Using the Internet

    This chapter provides information about the Internet and the World Wide Web, and tells you how to set up Gateway.netSM or America Online® (AOL) Internet services so that you can send and receive e-mail and access other Internet resources.

Learning about the Internet

    The Internet is a worldwide network of computers linked together to provide information to people everywhere. The two most popular services on the Internet are e-mail and the World Wide Web. You can access this network by connecting your computer to a phone line and signing up with an Internet Service Provider (ISP).

    If you want to access the Internet you need:

A modem - a device that connects your computer, using a telephone line, to other computers or servers. If you have a modem jack on your computer, you have a modem.
An Internet Service Provider - a service that provides access to the Internet through an ISP server. When you connect to an ISP, the ISP server lets you access the Internet and your e-mail messages.
A Web browser - a program that displays information from the World Wide Web.
An e-mail program - a program that lets you create, send, and receive e-mail messages over the Internet.

Setting up an Internet account

    Before you can view the information on the Word Wide Web, you need to set up an Internet account with an Internet Service Provider (ISP). If you have chosen Gateway.net or America Online (AOL) as an ISP, follow these instructions to set up and connect to your account.

    You can sign up by double-clicking the Gateway.net or America Online icon on the Windows desktop, then following the on-screen instructions. (If these icons are not on the desktop, look in the Online Services folder on the desktop.)

Accessing your Internet account

To connect to your Gateway.net or AOL Internet account:

    1. Double-click the Connect to Gateway.net or America Online icon. The Connect dialog box opens.

    2. Complete the member name and password information, then click Connect. The computer dials the Internet account phone number.

To disconnect from your Gateway.net or AOL Internet account:

Click X in the top right corner of the Web browser. Your computer disconnects from the Internet.

    Important

    Make sure that your computer disconnects properly from your Internet account. If you do not have an "unlimited hours" ISP account, you may have to pay for the time that you are connected, even if you are not at the computer.

    Using the World Wide Web

      The World Wide Web is a multimedia window to the Internet that gives you access to millions of information sources.

      Information on the Web comes to you on Web pages, which are electronic documents that you view using a Web page display program called a browser. There are many Web browsers that you can use, one of which is Microsoft Internet Explorer, which comes installed on your new computer.

      Web pages can contain not only text, but animations, music, and other multimedia features.

      A group of related Web pages is called a Web site. You can access Web sites to shop, track investments, read the news, download programs, and much more.

      You can explore a Web site or visit other Web sites by clicking areas on the Web page called links, or hyperlinks. A link may be colored or underlined text, a picture, or an animated image. You can identify a link by moving the mouse pointer over it. If the pointer changes to a hand, the item is a link.

      To learn more about using the Web browser features, select Help in the menu bar.

    Connecting to a Web site

      After you set up an account with an Internet Service Provider (ISP) such as Gateway.net or AOL, you can access the many information sources on the World Wide Web.

    To connect to a Web site:

      1. Connect to your Internet account. After the computer connects, the default opening page, your home page, opens.

      2. To go to a different Web site, type the address (called a URL for "universal Resource Locator") in the browser address bar (for example www.gateway.com) then click GO on the browser address bar.
        - OR -
        On your home page or another Web page, click a link to a Web site.
        The Web browser locates the server computer on the Internet, downloads (transfers) data to your computer, and displays the opening page of the site that you requested.

      Sometimes Web pages display slowly. The speed that a Web page displays on your screen depends on the complexity of the Web page and other Internet conditions.

    Downloading files

      Downloading is the process of transferring files from a computer on the Internet to your computer.

      To protect your computer against viruses, make sure that you scan the files you download. For more information about scanning for viruses, see "Protecting your computer from viruses".

    To download files or programs from a Web site:

      1. Connect to your Internet account.

      2. In the address bar, type the address of the Web site that contains the file or program you want to download, then click GO on the browser address bar.
        - OR -
        Click on links on a Web page to navigate to the Web site containing the file that you want to download.

      1. Create a folder where you want to store the file on your computer.

      2. Click the link on the Web page for the file that you want to download.

      3. Follow the on-screen instructions for saving the file in the folder that you created.
        A copy of the file is downloaded to your computer. The time that it takes to transfer the file to your computer depends on file size and Internet conditions.

      1. Open the folder that you created.

      2. Install or view the downloaded file by double-clicking it. If applicable, follow the instructions provided on the Web site to run or install the program.

    Using e-mail

      E-mail (electronic mail) lets you send messages to anyone who has an Internet connection and e-mail address. E-mail is a free service of your Internet account.

      The Internet never closes, so you can send e-mail messages at any time. Your e-mail messages arrive at most e-mail addresses in minutes.

      An e-mail address consists of a user name, the @ symbol, and the Internet domain name of the Internet Service Provider (ISP) or company that "hosts" that user. Your e-mail address is assigned when you sign up for an account with an ISP. For example, a person with an account with the Gateway.net ISP might have an e-mail address that is similar to this one:

    Sending e-mail

    To send e-mail using Gateway.net or AOL:

      1. Connect to your Gateway.net or AOL account.

      2. Click Create Mail.
        - OR -
        Click Write.

      1. Type the e-mail address of the recipient you want to send e-mail to in the Send To box.

      2. Type the subject of your e-mail in the Subject box.

      3. Type the e-mail message.

      4. When finished, click Send Now.
        Your e-mail is sent over the Internet to the e-mail address you specified.

    Checking your e-mail

    To check your e-mail using Gateway.net or AOL:

      1. Connect to your Gateway.net or AOL account.

      2. Click Read Mail.
        - OR -
        Click Read.
        For more information about managing and organizing your e-mail messages, see the online help in your e-mail program.