Home Networking Bible 2nd phần 6 pdf

Accessing the Internet T he Internet might be the reason you bought a computer in the first place. The Internet opens a world of possibilities to your family — research, shopping, libraries of information, and more. You can send e-mail to friends and meet new people from other states, even other countries. You can find out about the latest movie at the theater or send greeting cards. The potential is limitless. If you have a home network, you can unlock the Internet’s potential for your entire family. Understanding Internet Access Most homes with PCs have at least one Internet account. Kids might use the account to play games, to e-mail friends, and to gather informa- tion for school. Mom and Dad might use the Internet to e-mail family and friends, look for prices on golf carts and digital cameras, read the news, check the weather, make stock investments, bid on auctions, and more. Perhaps one or more family members want to create a Web page or subscribe to e-zines (electronic magazines). Figure 16-1 illustrates a home page on the Internet. This site adver- tises entertainment links to music, games, and movie clips. You can even design your own Web pages to put on the Web. Add to home and personal use the fact that many people work in their homes instead of in a traditional office. People working in home offices need the Internet for a variety of reasons—checking competi- tors, advertising with their own Web pages, e-mailing customers, sending and receiving work-related files, and perhaps even running an e-commerce site. Figure 16-2 illustrates a business Web site that offers online help with your computer problems. You can locate a variety of products and services on the Web. 16 16 CHAPTER ✦✦✦✦ In This Chapter Understanding Internet access and connections Understanding access equipment Sharing Internet connections Understanding Web browsers Applying protection for your connections ✦✦✦✦ 356 Part IV ✦ Adding the Internet, E-Mail, and an Intranet Figure 16-1: You can find anything on the Web. Figure 16-2: Find businesses, products, and services on the Web. 357 Chapter 16 ✦ Accessing the Internet Internet access is easier and cheaper than it’s been in years past. Most computers come with built-in modems; or you can easily add an external modem for less than $60. There are also DSL and cable modems available in most areas of the country. All Windows versions have built-in Web browsers and e-mail programs. Most Macs also have built-in browsers and e-mail. Local and national ISPs offer deals to attract more home users. Exploring advantages and disadvantages of Internet access The Internet affords the possibility for anyone with a connection to access data from any other Internet connection in the world for a fraction of the cost of traditional data collection methods. Internet access and use are growing at an incredible rate. Anything so nearly infi- nite certainly has many disadvantages as well as advantages. Advantages One of the biggest advantages of Internet connections, as previously mentioned, is the avail- ability of the technology to nearly everyone. Home users now can afford to attach to the Internet by using a standard PC that comes with a modem and the Windows operating sys- tem. The only other thing that is needed is the Internet connection. If you already have cable TV, you can add a cable modem with a faster Internet connection than dial-up for around $45 a month. If you already have a network in your home, you have the built-in equipment for sharing an Internet connection. All you need to buy is an inexpensive piece of software or hardware that enables you to share one connection and one Internet account. You don’t have to purchase additional cabling, modems, or other equipment to attach everyone in the home to the Internet. If you have a small-business network and you’re not using TCP/IP, the Internet protocol, con- sider changing over to IP addressing now. Using TCP/IP has many advantages, including net- work performance and speed and more available networking products. See Appendix B for more information. Following are some of the advantages to using the Internet for the home user: ✦ Using the Internet promotes cooperative learning. Your kids can e-mail and share files with universities, libraries, research groups, and others. Users send links to useful Web pages to each other and sign up for informational newsletters and papers. ✦ Internet users can read about, study, and e-mail people from all over the world to share information and opinions. The Internet also increases access to experts; you can locate authors, scientists, doctors, and others easily through their Web pages or e-mail. ✦ The Internet access increases motivation. The Internet encourages exploration with a wealth of video, music, animations, and more. Disadvantages Naturally, having Internet access in your home also has disadvantages. Many people worry about the type of Web sites and information children access when they are not monitored. Sex, violence, and depraved individuals run rampant over the Internet community. Small Business Tip 358 Part IV ✦ Adding the Internet, E-Mail, and an Intranet Also at risk is the