Windows 98 Installation & Configuration Handbook

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- 19 -

Configuring an Internet Connection


by Rod Tidrow

Why You Want an Internet Connection

The Internet is a global collection of independent networks and computers. These computers, which are sometimes called hosts, offer a wealth of information on thousands of subjects and allow millions of people to communicate with one another. Most users who connect to the Internet do so to access the World Wide Web. The Web, which is a part of the Internet, provides a graphical approach to accessing information and resources on the Internet. The range of resources for Internet hosts seems limitless, and more come online every day. With an Internet connection, you can make discoveries well beyond what radio, TV, newspapers, and magazines offer. Some of the reasons that you might consider connecting to the Internet include finding entertainment; accessing educational resources; staying in touch with news, sports, and weather; communicating with people from around the world; and accessing computer-related information and files.

The following basic services are available to you on the Internet:

Understanding Windows TCP/IP and Other Internet Software

This section describes what Windows TCP/IP protocol is, what it does, and how it relates to Internet application programs that enable you to send email, browse the contents of other Internet host computers, and see the technicolor wonders of the World Wide Web. You will also see that the TCP/IP protocol is not all you need to make a connection to the Internet.

First, you need to understand two acronyms:

Basically, Transmission Control Protocol breaks your outgoing message or file into packets called datagrams. Internet Protocol routes the datagrams through the system in search of a target router. When the datagrams find the correct router, they navigate onward to the destination computer, where Transmission Control Protocol reassembles the packets into their original form.


Understanding the Router

A router is just one of several pieces of special computer hardware that sends Internet messages through the Internet system. The following sequence of events and subsequent analogy may help you better understand the concept of routing:

1. Using Windows Internet tools, your computer and modem dial into an Internet service provider's (ISP's) computer system. Your message goes from your computer and modem to your ISP.

2. The provider's computer system is connected to special communications equipment, one item of which is a router. Your message passes through your ISP's system and out its router to a high-speed telephone line connected to another major Internet provider.

3. The systems belonging to the major ISPs also have routers, both incoming (to receive your message) and outgoing (to send your message to one of the many backbones, high-speed fiber-optic superhighways, that interlink the major providers). Your message now passes from the major ISP to the backbone system.

4. While riding the backbone, your message passes from router to router in search of the correct destination router and computer. Simply reverse the preceding steps to get your message to its destination.

5. Your message routes to a target major ISP, which hands the message off to the correct target mid-sized ISP, which then passes it to the correct target computer.


As you just learned, the TCP/IP program manages the datagrams from and to Internet hosts. But by itself, the TCP/IP stack is useless. (A stack is TCP/IP software.) It needs a connection to other routers. Windows provides that connection with a program that finds your modem, dials into a provider, and locates a PPP connection (which you learn about later) to the Internet. This program matches the Internet addressing information you gave Windows with the addressing information that the provider's system expects to see from Windows configuration.

After you have installed and configured the TCP/IP stack and the dialer, and Windows has made contact with your Internet service provider, you can finally connect to another Internet host and do something. You need separate application programs to send and receive email, contact Gopher servers, download files, log on to remote networks, view World Wide Web sites, and so on.

Understanding Internet Services

You can obtain an Internet connection in several ways. One method is to use standard communication software such as Procomm Plus for Windows. You can use this program to dial into a network or Internet service provider and use its computer system.

Procomm Plus does not work with the Windows TCP/IP program. Instead, it accesses Internet hosts indirectly by dialing into your Internet provider's network and turning your computer into a temporary terminal on your provider's network. This access, called terminal emulation--usually accomplished through a shell account--is not as comprehensive as the kind of connection that Windows offers, but it does work. This chapter does not go into detail on shell accounts, but you can learn about them in Que's Special Edition Using the Internet, Second Edition.

A second method is to use an online service such as the Microsoft Network or America Online (AOL). You need special software provided by the online service to make a successful connection. Windows includes software for connecting to the following services:

A third and more comprehensive way to obtain an Internet connection is to use the special Internet Connection Wizard software that is included in Windows.

