Getting on the Net

As I write this, there are three very popular methods of connecting to the Internet, notwithstanding your own connection at the office. These are cable modem, DSL service from the phone company, or good old-fashioned dial-up modem. The first two are usually referred to as high-speed or broadband connections, and dial-up access is usually made fun of because it feels very slow when compared to the higher speed methods.

With all the press and hype about high-speed service, you would think that this is all people run. Think again. As I write this, the vast majority of people in North America, and indeed the world, is still connecting through a dial-up connection. Make no mistakeas Mark Twain might have remarked, the rumors of dial-up access's demise are greatly exaggerated. You may be among the majority who are still using dial-up; I'll cover that in detail.

If you are ready, let's begin.