security of your home. Depending on the information you give out on the Internet, unstable or unscrupulous intruders can invade your home through the Internet or even in person. It’s a scary world, and you might be inviting it into your living room every time you access the Internet. Other disadvantages include the following: ✦ The Internet wastes a lot of time. Surfing the Web, joining chat rooms, e-mailing list after list of people and groups—they all take time. Whether it’s a child or an adult who is accessing the Internet, time and exposure should be reasonable and often limited. ✦ The expense of attaching to the Internet can increase as you discover you need more power, multimedia equipment, and other technologies that enhance the Internet experi- ence. Upgrading hardware and software for Internet use can become addictive. ✦ Depending on your e-mail and Web access for business or personal use is a risky busi- ness. ISP connections and services are always subject to failures; you must make sure that you have an alternative when connections break down and services fail. ✦ Viruses, worms, and Trojan horses attack almost constantly over the Web and through e-mail. Your computer, data, and even networked computers can be at risk from these pests. Looking at Internet services If you’ve ever surfed the Net, you know there’s a world of products and services at your fin- gertips. You also know that you can find information on just about anything, if you know where to look. After you locate the information, you can share it in many ways over the Net. What’s available You can find just about any type of information you want on the Internet. Not only can you find the popular sales and service Web sites, but also you can take advantage of years of research, studies, reports, and surveys. Following are a few of the things you can explore over the Internet: ✦ Find out information about society and culture. Learn about life in foreign countries or in the United States. Study geography, religion, politics, and the people of present cul- tures or past ones. Examine archaeology, economics, and languages. Learn about biol- ogy, astronomy, and other sciences. ✦ Visit libraries all over the world. Find definitions and dictionaries, quotes, and antholo- gies. Study the biographies of famous and infamous people who are living today or who are a part of history. ✦ Read the news, check the sports, and keep an eye on the weather. Learn where the next war will break out and who is testing nuclear weapons in the world. Find out what your governor or state legislature is doing right now. ✦ Read famous works of literature, view prominent artwork, listen to a symphony. See the latest photography exhibit in Washington, DC, or visit a museum in Kansas. ✦ Research the latest movies, as well as movies of the past. Play games, read jokes, and connect with others interested in the same hobbies as you. ✦ Learn about the newest advances in medicine. Read about the medications you’re tak- ing. Find out how to keep fit and eat well. 359 Chapter 16 ✦ Accessing the Internet ✦ Get government forms, tax information, grant applications, stamps, and information about city, county, state, federal, and international government. ✦ Find a job. Post your resume. Inquire about openings all over the country and the world. Figure 16-3 illustrates a resume posted online. You can register your Web page with various search engines so that anyone searching for a computer book author, for example, can find your resume easily. Figure 16-3: Advertise yourself online. The Internet has something for everyone, no matter what your question or interest. Acquiring the information In addition to supplying enormous amounts of information, the Internet enables you to trans- fer the information in various ways. In addition to printing data so that you can read it at your own pace, you can transfer the information electronically. E-mail You can send the information you find to another user via e-mail. Attach a file or a link so that you can share any Web site with someone else. Discuss topics, pool resources, and share ideas — all with the click of a mouse. For more information about e-mail, see Chapter 17. Figure 16-4 illustrates an e-mail message for a friend. You can send messages to friends and family all over the world with just the click of the mouse. E-mail is a great way to give your employees the means to collaborate and share information with coworkers, vendors, manufacturers, customers, and others. Be careful, though, it’s also an easy way to pass around jokes, hoaxes, stories, and viruses. Chat programs You also can exchange information over the Internet by using chat programs. Whereas e-mail sometimes must wait until the recipient receives and responds to your message, chat pro- grams connect two or more people online at the same time. The conversation is held in real time. For more information about chatting over the Internet, see Chapter 18. Small Business Tip 360 Part IV ✦ Adding the Internet, E-Mail, and an Intranet Figure 16-4: Send messages to friends, family, and business associates. Your employees can use chat programs to contact customers, for example, as they work on