How Connect to the Internet

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but a common mistake thats often made when connecting to the internet is not making sure the source of the internet is on. Especially if youve just set up a router and/or modem
ensure that its on and that everything is plugged in properly
and that any lights on it arent indicating that there are problems. Cords can also be unplugged or slightly pulled out of the wall
rendering the operation futile. Make sure that everything is plugged in properly and is working right before getting started.Understand that most mobile devices can only connect to wireless broadband. Devices like smartphones
mobile tablets
iPods
handheld gaming systems
and so forth can usually only connect to Wi-Fi services
due to the portable nature of them. Therefore
you wont be able to connect a mobile device to ethernet or to a dial-up network. Ethernet and dial-up connections are limited to computers and non-portable gaming devices (not covered in this article).Know what "path" to take to get to your network settings. Regardless of what operating system or device youre using
youll probably need to access your network settings at some point in the process. The process is slightly different for every device
but the general path that youll need to take to access your network settings is usually the same
depending on the OS. Some common devices or operating systems
and their paths to the settings
are listed below.Windows XP: Start –> Control Panel –> Network and Internet ConnectionsWindows Vista: Start –> Network –> Network and Sharing CenterWindows 7: Start –> Control Panel –> Network and InternetWindows 8: Start –> Search "View network connections" –> View Network ConnectionsWindows 10: Search "View network connections" –> View Network ConnectionsMac OS X Jaguar and later: System Preferences –> NetworkUbuntu and Fedora: Network ManageriOS (iPhone
iPad
etc.): Settings –> Wi-FiAndroid: Settings –> Wi-Fi (or Wireless & Networks)Windows phone: Settings –> Wi-FiMake sure that the Wi-Fi connection for your device is on. Regardless of the device
its possible to turn off Wi-Fi. Some devices have a physical switch that turns on or turns off the Wi-Fi
while others just have the ability to toggle Wi-Fi on the software settings. Make sure that the computer does not have the Wi-Fi capability turned off before proceeding.Access your devices settings. Navigate to your devices settings and open them
and then navigate to the network settings. You can also click on the Wi-Fi icon on a computers toolbar to open up a dropdown menu
which will list the names of the connections in the area.Find the name of your Wi-Fi network. Your broadband networks router should have the default name written on it. The name of a hotspot network will usually show up by default as the name of your cellular device (e.g. "[Your name]s iPhone"). Find this name and select it.Wi-Fi or hotspot names can be changed
but if youve changed the name of your network or hotspot
you probably know what it is. If you werent the one to change it
or you dont know what the name is
ask the person in charge of the network.Enter the password to the network or hotspot. Some networks are public
but most arent. If the network youre trying to connect to has a password
youll be prompted for that password before you can connect to the network. The default password will usually be listed on the router
but if you dont know the password
ask the person in charge of the network.Some protected public networks may have varying passwords per person. For example
a school may allow students to log on to the network with their student ID number
rather than a single set password.Wait for the computer to connect. It often takes a few seconds for a computer to connect to a wireless source
but if the computer cant establish the connection to the router
it will time out the Wi-Fi connection. In this case
move closer to the source
or disconnect and then reconnect your computer to the Wi-Fi.Test out your internet connection. Once youve connected to the internet
open up a page in your web browser and wait for it to load. Since some pages can crash
you may want to load up a reputable website
such as google.com or isup.me to ensure that the website isnt going to be down.If your Internet is slow on one device
try joining the network on a different device to determine if theres an issue with your router. Troubleshoot if your computer wont connect to the internet. For some people
the Wi-Fi will connect without a hitch. For others
thats not the case. There are many reasons that a computer may not be able to connect to the wireless connection; most computers have a built-in software that can distinguish what the problem is. A few common problems are listed below:Some older computers are unable to connect to the internet wirelessly. You may need an ethernet cable to get online.If the internet is slow or wont connect
you may be out of range of the router or hotspot. Try moving closer to the source.If the network isnt showing up
you may be out of range
or the network may be down. Try moving closer or rebooting your router. You can also try putting your router up on a higher shelf to boost the signal. Get an ethernet cable and any needed adapters. Many recent devices can connect directly to the router via an ethernet cable. However
some arent built to do that. Laptops
for example
often dont have components for using ethernet. For that reason
make sure you get any adapters you may need for the ethernet cable to ensure that you can use it.Ethernet cables are all different; for example
a Cat-5 or Cat-5e cable runs at slower speeds than a Cat-6. However
its also largely dependent on the routers connection and how many people will be connecting to the network at once. Unless youre doing very
very intensive upload work
youre probably not going to need a Cat-6 cable if youre the only one on the network.You cannot connect a mobile device (e.g. a smartphone) to ethernet with an adapter.Connect one end of the ethernet cable to the broadband source. The broadband source will most likely be a router
