Process Paper: How to get on the net The Internet is a very important tool for communicating, learning, and just surfing. To utilize the capabilities of the Net one must have a phone line, a computer with a modem, and an Internet Service Provider (ISP). Computers can usually be found at any electronic store. The store should also have information on how a local ISP can be found. The Internet Service Provider that you find will give you the essential software needed to connect to the Internet.
Once the software is successfully installed, make sure a phone line is hooked up with the computer s modem. You can do this buy running phone wire from the nearest phone jack to the back of your computer. A modem slot can be found in the back of you computer, and it will usually have Modem written above it. Once the phone line is hooked up, you can enter your computer and start up your web browser.
Your web browser icon should say Internet Explorer, Netscape, or The Internet. Once you have located the icon, double click it (click twice with the primary mouse button). This should bring up a Dial-up Networking window with username and password spaces. Type in the username and password that your ISP gave you.
As soon as all the data is entered, click the Connect button at the bottom of the window. It should take about one minute before a window pops up with a timer telling you how long you have been connected. This is important so if you have a limited number of hours for the month, you can manage your time connected to the Internet. Now that you are connected, it is possible to take advantage of the Internet s capabilities. You should start off by going to a search engine: yahoo.com, lycos.
com, altavista.com, hotbot.com, and many others. You can start these by going to the file menu, clicking open, and then typing in the address (i.e. http://www.
yahoo.com). Search engines let you type in a topic, and then they go retrieve a list of web pages that are oriented with the topic you chose. You are equipped with the skill to surf the net, but be careful what you download, some files may contain viruses that will destroy your computer. Anti-Virus software is a must if you are going to download any type of file. You can purchase the software at your local electronics store.
Good luck and good surfing!