accounts, projects, reports, and other tasks. Chatting over the Internet is usually less expen- sive than long-distance phone calls and business trips to other states or countries. File transfer Transferring files over the Internet is a quick and easy method of acquiring updates, applica- tions, documents, and other files. You can purchase and download a program, such as a game, a piece of shareware, accounting packages, utilities, and network management soft- ware. Many vendors supply free demos of their applications so that you can try it before you buy it. You also can download updated drivers and software for your computer or network. In addition to downloading files from the Internet, you can upload files. Many companies use a special site for their remote employees to send files. You might upload a file to a technical support company, for example, or reports to universities, or documents to friends. File trans- fers over the Internet are faster and cheaper than transporting a floppy disk or using snail mail to send files. Send presentations and reports to your customers, accounting information to a parent com- pany or business partner, or publication files to your commercial printer over the Internet. Conferences and meetings Current technology enables people to hold meetings with colleagues and business associates. NetMeeting, a Windows application, is but one of these programs. Although conferencing soft- ware is similar to chat rooms, it also offers features that chat programs do not. Small Business Tip Small Business Tip 361 Chapter 16 ✦ Accessing the Internet Some business meeting software, for example, enables the participants to engage in phone conversations at the same time; sometimes videoconferencing is also built in. Whiteboards are often used to take notes and organize ideas during a meeting; everyone can see the infor- mation on the whiteboard, add to it, and modify it. Although conference and meeting software generally is used for business contacts, you easily could use it on your home network too. Scheduling and calendaring In addition to using a scheduling program on your local area network, you can make use of a Web-based calendar program that enables you to share your schedule with others over the Internet. You might want to schedule visits with your family and friends who are spread out over the country, for example. You can share your calendar with colleagues to make business trips, meetings, deadlines, and even golf games easier to schedule. Understanding Internet Connections Most home users connect to the Internet with a dial-up modem, and in some cases, the modem is perfect for the job. You can use various speeds and types of modems to access the Internet, but the most common speed at this time is 56 Kbps. Instead of a modem, however, you can use other equipment that provides a fast, permanent connection to the Internet, such as DSL or cable modems, high-speed lines (T1, frame relay, fractional T1), and so on. The type of connection you get depends on how much you use the Internet. If you and your family connect to get e-mail and do some surfing every day, a dial-up modem connection might be just fine. If you use the Internet many hours a day every day for work from your home or if your kids play online games, however, you may want to invest in a faster, more permanent connection. Figure 16-5 shows a home network using one modem to attach to the Internet. All users can share the Internet connection, however, with the use of a piece of software. See the section “Sharing Internet Connections” later in this chapter. You can connect to Internet services by using an analog phone line or a digital cable line. Traditional modems use phone lines, and DSL or cable modems and other equipment use high-speed digital lines. Dial-up modems use a service through an ISP, a government agency, or some other service provider. Your phone line is attached to the dial-up modem; you dial your ISP and access the e-mail and/or Web server. When you disconnect from the ISP, you no longer receive mail or information from the Internet until you connect again. Cable or DSL modems are not really modems but are called that out of convenience and famil- iarity with the word modem. Cable and DSL are also called broadband Internet connections. Broadband defines telecommunications that provide a variety of channels of data over a sin- gle wire. A dedicated line, such as a T1, is a special high-speed, or hard-wired, connection that is permanent. Any of these connections is always active, always ready. You can be work- ing in your word processing program and hear the “you’ve got mail” sound at any time, because when mail is received at your ISP’s e-mail server, it is sent directly to you over your permanent connection. Small Business Tip 362 Part IV ✦ Adding the Internet, E-Mail, and an Intranet Figure 16-5: Whether you use a fast connection or a slower one, all network users can take advantage of the Internet. Using phone lines Modems use analog technology — transmission methods developed to transmit voice signals instead of digital signals. The phone lines in your home are analog lines built to carry voice transmissions, and perhaps other data, such as