How to get On the Internet

If you’ve never had Internet service before, this page can help you. If you have, this page will probably just be aggravating. It is written in very basic terms so that even the most uninformed can use it.

The first thing you need is a computer with a modem, preferably a fast modem. If it’s a slow modem, 9600 baud or under, buy a newer, faster modem. You will not enjoy the Internet experience at these speeds.

The second thing you’ll need is a phone line. It doesn’t have to be a second phone line dedicated to your computer – although this is nice – it just has to be dedicated while in use. If someone picks up another phone while you’re online, your connection will fail immediately.

The third and fourth things you’ll need are software and an Internet service provider (ISP). Often these go hand in hand. If you find a service provider you’d like to try, they’ll usually send you a diskette or CD-ROM with lots of software on it to help you get set up. While they want you to use that software to call their service, in most cases it can be used with any ISP.

BellSouth.Net is an excellent example. Their CD-ROM contains Netscape. Netscape is one of the two major software programs used to access the web through almost any ISP. The other is Internet Explorer.

On the other hand, there’s America Online. (If you’ve never received a diskette in the mail from AOL, it’s only because they don’t know where you live.) The software on this diskette can only be used with AOL. This is because they offer other services besides just the Internet. Considering how many people belong to AOL, apparently a lot of people like these extra services.

ISPs like America Online are referred to as Online Services. Other online services include AT&T WorldNet, CompuServe, and Prodigy. All of these have extra services that may or may not be worth your time and money. Since they often have some kind of one-month free offer, you can probably try them all if you wish.

Services that are willing to send you software will also provide you with excellent instructions on how to get connected. Rehashing this information here will do you no further good. If you are a beginner, this is the way to go. If you want to do it the hard way, check out Client Basics (http://usscouts.org/netresources/basics.html), a very thorough dissertation on this subject.

Now that you’ve tried out an ISP or online service, do you want to keep it? In the world of the Internet, there seems to be only two types of users. There are people who switch service providers every month to take advantage of all the one-month free deals, and people who stick with their original provider based on a sense of loyalty to the service that helped them get started. The first group abuses the ISPs. The second group abuses themselves. After all, if you give them a fair shake, anyone who is willing to offer you a free month should be ready to lose you if their service doesn’t live up to your expectations. You can always go back later if you don’t find a better service.

During this process, you’ll probably want to get a free e-mail address. This will provide you with a stable address to give to people even though your web services may change. To get this type service, go to Yahoo! The address for free e-mail information is:

(http://dir.yahoo.com/Business_and_Economy/Companies/Internet_Services/Email_Providers/Free_Email/).

Don’t forget, Yahoo! provides free e-mail as well.