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Exploring Your Computer’s Features
An overview of using the Internet
Accessing a network
To access a network:
❖ At the office, connect an Ethernet cable to the Network port
(RJ45) on your computer. For specific information about
connecting to the network, consult your network administrator.
Many hotels, airports, and offices offer Wi-Fi
®
access. If your
computer has Wi-Fi
®
, ask them for help when connecting to
their Wi-Fi
®
network.
❖ While you are at home or traveling, you need a dial-up
connection. Ask your network administrator for the telephone
number of the network.
An overview of using the Internet
The following sections give a quick introduction to the Internet and
some of its exciting features, under these headings:
❖ The Internet
❖ The World Wide Web
❖ Internet Service Providers
❖ Connecting to the Internet
❖ Surfing the Internet
❖ Internet features
❖ Uploading to, and downloading files from, the Internet
The Internet
The Internet is an association of thousands of networks and
millions of computers around the world connected by
communications lines. They all work together to share information.
The World Wide Web
The World Wide Web (or “Web”) is a subset of the Internet—a
collection of interlinked documents (located on computers
connected to the Internet) that work together using a specific
Internet protocol called Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP).
The World Wide Web offers information as text, images, audio, or
video to be referenced from anywhere in the world. Special
programs called Web browsers are specifically designed to work
with HTTP. They make it easier to connect to a particular network
address and send and receive information.