faxes. They also might carry your network transmissions on a phone line network. If you use a phone line for several services at the same time — such as home networking and an Internet connection — you are likely to notice a performance degradation. Using phone lines for Internet access is more flexible than using cable modems or permanent lines. You can move the dial-up or DSL modems to other computers or rooms: All you need is a telephone line and a jack. Also, using a dial-up modem and phone line is much cheaper than using a cable modem or a dedicated line. On the other side, however, a dial-up connection using a modem and a phone line is slower than a cable modem or dedicated connection. Generally, speeds are between 28 Kbps and 56 Kbps. Also, noise or interference over the lines can cut off transmissions unexpectedly. Finally, using the phone line for the Internet ties up your phone line unless you use a dedi- cated line for your modem. Note The Internet Cable modem Hub 363 Chapter 16 ✦ Accessing the Internet Using cable and DSL modems More and more homes are using cable or DSL modems. For a small monthly price, you can have high-speed connections to the Internet that enable you to download large files — like music, video, white papers, even entire books—in minutes. You also have a permanent con- nection via these modems, meaning you can send and receive e-mail anytime without having to dial up or connect to your ISP’s server. In addition, both connection types leave you more vulnerable to viruses and worms because of their “always-on” configuration. Local phone companies usually offer DSL connections, since DSL access is over standard copper lines. DSL connections receive up to 6.1 Mbps, so the technology is very fast indeed. However, not every area offers DSL, and you must be within a certain distance from your phone company’s central office to use DSL. DSL lines are secure and offer low interference too. DSL is perfect for the power user, small businesses, and so on. The ordinary residential user isn’t likely to need this much speed. The problem with DSL is its availability and expense. Your local cable company can tell you more about a cable connection to the Internet. Connections are fast but not always consistent. For example, in the morning you might con- nect at 6 Mbps, and in the afternoon your connection might be 1.6 Mbps. Often, downstream cable speeds are from 10 Mbps to 30 Mbps for a distance of up to 30 miles. Upstream speeds might be 128 Kbps to 10 Mbps for the same distance. Cable television lines are usually coaxial. Speeds are measured in upstream and downstream. Upstream, or upload, is the speed at which information travels from your home to the destination; downstream, or download, is the speed at which information travels from the destination server to you. Download speeds are often faster because users download more often than upload. Figure 16-6 illustrates upstream and downstream speeds from a home modem to an ISP attached to the Internet. Naturally, the speeds apply to the connection only as far as the ISP’s Web or mail server is concerned. Generally, ISPs use higher-speed cables —such as T1 lines — to connect their servers to the Internet. Figure 16-6: Upstream and downstream speeds are not the same for most technologies. Internet 128 Kbps - 10 Mbps Cable modem 10 - 30 Mbps Note 364 Part IV ✦ Adding the Internet, E-Mail, and an Intranet Speeds for cable lines are very fast, but you must remember that television signals also share the data path, plus everyone in your neighborhood shares the same cable. You have to con- sider not only how fast the line is, but also how fast the PC can handle the data inflow, how fast the PC-to-cable interface is, how fast the data travels on the TV cable, and how much traf- fic there will be during primary usage hours. For information, check with your cable TV provider. Using high-speed lines Digital lines transmit data at high speeds so that a link to the Internet enables users to per- form multiple tasks simultaneously. For example, you can transfer large data files, have a videoconference, and perform other tasks all at the same time. Generally, you lease a high-speed line from a local phone company, a long-distance service, or some other specialized company. Depending on the type of connection you get, you can transfer data from 56 Kbps to 45 Mbps. Using dedicated lines, however, means that moving your computer isn’t easy. You have to move and reconnect the cables too. Another problem with high-speed lines is that they are expensive. You must lease the lines and purchase the equipment for transferring data and often other equipment to help route messages, and you pay installation charges as well. You may want to invest in a high-speed line for your small business if your employees spend enough time on the Internet to justify it. Keep a log for one month of all employees’ time on the Internet just to see if a high-speed line is reasonable for your company. Understanding Access Equipment Whether you use a dial-up connection, attach to TV cables, or use other high-speed lines to access the Internet, you must have some sort of hardware attached to your computer. Modems generally come in two types: analog and digital. The common modem you use on your phone line is an analog modem. DSL and cable modems are digital and used with high- speed connection lines. Using analog modems Analog modems are becoming faster and faster with connections to the Internet and other online services. The 28.8 and 33.6 analog modems have become antiques in dial-up technol- ogy. A 28.8 modem transmits data at 28,800 bits per second (bps), and a 33.6 transmits at 33,600 bps. Small Business Tip [...]