Mac 101: Connect to the Internet

Get Online with Your Cable or DSL Modem

Typically with broadband service, your ISP will either hook up your cable or DSL modem for you, or they'll provide you with detailed instructions on how to connect and configure the modem for your computer. If you need to do this from scratch, follow these instructions, be sure that you have all your ISP account information handy:

Your cable or DSL modem may automatically configure Ethernet settings for you.
If it doesn't the IP Address will be blank, use the Network Setup Assistant.

1. Connect your cable modem to your household coaxial cable or your DSL modem to your phone line, and then connect the modem to your computer's Ethernet port, using a standard Ethernet (RJ-45) cable.
2. Turn on your modem.
3. From the Apple menu, choose System Preferences.
4. In the System Preferences window, click Network to display its preferences.
5. From the Show pop-up menu, choose Built-in Ethernet.
6. Click the TCP/IP tab, and choose Using DHCP from the Configure IPv4 pop-up menu.
7. Some modems will automatically configure your Ethernet settings when you connect your computer. If you see information next to the "IP Address" and "Subnet Mask" sections, you're ready to go—just fire up Safari to browse the web. If you don't see any data, read on.
8. Click Assist Me. In the dialog that slides down, click Assistant.
9. The Network Setup Assistant opens to walk you through the setup process. Follow its instructions. When finished, you should be connected online.

Connect to the Internet from a Network

If you have another computer that's connected to the Internet via a cable or DSL modem, or you have access to a network that's already Internet-connected, you can get online by joining the network. Here's how.

To share an Internet connection with another computer:

1. You will need an Ethernet router to share your cable or DSL modem across your various computers. Turn off your modem and then connect the Ethernet cable from your modem to the WAN port on your router.
2. Connect each computer to the router's LAN ports, they're usually numbered, using a standard Ethernet cable.
3. Turn on your modem and the router.
4. You should be good to go. If you can't get online, use the Network Setup Assistant (see "Get Online with My Cable or DSL Modem," above) to reconfigure your system or consult the documentation that came with the router.

To get online via an accessible network:

1. Connect your computer to the network by plugging one end of an Ethernet (RJ-45) cable into your computer's Ethernet port, and the other end into an Ethernet port that's connected to the network.
2. That's it! If you have access to the network, you should be online. With some networks, you may be prompted to enter a password first.

Connecting Wirelessly

If you have an AirPort card installed in your computer and are within range of a wireless Internet access point, you don't need a phone line or Ethernet cable to connect to the Internet. If you want to join an existing network to get online, do this:

To join a wireless network, just choose its name from the Network pop-up menu.

1. From the Applications folder, open Internet Connect.
2. In the resulting window, click the AirPort button.
3. Make sure that AirPort is on. Then from the Network pop-up menu, choose the network that you want to join to get online access. You may be asked to enter a password if the network is password-protected.