Connecting to the Internet

[Previous] [Next]

The Internet Connection Wizard serves several purposes: it lets you establish a new account with an ISP, reestablish a dial-up connection for an existing account, change some aspect of the way you connect to an existing account (such as the dial-up number), or connect or reconnect to an existing proxy server. If you're brand new to the Internet and need an ISP account, a visit to the wizard should be your first step. If you've just installed Windows 2000 on a new computer and need to reconnect to the account you were using on your old machine, the wizard will help with that task as well. If you want to reconfigure your connection to an existing account, you can use the wizard. (Alternatively, you can simply modify the properties of the dial-up connection you're currently using.) You might also want to use the Internet Connection Wizard if you grow dissatisfied with your current ISP and want to see what the competition has to offer.

There are three easy ways to start the Internet Connection Wizard:

  • In the Network And Dial-Up Connections folder, open Make New Connection. Click Next, select Dial-Up To The Internet, and click Next again.
  • Open the Start menu, and choose Programs, Accessories, Communications, Internet Connection Wizard.
  • In Internet Explorer, open the Tools menu and choose Internet Options. Click the Connections tab, and then click Setup.

By whatever means you arrive, a welcome page is the first thing you'll see, as shown in Figure 16-5. Select the first option if you need a new ISP account. Select the third option if you want to reconnect to or modify an existing account, or if you need to set up a connection to a proxy server on your local area network. Select the second option if you're not sure whether you want to set up a new account or use an existing account.

click to view at full size.

Figure 16-5. Select the wizard's first option to set up a new account, or the third option to reconnect to an existing account or to connect through your LAN.

Creating a New ISP Account

If you select the first option shown in Figure 16-5, the wizard makes a toll-free call over your modem to download a list of ISPs that serve your dialing location. If you make a selection from that list, you'll be asked to provide your name, address, and telephone number. Then the wizard will take you to the ISP, who will be happy to take your credit card number and open an account. Within minutes, you'll be ready to surf.

Reconnecting to an Existing ISP Account

To reestablish your relationship with an existing ISP account, select the third option on the Internet Connection Wizard page shown in Figure 16-5. Click Next, select I Connect Through A Phone Line And A Modem, and then click Next again. On the following pages, enter the phone number, your user name and password, and a name for the connection. The wizard then offers to help you set up a mail account for this connection.

TIP
The second option on the welcome page would appear to be the one to use when you want to reconnect to an existing account. However, it first dials the Microsoft Internet Referral Service and gives you the option of choosing a new ISP before leading you through the account setup steps outlined above. You can avoid that unnecessary diversion by selecting the third option instead.

Connecting or Reconnecting to a Proxy Server

You can use the Internet Connection Wizard to establish or reestablish a connection to the Internet via a proxy server on your local area network. (A proxy server is a computer that serves as an intermediary between your computer and the Internet. On a local area network, this provides a single, manageable gateway that allows administrators to control all users' access to the Internet and makes each computer more secure against attack by rogue programmers.)

To establish or reestablish a connection to the Internet via a proxy server on your LAN:

  1. Select the third option on the Internet Connection Wizard page shown in Figure 16-5.
  2. On the page that follows, select I Connect Through A Local Area Network (LAN).
  3. A Local Area Network Internet Configuration page appears, as shown in Figure 16-6.

  4. Unless your system administrator instructs you otherwise, select and clear the check boxes as shown and click Next.
  5. Automatic discovery works best with most proxy server configurations.

    click to view at full size.

    Figure 16-6. You can use the Internet Connection Wizard to set up a connection to your network's proxy server.

TIP
You can set up Microsoft Internet Explorer to use your LAN connection to the Internet whenever your computer is connected to the network, and to use a dial-up connection when it is not. To do so, set up both connections, right-click the desktop Internet Explorer icon and click Properties to open the Internet Properties dialog box, click the Connections tab, and select Dial Whenever A Network Connection Is Not Present.

Modifying an Existing DialUp Connection

If all you need to do is change the parameters for a dial-up connection that you use to access an existing ISP account (for example, to switch to a different access number), you don't need the Internet Connection Wizard. You can open your Network And Dial-Up Connections folder, right-click the connection, choose Properties from the shortcut menu, and then make your changes. For more information, see "Viewing and Setting Connection Properties."

WARNING
To prevent rogue Internet users from accessing shared resources on your computer, be sure that file and printer sharing is disabled on your Internet connection. To check, right-click the connection, choose Properties, and click the Networking tab. If there's a check mark in the File And Printer Sharing For Microsoft Networks box, clear it.

Sharing an Internet Connection

CAUTION
Do not use Internet Connection Sharing on a network that uses static IP addresses, has a Windows 2000 Server domain controller, or uses other DNS servers, gateways, or DHCP servers. Because Internet Connection Sharing creates a new static IP address for your network adapter and allocates IP addresses to other computers on your network, you ll lose your connection to the rest of the network if other network computers already provide those services. Such networks provide other ways to share Internet connections.

With Internet Connection Sharing, your home network or small office network can share a single connection to the Internet. This allows everyone on the network to access the Internet without installing a modem and phone line at each computer and without setting up a separate ISP account for each user.

To set up Internet Connection Sharing, you must be logged on as a member of the Administrators group. The computer that will serve as the Internet gateway needs two connections: one to the Internet (this can be a dial-up connection or a network adapter connected to a cable modem, for example) and one to the rest of the network (typically a network adapter).

To share an Internet connection:

  1. Set up your two connections (one to the Internet, and one to the local area network) as described in the preceding sections.
  2. In the Networking And Dial-Up Connections folder, right-click the Internet connection (not the network connection) and choose Properties.
  3. Click the Internet Connection Sharing tab, shown below.
  4. Select Enable Internet Connection Sharing For This Connection.
  5. Doing so makes the connection available to other users on your network.

  6. If you're using a modem and a dial-up connection, select Enable On-Demand Dialing.
  7. With this check box selected, Windows connects to the Internet whenever anyone on the network attempts to access an Internet resource. (If you clear the check box, users at other computers can access the Internet only when you've already made a connection.)

NOTE
The Settings button on the Internet Connection Sharing tab lets you configure network applications, such as some Internet-based games.

To access a shared Internet connection on another computer, use the Internet Connection Wizard to connect through a local area network. For more information, see "Connecting or Reconnecting to a Proxy Server."



Running Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
Running Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
ISBN: 1572318384
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2000
Pages: 317

flylib.com © 2008-2017.
If you may any questions please contact us: flylib@qtcs.net