Part 10. Browsing the Internet

To explore the Internet, you must have a modem and an Internet connection. The modem can be inside your computer or, in the case of most cable modems, it can be an external piece of equipment that plugs into your computer’s network card. The connection to the Internet is obtained through Internet service providers (ISPs) such as America Online, EarthLink, or MSN, or you can get connection through an independent local ISP. Your modem communicates with your ISP’s computers, which in turn communicate with computers all over the world that make up the Internet, also known as the World Wide Web.

Before you can take advantage of all the benefits of the Internet, you must set up your Internet connection using the Internet Options Control Panel in Windows Vista. The specifics of setting up a connection depend on your type of connection (dial up, cable modem, or DSL, for example) and your ISP, so those details are not covered here. Follow the specific instructions you received from your ISP to set up your connection and your email account.