Windows offers several ways to configure Internet connections. This chapter focuses on the steps needed to get a direct Internet session using a modem connected to a personal computer. If you access the Internet through a company or school network, some of the settings described may be different for you. Your organization's network manager or Information Services department should be able to give you the required configuration settings, if not install them for you.

Before you continue, make sure that you have installed and configured a modem for Windows.

PPP and SLIP Connections

If you want to enjoy the full glory of the Internet, your computer must have direct access to the Internet system. Direct access to Internet routers and computers is achieved with expensive hardware and a special dedicated line wired right to your computer.

Most people cannot afford dedicated, leased-line access. But most can afford the functional equivalents, Point to Point Protocol (PPP) and Serial Line Internet Protocol (SLIP) connections. PPP and SLIP trick the Internet system into thinking that your computer has a dedicated line, even though PPP and SLIP are really dial-up communication protocols that need modems or networks as intermediaries between Internet routers and your computer.

PPP is newer than SLIP. A description of their differences is beyond the scope of this chapter, but most Internet service providers normally issue PPP, not SLIP, accounts. This chapter describes how to establish a PPP connection.

PPP and SLIP accounts are associated with the type of Internet addressing that routers understand. This addressing scheme is numeric and has four positions, separated by periods known as dots. An example of an IP (Internet Protocol) address is

198.6.245.121

This address identifies a specific host machine among millions of Internet hosts.

Because humans remember strings of letters better than strings of numbers, many numeric IP addresses have text equivalents. If a text equivalent, called a Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN), exists, use it in lieu of the IP address.

FQDNs are constructed like this:

host_computer_name.location.domain_type

An example is kiwi.wright.edu. Kiwi is the name of the host machine you are addressing; wright is the location (Wright State University); edu is the domain type, or the type of facility that operates the host machine.

Table 19.1 lists the six major domain types.

Table 19.1  Domain Types

Domain Description
com Commercial organization
edu Educational institution
gov Government facility
mil A military organization
net Internet service provider
org Miscellaneous, usually nonprofit, organization

Countries outside the United States use two-letter identifiers at the end of their fully qualified domain names. A few examples are CA (Canada), UK (United Kingdom), and ES (Spain).

Two Types of IP Addresses

If your computer has a static IP address, that IP address is permanently assigned to your computer. Whenever you go online with a PPP or SLIP connection, your computer uses and is identified with that address throughout the system. An advantage to a static IP address is that you can register a specific domain name to that static IP address; you or your business then can be identified all over the world with either the IP address or domain name.

Your computer may also have a dynamic IP address that your provider assigns from a pool of IP addresses available whenever you log in to a PPP or SLIP session. This approach is often a less expensive, but very viable, way of getting connected.

The difference between static and dynamic is important because Windows TCP/IP configuration asks you which IP address type you have.


TIP: Work closely with your Internet service provider as you configure your TCP/IP setup. When you set up your initial account with your ISP, be sure to gather all the information you need, including dial-up phone number, IP address, host name, your email address, and news server address. Also, ask your ISP about its technical support department, hours of operation, and telephone number.

How to Find an Internet Service Provider

You need an Internet service provider, or ISP, to establish a PPP or SLIP link. Most large- and medium-size cities in the U.S. now have providers who sell accounts at a reasonable rate, usually $20 to $40 per month depending on whether your PPP connection is static or dynamic. Also, several national providers now cover most of the country, including rural parts of the country. Dynamic IP accounts cost less than static IP accounts. Both function the same way while online. Again, static IP accounts afford you the advantage of establishing your own global identity.

Some ISPs give you a set number of hours for a set price, such as $20 for 15 hours. After you use up the set number of hours, the ISP charges an hourly rate, usually $1 to $3 per hour. This practice is called metering.


CAUTION: Do not subscribe to a set number of hours unless you know beyond any doubt that you will not use more hours than the set price permits. If you find that you will exceed those hours, contact your ISP for a revised arrangement. Many users find that they exceed a set number of hours.

