Lesson 2
Connecting to the Internet

You need and Internet Service Provider,equipment and software to connect to the Internet.
Internet Service Providers (ISP) and commercial online services are companies that give you access to the Internet for a fee. Make sure you choose an ISP or online service with a local telephone number to avoid long distance charges.
Many local libraries provide Internet usage free.
You need a modem to connect to the Internet. A modem is a device that lets computers communicate through telephone lines. An internal modem is a circuit board inside a computer. An external modem is a small box that uses a cable to connect to the back of a computer. Internal modems are less expensive than external modems but are more difficult to set up. Most computers now rely on an external modem .( DSL) from a local ATT provider etc.)
You use the same phone line for telephone and modem calls with dial-up ISP. When you use a modem to access the Internet, you will not be able to use the phone line for telephone calls. If you use the same line for your phone and modem be sure you turn off the call waiting feature when using your modem, since this feature could disrupt the modem connection.
When your modem first contacts another modem (ISP) you will hear a series of squeals and signals. This is called a handshake. Modems perform a handshake to establish how they will exchange information.
The quality of the phone line affects the speed at which the information transfers. Poor quality results in low speed.
If you will call the Internet service provider, and get the tech help, they will walk you through the installation of the (IPS). This includes (DSL), (wireless) (cable) or the dial-up ISP.
They will also help you get your email set up or answer questions you may have if you are having trouble getting it established.
You are online when your modem has successfully connected to another modem. When you are not connected to the Internet you are said to be working offline.
Internet service and fees vary so ask your friends about their service and satisfaction with their provider.
Instant messages are a very popular feature of commercial online services. You can instantly communicate with other people connected to the service by simply typing back and forth. This is a free service.

The World Wide Web is a part of the Internet. The Web consists of a huge collection of documents stored on computers around the world. It is also referred to as the Web or WWW or W3. A web site is a collection of Web pages maintained by a college, university, government agency company, organization or individual.
URL-Each Web page has a unique address, called a URL (Uniform Resource Locator). You can instantly display any Web page if you know its URL.
A Web page starts with HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) and contains the computer name, directory name and names of the Web page.
Hyperlinks-Web pages contain highlighted test or images, called hyperlinks, that connect other pages to the Web. Hyperlinks allow you to easily move through a vast amount of information by jumping from one Web page to another. You can easily identify text hyperlinks in a Web page because they appear underlined and in color. (Below are hyperlinks.)

Searching the Web -Using search tools. A search tool catalogs Web pages to make them easier to find. You can find search tools at the following sites.
Alta Vista- http://www.altavista.com/
Ask Jeeves- http://www.askjeeves.com/
 Dogpile- http://www.dogpile.com/
Google http://www.google.com/

Search methods- Browse through categories such as arts, science or sports to find information that interest you.
Search by Keywords. You can type a word into a search tool to find a Web page. The search tool will display a list of Web pages containing the word you specified.
Some search tools allow you to enter a complete question when searching for Web pages. You can Google it or Ask Jeeves.
Search Tips- When searching by keywords, most search tools allow you to make your search more precise. For example, you may be able to search for a specific group of words by typing quotation marks around the group of words you want to find. Many search tools also allow you to make your search more precise by typing a special command or symbol.
Web Portals-A Web portal is a Web site that provides an excellent starting point for exploring the Internet.
Popular Web portals are:
http://www.yahoo.com/
http://www.go.com/
http://www.lycos.com/ 
http://www.google.com/
Your home page may be one of these or another page you would prefer going to at start up.
Web portals allow you to browse through categories, such as business or sports to find information that interest you. Web portals also let you type a word or phrase to quickly search for information on the web.

Class demonstrations of information and Question and Answer time follows.