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CHAPTER 4: Using the Internet www.gateway.com
30
Learning about the Internet
The Internet is a worldwide network of computers linked together to provide
information to people everywhere. The two most popular services on the
Internet are e-mail and the World Wide Web. You can access this network by
connecting your computer to a telephone, DSL (Digital Subscriber Line), or cable
television line and signing up with an Internet service provider (ISP).
If you want to access the Internet you need:
Important
To determine if you have an Ethernet jack
on your computer, see your computer’s
hardware reference. If you do not have an
Ethernet jack on your computer and
would like to purchase an Ethernet card,
visit the Accessory Store at
accessories.gateway.com
.
■ A modem—a device that connects your computer to other computers or
servers using a telephone, DSL, or cable television line. Your computer may
have a built-in dial-up telephone modem. Cable and DSL modems connect
to your computer through an Ethernet jack and provide a faster
connection speed than a standard telephone modem.
■ An Internet service provider—a company that provides access to the
Internet through an ISP server. When you connect to an ISP, the ISP server lets
you access the Internet and your e-mail messages. Check your telephone
book for a list of Internet service providers available locally.
■ A Web browser—a program that displays information from the World
Wide Web. Microsoft Internet Explorer was included with your computer.
For more information, see “Using the World Wide Web” on page 31.
■ An e-mail program—a program that lets you create, send, and receive
e-mail messages over the Internet. Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express
was included with your computer. For more information, see “Using
e-mail” on page 33.
Your computer
connects to the
Internet through an
ISP.
ISP Servers
let you connect to the
Internet and access your
e-mail messages.
Internet Servers
store information so other
computers can access it from the
Internet.