Most ISPs offer quarterly, semiannual, and annual rates that permit you to stay online as long as you want and not worry about hourly charges.

As you'll see in the "Running the Internet Connection Wizard" section, the wizard downloads a list of ISPs in your area. You can use one of these ISPs or locate one on your own. If your phone book does not list a local ISP, ask someone at your local computer user group or computer store. If no local ISP exists, national ISPs such as UUNET/AlterNet sell accounts. National providers also may have toll-free 800 numbers or use the Tymnet or Sprintlink system to give you a local number. If you contact a national provider, it can explain the options that suit your needs and pocketbook. The last option, a toll call to the nearest dial-up number, is also available, but it is an expensive option.

Selecting an ISP takes some research because good ones and bad ones exist. If you live in a major metropolitan area such as Chicago or Washington, D.C., you have several ISPs from which to choose. If you live in a medium-sized city such as Dayton or Austin, you still have some flexibility. If you live in a small town away from a city or in a rural area, your choices are limited.

Whatever choice you make, your ISP should charge a monthly, quarterly, or annual flat rate instead of charging by the hour. Technical support should be available during business hours and in the early evening. The ISP's connection from the backbone system to its system should be at least a T1 line, and enough incoming lines should exist so that you do not reach a continuous busy signal when you dial in. The ISP should offer all Internet services and should make most if not all Usenet newsgroups available without filtering out any of them.

On the other hand, you must be a good customer. Do your own research on Internet basics. Dozens of books are available on the subject, including Que's Special Edition Using the Internet, Second Edition, previously mentioned. Do not expect miracles. Providing Internet connectivity is a profoundly complex, expensive, and difficult task. If you are having trouble dialing in, make sure that your computer's hardware or software configuration is not the problem. If you have an older computer and a very slow modem (anything under 28,800 baud is too slow), you will probably be underpowered.


NOTE: The most important hardware components for a successful Internet session are those that bring data in and draw it to your screen. Ensure that your modem is fast and that you have a UART 16550 chip in your modem's COM port, at least 16MB of system RAM, and a fast graphics card. Currently, the fastest modems available for the mass consumer market are rated at 56Kbps with prices ranging from $59-199. If you have a 56K modem, ask the ISP whether it supports the V.90 modem standard. See Chapter 18, "Configuring Modems," for more information on this standard.


TROUBLESHOOTING: My old ISP did not provide satisfactory service. What type of questions can I ask other ISPs to ensure that I can use Windows with their service? Ask the ISP the following questions:

What kind of information do I need from my ISP? You must obtain the following data from your access provider to use during configuration:


Running the Internet Connection Wizard

Windows 98 makes setting up a connection to the Internet fairly easy. The easiest way is to use the Internet Connection Wizard (see Figure 19.1), which walks you through setting up a new connection or modifying an existing connection.

FIG. 19.1 Use the Internet Connection Wizard to set up or modify an Internet connection.

To run the Internet Connection Wizard, follow these steps:


NOTE: The following steps assume you have already set up a modem on your PC. If you have not, you will prompted to do so while using the Internet Connection Wizard.
1. Select Start, Programs, Internet Explorer, Connection Wizard. The Internet Connection Wizard then appears.

2.
Click Next. Select one of the Setup Options. You can choose an Internet provider and set up a new account, set up a connection to an existing Internet account, or continue using an Internet connection you have already set up on this computer. The following steps show how to choose a provider and set up a new account.

3.
Click Next. Enter the area code in which you reside.

4.
Click Next. If you have File and Printer Sharing Microsoft (or NetWare) Networks, you are prompted to disable it. Click OK. Also, if Windows needs to install files to continue, a dialog box appears telling you that you may need to insert your Windows Setup disk. Click OK to install the files.

5.
The Choose Modem dialog box appears (see Figure 19.2). Select the modem you want to use to connect to the Internet.

FIG. 19.2 You must have a modem installed to set up an Internet account that uses a modem to connect to the Internet.

6. Click Next. The Internet Connection Wizard now needs to connect to the Microsoft Referral Service to download a list of Internet service providers in your area.

