Obviously, you\u2019ll need an account with an Internet Service Provider (ISP for short) to get connected to the Internet on your Mac (unless you are in a public place with free Wi-Fi, or if you can get access somehow to your neighbors\u2019 account!).<\/p>\n
Contents<\/p>
Your existing Internet account at home, if you have any, should work fine with your Mac. If you don’t have an Internet account, sign up.<\/p>\n
Today, all Macs have built-in wireless and allow you to connect via any wireless network:<\/p>\n
Note:<\/em> If your Mac doesn’t display the fan icon, it may be an older model without built-in wireless. In this case, depending on what model you have, you may be able to track down and install a suitable AirPort or AirPort Extreme card to add this feature.<\/p>\n If you have a broadband account already set up, and if your modem or router have an Ethernet socket (like a fatter version of a phone jack), no further configuration should be needed. Just plug an Ethernet cable from the modem or router on the Mac, and go online. The same should work at friends\u2019 houses and in some offices (in other cases, you\u2019ll need to get a system administrator to approve and configure your Mac before it will work on the network).<\/p>\n If you don\u2019t have a broadband or router, you can still share your Internet connection with other computers, allowing both computers to be online at the same time. The icons to the right of each network\u2019s name will tell you whether a password is required to join the network. The same icons will also inform you about the network\u2019s signal strength given your current position.<\/p>\n Tip:<\/em> If you don\u2019t seem to be able to connect to a password-protected wireless network, but you are certain you typed the right password, try sticking a $ sign before the password \u2013 without a space. It works!<\/p>\n A few years ago, we used to connect via a dial-up modem (sometimes they were built in). Setting up a dial-up ISP account required users to connect to a phone line and plug in the relevant details, such as phone number, username, password and so on. Today most computers manufactured and marketed throughout the world don\u2019t have a dial-up modem. If you have to set up a dial up connection, (in many countries this is still the first option), you\u2019ll need to use a USB modem attachment.<\/p>\n Now, go ahead and open Internet Connect from Applications (or via the phone icon near the clock), and click on the Internal Modem button. Then, key in the details and press Connect<\/em>. If that worked, you should be able to connect and disconnect via the phone icon in the menu bar or by using Internet Connect<\/em>. If not, you\u2019ll find more options in the Network<\/em> panel of System Preferences<\/em>. Open the panel, choose Internet Modem in the Show<\/em> menu, and explore the settings.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t connect a USB modem to your Mac before you install the software that comes with the modem, since that may cause problems. If you can\u2019t get your modem to work, disconnect it, uninstall the software, restart the Mac, and then reinstall the software. Only after all these operations have been performed, reattach the modem.<\/p>\nHow to Connect Via Ethernet or USB<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n
Connecting Via Dial-Up<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n
USB Modem<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n
Links<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n