... offers 128 Kbps speeds for data transfer Figure 16- 7 shows a cable modem connection between a home user, the ISP (in this case, the cable company), and the Internet The cable modem in the home is connected, by coaxial cable, to the cable modem at the cable company’s building Note that multiple lines feed from the ISP to a larger Internet provider 365 366 Part IV ✦ Adding the Internet, E-Mail, and an... data compression techniques included The V.90 standard used for 56 Kbps modems is now the most common standard The only analog modem speed you can buy these days is the 56 kilobits per second (Kbps) The speeds are not, however, truly 56 Kbps, because the FCC regulations prevent 56 Kbps support in the United States Downloading speeds for a 56 Kbps modem are 53 Kbps, and uploading speeds are only 33 Kbps... away from home, you close your Outlook Express or other e-mail program at home or at work Otherwise, you won’t receive copies of the messages later, at home Most ISPs enable you to receive your e-mail via a Web-based site All you need to know is the name of the site, your username, and your password for e-mail For example, say your ISP is HomeLinkRUs You go to your Web browser and type www HomeLinkRUs.net... many different computers, and is used worldwide on networks that are connected to the Internet Chapter 16 ✦ Accessing the Internet Internet Explorer offers various preferences that you can change to suit your way of working You can change home pages, security, connection information, and more Figure 16- 9 illustrates Internet Explorer’s Internet Options dialog box from Windows XP To open the dialog box... what you need for a home network, even if you are using client/server These proxy servers are more for large corporate networks Tip For more information about basic security for home Internet users, see Internet Privacy For Dummies by John R Levine, Ray Everett-Church, and Greg Stebben (Wiley Publishing, Inc 2002) Advanced Proxy Information If you’re knowledgeable about computers, networking, and proxy... affect sharing an Internet connection or account, as described earlier in this chapter Figure 16- 8 illustrates Microsoft Internet Explorer The Web browser enables you to view Web pages, navigate the Web easily, search for certain topics, and more 369 370 Part IV ✦ Adding the Internet, E-Mail, and an Intranet Figure 16- 8: Use the Internet Explorer to surf the Net Internet Explorer and Outlook Express All... Trojan horses See Chapter 17 for more information about virus protection Chapter 16 ✦ Accessing the Internet Tip For more information about firewalls, check out Firewalls For Dummies by Brian Komar, Ronald Beekelaar, and Joern Wettern (Wiley Publishing, Inc 2003) This book is good for learning how to set up a firewall on your home or small-business network Choosing firewall products Many firewall products... Control Panel window appears 2 Double-click Network and Internet Connections 3 Click Setup or change your home or small office network 4 Choose the Your Computer Is Connected Directly to the Internet option To configure Internet Connection Firewall for a connection: 1 In the Control Panel, double-click Networking and Internet Connections 2 Click Network Connections 3 Right-click the connection on which... cannot establish a link to the Internet For most home networks, a firewall will protect you and be easier to deal with ✦ WinProxy 5, made by Blue Coat/Ositis, supports all Internet connections It’s easy to install and set up WinProxy provides proxy service plus a firewall, spam blocker, and antivirus protection WinProxy costs around $85 ✦ SpoonProxy enables a home network or small business to connect the... devices (Telcos are connections that receive data through a NIC attached to a cable modem, and transmit data through a telephone line attached to a dial-up modem.) Check Microsoft if you’re unsure 367 368 Part IV ✦ Adding the Internet, E-Mail, and an Intranet ICS isn’t a full-feature program; other programs offer more For example, ICS doesn’t support access controls or logging For more information . connections ✦✦✦✦ 3 56 Part IV ✦ Adding the Internet, E-Mail, and an Intranet Figure 16- 1: You can find anything on the Web. Figure 16- 2: Find businesses, products, and services on the Web. 357 Chapter 16 ✦ Accessing. and 33 .6 analog modems have become antiques in dial-up technol- ogy. A 28.8 modem transmits data at 28,800 bits per second (bps), and a 33 .6 transmits at 33 ,60 0 bps. Small Business Tip 365 Chapter. techniques included. The V.90 standard used for 56 Kbps modems is now the most common standard. 366 Part IV ✦ Adding the Internet, E-Mail, and an Intranet Figure 16- 7: ISPs feed into larger ISPs, which