Configuring Windows XP for Your Internet Account

If you upgraded an existing system to Windows XP, your old Internet connection should still be there, waiting for you to make a connection. There is nothing in the upgrade process that should screw up any existing connection information.

If you just purchased a new PC, you need to set up a new Internet connection from within Windows XP. You do this with the New Connection Wizard, a special utility that automates the creation and configuration of new Internet connections.

You can use the New Connection Wizard to set up a completely new Internet account, or to configure your system for an existing account with your Internet Service Provider (ISP). All you need to do is input the appropriate information, and the wizard does the rest of the job, including setting up your e-mail and Usenet newsgroup accounts.

Working with Your Current ISP

NOTE

If the Show All Connections option doesn't appear on your Start menu, open My Computer, select Network Places, and then select View Network Connections.

Assuming that you already have an account with an Internet Service Provider, you can use the New Connection Wizard to configure Windows XP to work with your ISP. You use this same technique to set up a cable or DSL connection, or a connection made through your company's local area network. All you have to do is follow these steps:

1.	Click the Start button, then select Connect To, Show All Connections.
2.	When the Network Connections window opens, select Create a New Connection from the Network Tasks panel.
3.	When the New Connection Wizard dialog box appears, click the Next button.
4.	When the Network Connection Type screen appears, check the Connect to the Internet option and then click the Next button. TIP If you've already set up a home network with its own Internet connection, select Set Up a Home or Small Office Network and follow the instructions from there.
5.	When the Getting Ready screen appears (see Figure 7.1), check the Set Up My Connection Manually option then click the Next button. Figure 7.1. Use the New Connection Wizard to set up your Internet connection. TIP If your ISP provided you with an installation CD, check the Use the CD I Got From an ISP option, and follow the onscreen instructions from there.
6.	When the Internet Connection screen appears, select which type of connection you have dial-up broadband with user name and password, or always-on broadband then click the Next button. TIP If you haven't yet signed up for Internet service, select Choose From a List of Internet Service Providers and follow the instructions from there. You can subscribe to Microsoft's own MSN service, or select from a list of other available ISPs.
7.	If prompted, enter the name of your Internet service provider and then click the Next button.
8.	If you have a dial-up ISP, enter the provider's dial-up phone number and then click the Next button.
9.	If prompted, enter your username and password (as provided by your ISP), then click the Next button.
10.	Click the Finish button to complete the process.

You can view details of each connection on your PC by clicking the Internet Options icon from within the Control Panel, and then selecting the Connections tab. Select a connection from the Dial-Up Settings list, then click the Settings button.

NOTE

If you selected the always-on broadband connection option, you won't be prompted for any information about your ISP, user name, or password.

Transferring an Existing Account to This PC

If you already have an account with an ISP (but on another PC), you'll need to transfer those settings to your new Windows XP PC. With previous versions of Windows, you'd have to do this manually by writing down all your settings from your old PC, and then re-entering them by hand into your new machine.

With Windows XP this entire process is automated as part of the File and Settings Transfer Wizard. When you use this wizard to transfer key settings from one PC to another.

To learn how to use the File and Settings Transfer Wizard, see the "Transferring Files and Settings" section of Chapter 23, "Updating Windows."