7.
Click Next. The Internet Connection Wizard dials the Internet Referral Service to download a list of ISPs in your area. Make sure your modem is turned on and is connected to your phone line. The phone call is toll free.

After the list is downloaded, Windows display it (see Figure 19.3).

FIG. 19.3 The list you see may be different from the one shown in this figure.

8. To specify a service provider you want to use, click the check mark in the Sign Me Up column. You can read more about an ISP by clicking the document icon in the More Info column. When you select an ISP, the Internet Connection Wizard dials the ISP of your choice so that you can set up an account with it. The actual sign-on process varies for each ISP, but most services request the following types of information from you:


NOTE: The list of ISPs may not represent the actual number of ISPs in your area. This list includes just the ones who are signed up for the Microsoft Internet Referral Service. Look in your local phone book for additional ISPs in your area.
The steps here do not show the actual procedure for signing up with an ISP. You need to follow the instructions provided by the ISP of your choice.

9.
After you've signed up with an ISP, you are given account information that you should write down. This information includes the following:

After you've set up your account, you are returned to the Windows desktop. You can now launch your Web browser or other Internet software, such as Internet Explorer 4. When you do so, you see the Dial-up Connection dialog box (see Figure 19.4). Click the Connect button to connect to your ISP and navigate the Internet.

FIG. 19.4 The Dial-up Connection dialog box automatically includes the username and password you just set up.

Configuring Dial-Up Connection Settings

You can modify the settings on the Dial-up Connection dialog box. One of the first changes you may want to make is to select the Connect automatically option so that Windows automatically connects to your ISP when you launch your Web browser, or when Windows is scheduled to download information from the Web (see Chapter 20, "Configuring Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0").

To make changes to other Internet connection properties, click the Settings button. This action displays the Properties page (see Figure 19.5) for your ISP.

FIG. 19.5 If you need to change settings for your ISP, use this Properties page.

On the General tab, you can change the following settings:

On the Server Types tab (see Figure 19.6), you can change the following settings:

FIG. 19.6 The Server Types tab enables you to set the type of Internet server you are connecting to as well which protocol Dial-Up Networking should use.

FIG. 19.7 You can set IP and DNS information on the TCP/IP Settings dialog box.

For some connections, you may need to create a script that processes the logon and user validation process when you connect to an ISP or Internet server. On the Scripting tab (see Figure 19.8), you can specify a path and filename for a dial-up script you must use to connect to your ISP. Click the Browse button to locate a dial-up script (.SCP files). In the \Program Files\ Accessories folder, you can find sample scripts provided by Windows. You can modify them by selecting one of them and clicking Open. Doing so returns you to the Scripting tab, where you can then click the Edit button to open the script in Notepad (see Figure 19.9) so that you can edit the script for your specific case.

Select the Step through script option if you want the script to run one command at a time while establishing a connection. This feature is handy when you need to troubleshoot scripting errors. After you get your script set, however, you should turn off this feature. Finally, select the Start terminal screen minimized if you don't want to view the terminal window as your script is running.

On the Multilink tab (see Figure 19.10), you can click the Use additional devices option so that you can set up additional devices to connect to your ISP. You can specify additional modems or ISDN lines. To do so, click the Add button and select the device from the Device Name drop-down list on the Add Extra Device dialog box.

FIG. 19.8 Some ISPs require a script to connect to the Internet.

FIG. 19.9 You can edit a dial-up script in Notepad.

FIG. 19.10 You can modify the Multilink tab when you have multiple modem or ISDN lines to use for this connection.

After you modify your ISP's connection settings, click OK to save them. You then return to the Dial-up Connection dialog box.

Dialing Your ISP

The big moment has arrived. Now you're ready to dial into your PPP session. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Click the Connect button on the Dial-up Connection dialog box. Windows 98 begins the dial-up process.

2.
After you get connected, the Connected To dialog box is minimized on the taskbar tray. Unlike with the Connected To dialog box in Windows 95, you do not have to minimize this dialog box manually.

