Whether you use your
computer
to play games or to write letters, chances are you’re going to want to
connect to the Internet to use the Web or send and receive e-mail.
That’s the topic for this month: Getting connected.
Whether you use your computer to play games or to write letters, chances are you’re going to want to connect to the Internet to use the Web or send and receive e-mail. That’s the topic for this month: Getting connected.
Internet Service Providers
Finding an ISP is not difficult. The Internet landscape is replete with ISP offerings. There are local ISPs, national companies, phone companies — even cable companies are offering Internet services. The going rate for unlimited access is $20 per month. Some charge more, others less, so shop around.
Most ISPs will give you an information kit when you sign up, but unfortunately the information they provide is almost always for Windows. I’ve yet to encounter an ISP that has an information package for Linux. But never fear, you can get by on your own.
When you sign up for service, make sure you get the following information from your ISP:
* Your login name (username) and password.
* The access number to dial your ISP.
* Your ISP’s DNS or Name Server Address (often there will be two: a primary and secondary DNS address). The address is a series of 4 numbers separated by a dot (It will look something like 208.25.60.124).
* The name of your ISP’s news server (It will be something like news. yourisp.net).
* The name of your mail server. Some ISPs provide two: one for incoming mail and another for outgoing mail. They will be called something…
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