To guide you smoothly through the turmoil of setting up your ISP account, Microsoft created the New Connection Wizard. After a bit of interrogation, the wizard helps connect your computer to your ISP so you can Web surf like the best of them.
Setting up a network? Then connect one of your computers to the Internet using the New Connection Wizard. When you run the Network Setup Wizard to set up your network (covered in Chapter 14), that wizard helps all your networked computers share that single Internet connection.
To transfer your existing Internet account settings to or from another com-puter, use Windows XP’s Files and Settings Transfer Wizard, covered in Chapter 19. The wizard copies your existing settings onto a floppy. Insert that floppy into your other Windows XP computer, and the wizard automatically installs them.
Here’s what you need to get started:
Your user name, password, and access phone number.If you don’t have an ISP yet, the wizard finds you one, so grab a pencil and paper.
(The wizard’s ISP suggestions are a tad pricey, however.) If you’re setting up a high-speed connection, you don’t need a phone number. High-speed connections use special modems that don’t require phone lines.
A plugged-in modem.Most new computers come with a modem lodged in their innards. To see if one’s inside of yours, look for telephone jacks on the back of your computer, near where all the other cables protrude.
Then connect a standard phone cable between that jack (the computer’s jack says Line,not Phone) and the phone jack in your wall. (Broadband companies usually supply their own modems, and their technicians often set them up for you.)
Whenever your Internet connection gives you log-on problems, head here and run through these steps. The wizard walks you through your current settings, letting you make changes.
Summon the wizard by following these steps:
1. Click the Start button, click All Programs, choose Accessories, select Communications, and load the New Connection Wizard.
Or, just choose Internet Explorer from the Start menu. If you haven’t set up an Internet account yet, your PC can’t connect, so Windows automat-ically summons a wizard from the appropriate school.
Can’t find the Start menu’s New Connection Wizard? To lure the wizard from its lair, click the Start menu, right-click on the Internet Explorer icon, choose Internet Properties, click the Connections tab, and click the Setup button.
2. Click Next.
3. Choose Connect to the Internet and click Next.
Choosing this first option tells Mr. Wizard that yes, you do want to con-nect to the Internet. (If you want to concon-nect to the Internet through your home or office network, choose Set Up a Home or Small Office Network, and the wizard passes you off to the Network Setup Wizard instead, which I cover in Chapter 14.)
4. Choose the Set Up My Connection Manually option, as shown in Figure 8-1, and click Next.
Figure 8-1:
The New Connection Wizard helps you connect your com-puter to the Internet.
Here’s what the three options mean:
•Choose from a List of Internet Service Providers (ISPs). Choose this option if you don’t already have an Internet account and you want to select one from a list provided by Microsoft. If you choose this option, the wizard dials a number to locate Internet service providers in your area and displays their rates and options. The wizard finds providers only with special Microsoft contracts, so it leaves out many providers in your area. (The telephone book is a much better way to find an ISP.)
If you use this option to choose a provider, the wizard finishes the rest of the setup work by itself.
•Set Up My Connection Manually. Chances are, you’ll end up choos-ing this option. This lets you set up an Internet account you’ve already paid for; you just enter that ISP’s settings. After selecting this option, click Next to continue along these steps and introduce your computer to your existing Internet account.
•Use the CD I Got from an ISP. Many national ISPs offer free CDs for signing up to their service. You choose this option if you have a CD from America Online, for instance. Choosing this option stops the wizard and lets the ISP’s CD take over.
5. Tell Windows XP how you connect to the Internet and then click Next.
The wizard provides three options, as shown in Figure 8-2:
•Connect Using a Dial-up Modem. If your modem plugs into the phone line, choose this option and move to Step 6.
•Connect Using a Broadband Connection That Requires a User Name and Password. Broadband connections are the speedy ones provided by cable or DSL modems. Some require a user name and password for Internet access. (AllISPs require a user name and pass-word for e-mail access.)
If you choose this option, you type in a name for your ISP, your user name, and a password to finish the connection.
•Connect Using a Broadband Connection That Is Always On.Some broadband connections don’trequire a password or user name to access the Internet. (You still enter your user name and password when setting up your e-mail account with Outlook Express, which I describe in Chapter 9.)
6. Type a name for your Internet provider and click Next.
Simply type My Provideror the name of company you’re paying for Internet service.
7. Enter the phone number for your Internet service provider and click Next; then enter your user name and password.
Your provider gives you these three things. Call your provider if these three magical tidbits of information aren’t in your possession. Without them, you can’t connect to the Internet.
Enter the phone number you need to dial to reach the ISP. If you’re not sure whether you need to dial an area code or enter “1” for long distance, dial the phone number by hand and listen. When you hear a squealing modem answer, you know you’ve found the right combination of num-bers to enter in this box.
8. Click the Finish button.
You’re done. Windows XP automatically leaps into action and uses your settings to call your Internet provider.
If everything goes correctly, a pop-up message appears with your dial-up modem’s connection speed. You’re logged on to the Internet. Always plugging its own products, Microsoft tosses one of its own Web pages (MSN) onto the Internet Explorer screen, and you’re ready to browse. Need a place to go for a quick test? Log on to www.andyrathbone.comand see what happens.
All Internet users should upgrade to Windows XP’s Service Pack 2, which I describe in Chapter 1. That service pack beefs up the firewall, among other things, keeping Internet scoundrels at bay. You’ll certainly enjoy the service pack’s new pop-up ad blocker. You can find out how the blocker works in Chapter 10.
Don’t be afraid to bug your ISP for help. The best ISPs come with technical support lines. A member of the support staff can talk you through the instal-lation process.
Figure 8-2:
Select the type of Internet connection your ISP provides.