Sharing an Internet Connection

If you have more than one PC in your home, you can connect them to share a single Internet connection. This is particularly useful if you have a high-speed broadband connection.

You share an Internet connection by connecting your broadband modem to your home network. It doesn't matter whether you have a wired or a wireless network; the connection is similar in both instances. All you have to do is run an Ethernet cable from your broadband modem to your network hub or router, then run the Network Setup Wizard. Windows will do the rest, connecting your modem to the network so that all your computers can access the connection.

To work through all the details of this type of connection, turn to Chapter 8, "Setting Up a Home Network." It's really quite easy!

The Absolute Minimum

When you're configuring your new PC system to connect to the Internet, remember these important points:

• You connect to the Internet through an Internet service provider; you need to set up an account with an ISP before you can connect.

• You can sign up for either dial-up (slower and less expensive) or broadband (faster and more expensive) service.

• There are three different types of broadband serviceDSL, cable, and satellite.

• After you have an account with an ISP, you need to run the New Connection Wizard to configure Windows for your new account.

• If you have more than one computer at home, you can share your Internet connection by connecting your broadband modem to your home network.