19.2. Connecting by Dial-up Modem

19.1. The Best News You've Heard All Day

If you upgraded to Mac OS X 10.4 from an earlier version of the Mac OS, breathe easy. Mac OS X was kind enough to pick up your networking and Internet settings from that earlier installation. The moment you first see the Mac OS X desktop, you're ready to use the Internet (and skip the next two pages).

Read on, however, if you need to plug in the Internet settings manually. If you're setting up a new Mac, or if you've just used Mac OS X's "clean install" option (Appendix A), or if you simply want to create a new Internet account, you definitely have some typing to look forward to.

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Tip: If you haven't yet set up an Internet connection, reading the next few pages will guide you through plugging the proper settings into System Preferences.If you're more of a do-er than a reader, however, you may prefer the "Assist me" button at the bottom of the Network pane of System Preferences. It asks how you want to connect to the Internet (by dial-up modem, DSL, cable modem, and so on), and then walks you through the process of typing in the settings, if necessary.

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