but in some cases
it may be a modem. In either case
youll need to plug in one end of the ethernet cable to the broadband source to ensure that the computer will connect.Connect the other end of the cable to the computer. Find the ethernet jack on your computer and plug it in. This jack will typically be located on the back of the computer
where the other components plug in.If your computer doesnt support ethernet
youll need to make sure the computer is connected to the adapter
and then connect the cord via the adapter.Access your computers settings. Youll need to ensure that the computer is set to recognize the ethernet
rather than wireless. Most likely
youll have to turn off your wireless connection to ensure that the computer recognizes the ethernet connection instead.Test out your internet connection. Open up a page in a web browser and see if it loads. Some web pages can take longer to load than others
and others crash sometimes
so you may want to try and load a reliable website (e.g. google.com or isup.me) to ensure that the connection is running.Troubleshoot if you cant connect. Ethernet is more reliable than Wi-Fi
but that doesnt mean that things still cant go wrong. If youre having trouble with the ethernet
it can stem from many problems
but make sure that the basics (e.g. the router being connected) are established
and that your computer isnt being troublesome.Make sure theres no problem with the ethernet cable (which can range from "the cord wasnt plugged in all the way" to "the cable is faulty/broken and needs to be replaced").Check if the router is having trouble
and reboot it if so. Contact your ISP if resetting the router doesnt work
but the cord and computers ethernet connection work fine.Rarely
your computers ethernet card may turn out to be defective. If this is the case
contact the seller of your computer or the computers manufacturer.Understand that dial-up internet is no longer widely supported and it will be very difficult to do certain activities on the internet with this type of connection. With dial-up internet
you may be only limited to browsing websites that are mostly text and/or images without many add ons and features. Because dial-up internet has fallen out of use in favor of broadband internet
its not common to see instructions for connecting to dial-up internet anymore. If you want to do some very serious internet browsing
it will be best to find a Wi-Fi hotspot in a public location. However
dial-up is still commonplace in a few rural areas
which means that you may find yourself needing to connect to it.Ensure that you can connect to dial-up. Dial-up internet requires the use of a phone line
and can only connect one person per phone at a time. If somebody else is already connected
and/or the phone line is being used to make a call
you will be unable to connect until the other person disconnects or hangs up. Additionally
most new computers do not have the components to connect to dial-up; you may have to purchase an external USB modem so your computer can connect.Plug in the modem to the phone jack. Oftentimes
places with dial-up internet will have two phone lines - one for the phone
and one for the modem. However
if the modem isnt often used
it may be unplugged
or there may only be one phone line. Make sure that the phone cable is plugged into both the phone jack on the wall
and the plug on the modem.Connect the modem to the computer. Using another phone line
insert one end of the second phone cable into the modem and the other end into the computers modem jack (or the converter).Make sure that you dont accidentally plug the phone cable into the ethernet plug by mistake. The phone jack on the computer should be noted by a small phone next to it.Access your computers network settings. Youll need to manually set up the dial-up connection on the computer. From there
configure the modem settings. If this is your first time connecting to the dial-up source
youll most likely need to configure the modems network settings. While the process is slightly different for every OS
youll need to enter the same information: the dial-up phone number
a username
and a password. The settings paths that youll need to follow in order to configure the network are:On Windows XP: Network and Internet Connections –> Set up or change your Internet connection –> SetupOn Windows Vista: Network and Sharing Center –> Set up a connection or network –> Set up a dial-up connectionOn Windows 7 and 8: Network and Internet –> Network and Sharing Center –> Set up a new connection or network –> Connect to the Internet –> Dial-upOn Windows 10: Network –> Dial-up ConnectionOn Mac OS X: Network –> Internal/External Modem –> ConfigurationOn Ubuntu or Fedora: Network Manager –> Connections –> Modem Connections –> PropertiesConnect your computers connection to the modem. If the dial-up settings are already configured
it may just be as simple as opening up the network settings and connecting to the modem
rather than searching for wireless connections. You will have to enter the number
username
and password
however.Test out your internet connection. To ensure that your internet connection is working
open up a webpage and wait for it to load. Dial-up internet is much slower than typical broadband speeds
so dont be surprised if it takes some time. You may want to try and load a solely text-based webpage to increase the loading speed and tell if your internet is working.Troubleshoot if you cant connect. While dial-up is no longer widely supported
its still possible to have issues with it. Ensure that the phone line is properly plugged in and that your system can connect to dial-up internet.Windows 10 has been known to have some trouble with dial-up connections sometimes. You may have to use a computer with an older operating system
if available.Ensure that you havent accidentally plugged the phone cable into the ethernet jack by mistake. The phone cables jack is smaller and is often denoted by a phone symbol.