To disconnect from the Internet, double-click the Connected To icon and click Disconnect.


TROUBLESHOOTING: I have a 28,800-baud modem, but the fastest connection I get is 19,200. Sometimes the connection is choppy and laden with errors when I download files. Check for any of the following:

High-speed communications require a 16550 UART.
If your phone company uses old switches in its central office, the only thing you can do is get faster, dedicated service or move.

My modem connects with my ISP's modem, and then it dumps the carrier (hangs up spontaneously). This problem is a potential nightmare with many sources. Check for these things:

Carrier dumping requires sleuthing. Be patient and work with your ISP until the problem is solved.


Using Other Windows 98 Internet Configuration Features

To take full advantage of the Internet's wealth of information, you should become familiar with a few standard tools. Telnet, FTP, and a TCP/IP configuration utility are all included in Windows 98. The following sections show you how to set up these utilities.

Starting the FTP Utility

File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is used to transfer files on the Internet from one site to another. Even if you have World Wide Web access, chances are you'll log in to an FTP site sooner or later. Windows 98 includes an FTP utility that you can use after you establish an Internet connection. To start an FTP session, click Start on the Windows 98 taskbar and choose Run. In the Open field, type ftp and click OK. The ftp window opens (see Figure 19.11).

FIG. 19.11 Windows includes its own FTP utility to access FTP sites on the Internet.

After you start FTP, you can log on to an FTP site by using the OPEN command, as in the following example: open ftp.microsoft.com You can find other FTP commands by typing ? at the ftp> prompt and pressing Enter.

Starting the Telnet Utility

Like files on FTP, much of the information on the Internet is available only if you use Telnet. This utility enables you to log in to another computer from your own and use the remote computer as if you were there. Windows provides a version of Telnet that you can run from the Start menu, as shown in the following steps:

1. Open the Start menu, choose Run, and type telnet in the Open field. Click OK. The Telnet window opens.

2.
In Telnet, choose Connect, Remote Session.

3.
In the Connect dialog box, type the host name of the Telnet site to which you want to connect in the Host Name field (see Figure 19.12).

FIG. 19.12 The Telnet utility enables you to log on to other computers remotely as if you were sitting in front of them.

4. In the Term Type field, select a terminal mode. The default is VT-100, which is a good place to start.

5.
In the Port field, select a port. The default is Telnet.

6.
To start the Telnet session, click the Connect button in the Connect dialog box.

Verifying Internet Connections with WINIPCFG

Windows includes an IP Configuration utility called WINIPCFG (see Figure 19.13), which you can use to display all the current TCP/IP network configuration values of your computer. Your computer must be running Microsoft TCP/IP to use WINIPCFG. To run WINIPCFG, click the Start button, choose Run, and type WINIPCFG in the Open field. Click OK.

FIG. 19.13 To see current IP settings, use the WINIPCFG utility available with Windows.

When you run WINIPCFG, you can see the current IP address allocated to your computer and other useful data about the TCP/IP allocation. The IP Configuration utility does not, however, dynamically update information. If you make any changes, such as disconnecting from your ISP, you must close the IP Configuration utility and restart it.


TROUBLESHOOTING: How do I know whether all my Internet connections are correct? You can use the PING command to get your answer quickly. To use the PING command, open a DOS session and type the following, which is the address for the Microsoft FTP server:

ping 198.105.232.1

If this command works, then TCP/IP is set up correctly.

You also can start the WINIPCFG utility to see whether your IP addresses will appear. To run WINIPCFG, type WINIPCFG in the Open field after choosing Start, Run.

I'm connected to the Internet through my network at work. I have a DNS configuration error. Can you help? The best answer is to ask your network administrator to help you configure your Internet connection. He or she is the best qualified to designate these settings. However, you might check to make sure the DNS Configuration tab is set up correctly for your network. You can access this information by double-clicking the Networking icon in Control Panel, selecting TCP/IP, and clicking Properties. Click the DNS Configuration tab on the TCP/IP Properties page and ensure that these settings are properly configured.



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