Internet AccessBefore you can begin surfing the Internet, you will have to gain Internet Access by signing up with an Internet Service Provider (ISP). You've probably heard of America Online (AOL) or Earthlink, they are Internet Service Providers. For a monthly fee, they will provide you with internet access. Be sure to shop around as costs can vary widely. Check your local phone company or cable TV provider as well. The faster the speed, the more you pay. A "broadband" connection is a high-speed connection that is "always on", meaning always connected to the Internet. A Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) is one option. The signal comes in through a phone line and connects to a cable modem provided by the ISP. The cable modem then connects to your computer through a network cable. It is certainly much faster than a "dial-up" connection but not the fastest. The fastest internet access currently is a broadband connection that comes into your home via coax cable like cable TV companies use. Some cable TV companies have package deals that provide not only cable TV, but phone service and Internet service. Dial-up service is still available in some areas. A dial-up connection uses a "dial-up modem" which actually dials a phone number provided by your ISP when you want to connect to the Internet. Unlike the broadband connections, dial-up service is not "always on" and requires you to establish a new connection each time. On the plus side, dial-up service is the least expensive option, and may be the only option in some areas. The New Connection Wizard Open up the "New Connection Wizard" by clicking on the START button, then click on Control Panel, then click on Internet Options. Once the Internet Options window is open, click on the Connections tab. From the Connections tab window, click on "Setup", which will bring you to the "New Connection wizard".
At the "Welcome to the New Connection Wizard" window, click Next. The next window will ask you what "Connection Type" you want to setup. Most new PC users will want to select the top choice which is "Connect to the Internet". Click Next.
Entering a Web Address In order to find a house or a place of business we use a street address. In much the same way, each website has its own unique web address. That address is called the Uniform Resource Locator (URL). For example, the URL for Microsoft's website is http://www.microsoft.com. So if you know the URL of a certain webpage you can type it directly into the Internet Explorer address bar. Then click Go or press Enter to get to the website. If you don't know the exact URL of a website you can do a search using one of the search engines, like Google, or Yahoo!, or Live. Most internet browsers these days have their own search window so you don't even have to navigate to a search engine website.
In the Search box, type the name of the website or topic that you want to find information about. Click Search or Go, whatever the case may be, or hit enter to start the search. Within a second, you'll be presented with a page of search results for you to choose from. Scan the list and click on the appropriate link to access the website. Keep searching until you find a website that suits your needs.
If you find a website that you like and think you will visit it often, you can save it in your Favorites folder in Internet Explorer. While you are on the website, click on the Favorites button, then click on "Add to Favorites". The website address will be added to your list of Favorites for future use.
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