Chapter 12. Connecting to the Internet

IN THIS CHAPTER

• Basic Connectivity Information

• Starting with a localhost Interface

• Configuring Your Dial-up Internet Connection

• Configuring a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) Connection

• Connecting Your Computer to a Wireless Network

• When to Call Your Internet Service Provider

As it has over the last decade, the Internet is a prime driver of computer sales all over the world. People want to get access to the treasures of the World Wide Web, send email and instant messages to friends and family, learn more about this spam thing they keep hearing about well, maybe not that.

With all due respect to the SUSE employees in Germany, it is difficult to imagine Linux existing without the Internet bringing together programmers from around the world to work on the kernel and all the other packages that make Linux what it is today. For that reason alone, it makes sense that making a connection to the Internet is a priority and a relatively simple proposition in SUSE Linux.

SUSE Linux provides many tools to access and manage your Internet experience. In the next few chapters, we'll go over the ways to create websites, manage email, upload and download files, and collaborate with others using Instant Messaging, mailing lists, Usenet news, Wikis, and video conferencing.

In this chapter, we will focus on the basics of getting connected, be it through an ordinary dial-up modem or a high-speed Digital Subscriber Line (DSL).