up for a standard Internet (ISP) account, you'll probably follow one of these avenues:
If you've signed up for DSL or cable modem service, a technician from the phone or cable company will visit you and set up your hardware and software.
If you've signed up for one of the national ISPs, such as AT&T WorldNet or EarthLink, special setup software comes with your startup kit.
If you're signing up for any other ISP, such as a regional one that doesn't provide setup software or a national one whose setup kit won't be arriving for days, you can use the Internet Connection Wizard to setup your Internet connection. That's the topic of the next section.
To get your ISP account going, make sure that your computer's modem is plugged into a phone jack. Double-click the Connect to the Internet icon on the desktop, or select Programs→Accessories→Communications→Internet Connection Wizard, and then follow these steps:
Choose the first option on the Welcome screen (Figure 11-1).
Figure 11-1. If you don't have an account with an Internet Service Provider (ISP) yet, choose "I want to sign up for a new Internet account" to find an ISP using Microsoft's referral service.
You've just opted to use Microsoft's referral service to pick an ISP—an easy way to locate a dial-up Internet provider quickly.
(If you have multiple dial-up settings, you're now asked to confirm where you're calling from. See page 161 for information on setting up multiple dialing locations.)
Click Next.
Now the system dials a toll-free number; after a moment, a list of ISPs appears. Click each logo on the left side of the screen to read about the terms of the service, which usually is $20 per month for unlimited service.
Click the name of an ISP that sounds attractive, and then click Next. Fill in your name, address, phone number, and of course, the most important bit of information—a credit card number.
Now the wizard dials a second time; this time, it's contacting the Internet company you've selected. The details of the service plan now appear on your screen.
Pay careful attention, not only to what you tell the ISP but also to what the ISP tells you. In particular, take note of all numbers or procedures for closing your account. These companies don't stay in business by making it simple for you to disconnect from them (think health clubs). Nevertheless, they do give you all that information up front.
Click Next. If you agree with the ISP's rules, click Accept, and then click Next.
Now you're asked to invent an email address for yourself. The ending part of it is determined by your choice of ISP—@earthlink.net, for example, or @juno.com. The first part is up to you, but keep in mind that names like Bob and Seinfeld were snapped up long ago. If the name you type in isn't original, you'll be asked to try again with a different email name.
After successfully choosing a unique email address, you're shown a list of phone numbers. From this drop-down menu, choose a phone number that's local. If there are no local numbers listed here, and you'd rather not pay long distance charges every time you connect to the Internet, consider canceling this entire sign up operation and spending some time researching smaller, regional ISPs.
Finish up with the Wizard.
This may entail clicking your way through a few final welcome screens.
Note
As you compare ISPs, note that "unlimited access" rarely really means unlimited; you can't remain connected 24 hours a day. ISPs make their money by signing up many more subscribers that they have facilities to serve. They count on only a fraction of their users being connected at any one time (once again, think health clubs).
In some cases, the ISP automatically disconnects you after a certain amount of time, or after a period of inactivity. If you want a dial-up connection that really is connected around the clock, you'll have to pay for a dedicated port that's reserved for your use—at a substantially higher subscription rate.
Windows stores the information about your ISP, your name, password, and so on, into a single icon called a connection icon. You can see the one you've just created by choosing Start→Settings→Network and Dial-up Connections, as shown in Figure 11-2. There are dozens of ways to get online, but one way is to double-click this icon. Doing so produces the dialog box shown in Figure 11-2 at right—a box that will soon become extremely familiar. You encounter it every time you connect to the Internet.
Figure 11-2. Left top: The Earthlink and Juno icons represent Internet accounts created by the Internet Connection Wizard or the Make New Connection Wizard. One way to go online is to double-click this icon. You get the dialog box shown at lower right, where you can click Dial to go online. (If you turn on "Save password," you won't have to type your password in each time you go online.)
Having set up your connection, you can skip ahead to "Navigating Internet Explorer." You're ready to explore the Net.
If you have an existing dial-up account with an ISP (that you've been using on another computer, for example), choose the third option on the Welcome screen of the Internet Connection wizard ("I want to set up my Internet connection manually," as shown in Figure 11-1). Then click Next and follow these steps:
Select "I connect through a phone line and a modem."
Be sure the modem is connected to your computer and turned on.
Click Next. Supply the phone number you dial to connect to the ISP.
There is an Advanced button on this page, but few ISPs require any changes tothese settings.
Click Next. Enter your account name (user name) and password for connecting to the ISP.
Click Next. Provide a name for the connection.
This is the name for the icon that you'll see in the Network and Dial-Up Connections folder (Figure 11-2).
Click Next. Specify whether you want to set up an email account.
Because an email program (Outlook Express) is part of Windows 2000, you can set up your email to use it at this point. You must already know your email address (such as [email protected] ), the type of mail server your ISP uses, and the names of the incoming and outgoing mail servers. This is all information that your ISP provides to you.
Follow the instructions on the screen.
On the final screen, the wizard offers to connect to the Internet immediately, so you can test that your setup is correct.
If you connect to the Internet through an office network (local area network, or LAN) at work or school, you're usually provided the information you need to connect to the Internet—at least at the beginning. But then suppose you get a different computer, or through a computing experiment gone horribly wrong, you manage to mangle the connection's settings beyond recall.
Here's how to set that connection up again (if you have the required information):
Choose Start → Programs → Accessories → Communications → Internet Connection Wizard.
The wizard appears.
Click Next. Select "I connect through a local area network (LAN)." Click Next.
Now you're asked how your network's proxy settings are configured. A proxy server is one way your network administrators may provide you with Internet access. The proxy server is a computer at your company that sits between your PC and the Internet, relaying Internet data traffic and, in some cases, filtering your browser's requests for Web pages. If your network uses a proxy server, you use this page to enable your computer to locate it.
In general, the default option—"Automatic discover of proxy server"—is what you want. Windows 2000 will find out and fill in the proxy-server settings for you automatically.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION : Why Can't I Pick Door Number Two?
What's the deal with the middle option in the Internet Connection Wizard?
That's the "I want to transfer my existing Internet account to this computer" button. In theory, it's a terrific feature. It's designed to consult the actual membership database of your ISP, and then to fill in the settings on your new PC automatically.
If you select it—and why not, if you have some time to waste?—the system will connect to the toll-free referral service number and display a list of Internet Service Providers that work with Microsoft's "fill in my settings for me" feature.
Unfortunately, at this writing, very few ISPs work with this feature, as you can see here. If your ISP is listed, just keep going; you'll be connected to the provider and asked to supply your user name and password. Once you're logged on to the ISP's system, you can locate a local telephone number and other information your PC will need to make the connection the next time.
Click Next. Indicate whether you want to create an email account.
If you click Yes, you'll be asked for the email account settings. If you need help setting up your email account, see page 248. Click Next.
Click Next. Turn on the "To connect to the Internet immediately" checkbox and then click Finish.
Your PC now tries to connect to the Internet via your network.
In addition to these settings, your computer must also have the correct TCP/IP configuration settings (as described in Section 15.4.3.1) to access the Internet through the network. If you run into trouble, you can get help from the administrator of your network.