Toshiba C6609-1201M1 Connecting to the Internet, Surfing the Internet

Learning the Basics	73
An overview of using the Internet

Connecting to the Internet

To connect to the Internet, you need:

❖A modem

❖A Web browser

❖A telephone line

❖An Internet Service Provider (ISP) account

Microsoft’s Web browser, Internet Explorer, is automatically configured on your system so that when you first start it, it guides you through signing up for a new ISP account.

Once you have established an ISP account, you can access the Internet.

1Connect your computer’s modem to a telephone line.

2Have your modem dial the ISP’s telephone number, and establish a connection with the ISP’s computer.

If you are using your computer at the office, then you probably connect to the Internet through your company’s network. See your network administrator about connecting to the Internet.

Surfing the Internet

Once connected to the Internet, the Web browser displays a home page, for example, your ISP’s home page on the Internet or your company’s Web site home page.

To visit a desired Web site, type in the Web address. The Web address, or Uniform Resource Locator (URL), is a unique identifier for that computer system linked to the Internet. Web addresses can also appear within a Web page’s text, and are known as links. Clicking a link automatically displays the site on your Web browser.

You can also use a Search Engine, a Web site specifically designed to help you look for information.