Reference number: CH000720
How do I connect to the Internet?
Question:How do I connect to the
Internet?
Additional information:
Answer:Before
connecting to the
Internet
you must determine how you're going to connect to the Internet. Are
you going to be connecting to the Internet using a
modem
or a
broadband Internet
connection? Below is additional information about each of these
types of connections and how to get connected with them.
Connecting to the Internet with a modem
Connecting to the Internet with a broadband
connection
Connecting to the
Internet with a modem
Connecting to the Internet using a
computer modem is the most widely available method of
connecting to the Internet. Although connecting to the Internet
with a modem is a much cheaper solution, it will be a much slower
connection. If you plan on doing more than the occasional
web
surfing
and reading and sending
e-mail,
you should consider broadband. To connect to the Internet using a
modem, your computer must have a modem and be in reach of being
connected to your home phone line. Almost every computer today will
come included with a modem, although many computer manufacturers
are not including modems because of the increased popularity of
broadband connections. If you need help determining the type of
modem installed in your computer, see
document CH000498. Once you've verified your computer is
compatible with connecting to the Internet, you'll need to determine
who you're going to connect to the Internet through. In order to
connect to the Internet you're going to need to have an
Internet Service Provider (ISP).
In most areas you'll be able to connect to the Internet either
using a local ISP, which is a company in your city that makes its
business by selling Internet connections, and/or you may want to
consider a large ISP such as AOL and
MSN, which is a large, International
company with locations all over the United States and/or the world.
Check your local listings for available companies capable of
providing you with you with an Internet connection and/or talk with
your friends or family to see who they use and like to connect to
the Internet.
Connecting to the
Internet with a broadband connection
Connecting to the Internet over broadband is quickly becoming a
popular solution for connecting to the Internet. Broadband is a
much faster solution for connecting to the Internet when compared
to a modem and allows you to do more exciting things on the
Internet, such as watching movies, listening to music, playing
games, and have a much more enjoyable experience loading web pages
without having to wait for each page to load. Unfortunately,
however, this type of service, even today, is not available in all
areas. Therefore, before getting this service, you must first
determine if it is available in your area. Most broadband services
are provided by your local phone companies and/or cable companies.
Contact your local service providers to see if they have a
broadband service available in your area. If the broadband
service is available in your area, the company will often provide
you with the
hardware required in order to connect to their service. Often,
you will have to either have a computer with a
Network card
(RJ-45
connector) connection and/or a
USB
connection to connect to most services.
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