Connecting to the Internet

The Internet Setup wizard makes it easy for you to connect to the Internet. You can use your local area network (LAN) , The Microsoft Network, or another Internet service provider to connect.

The information you need to provide to the wizard depends on how you connect. For more information, click a button.

I want to use a local area network

I want to use The Microsoft Network

I want to use another Internet service provider

Note

If you want to connect by using The Microsoft Network or another Internet service provider, you will need a modem. For information on setting up a modem, click Related Topics.

 Related Topics


Using a local area network to connect

To use a local area network to connect to the Internet, you need to provide the following information to the Internet Setup wizard.

The Internet protocol (IP) addresses of your main and alternate Domain Name System (DNS) servers.

If you have a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) installed, the IP addresses are assigned automatically.

The address of the Internet gateway computer on your local area network.

If you do not know this information, see your network administrator before continuing with the wizard.

Do you want to use Internet mail?

Yes, tell me what I need

No, I don't want Internet mail

Return to Connecting To The Internet


Using Internet mail

You can use Microsoft Exchange to receive mail messages over the Internet. To receive Internet mail, you need to provide the wizard with the following:

Your e-mail address.

The name of your Internet mail server.

The Exchange profile you want to use. You can use an existing profile or create a new one, especially for Internet mail.


Turning off Internet mail

If you don't want to use Internet mail, when you see the Internet Mail panel in the wizard, make sure the Use Internet Mail box is unchecked.


Using The Microsoft Network to connect

The Microsoft Network gives you full Internet access, including access to Internet mail, newsgroups, and the World Wide Web.

If you are not already a member of The Microsoft Network (MSN), you can use the wizard to sign up. Have your credit card handy to provide billing information. You can get rate information before you sign up so that you can decide whether MSN is the service you want.

After you have signed up, have your Microsoft Plus! and Windows 95 Setup disks handy so that the wizard can install MSN Internet support.

Return to Connecting To The Internet


Using another Internet service provider to connect

If you already have a point-to-point protocol (PPP) account with a different service provider, you can use the wizard to set up access to this account.

The wizard will ask for the following information, which you can obtain from your service provider.

The name of your service provider. This appears in the Dial-Up Networking folder in My Computer as the name of your connection.

User name.

Password.

The phone number you dial to connect to the Internet.

Domain Name System (DNS) server address.

IP address and subnet mask, if any.

Authentication procedure (whether or not your provider requires a terminal window to log on).

Note

Your service provider must support PPP. If it doesn't, you can use The Microsoft Network to connect to the Internet.

If you want to use CompuServe or America Online, you may need to set up a PPP account with them to access the Internet.

Do you want to use Internet mail?

Yes, tell me what I need

No, I don't want Internet mail

No, I want to connect using The Microsoft Network

Return to Connecting To The Internet


The Internet is a constantly evolving group of international computer networks connected by telephone lines. Since its creation in the 1960's, it has grown exponentially and is now used by millions of people, from those in commercial and educational institutions to individual consumers.

Once you're connected to the Internet, you can access a wealth of information, including the World Wide Web, newsgroups (BBS), news and weather information, software, and games.


The Microsoft Network is an online service that gives you full Internet access, including access to Internet mail, newsgroups, and the World Wide Web.


An Internet service provider maintains a server that is directly connected to the Internet. You must connect through a service provider or The Microsoft Network unless your organization is directly connected to the Internet.


An Internet gateway computer acts as a bridge between your local area network and the Internet. On a local area network, you can gain access to the Internet by connecting to this computer.


Profiles allow more than one person to use Microsoft Exchange to receive mail on the same computer. You can also use different profiles for different types of mail. For example, you could set up one profile for receiving mail over your corporate network and another profile for receiving mail over the Internet.