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Accessing the Internet

Dell™ Technology Guide

Overview

The Internet is an electronic communications network that connects computer networks (for both individual and organizational users) around the world. The Internet supports an extensive world-wide collection of computers and servers, which contain documents or information pages (called web pages) that link to one another through a process called hypertext linking, or hyperlinks.

These electronic documents that are stored on computers around the world and are accessible via the Internet make up the Web (World Wide Web).

What you Need to Connect to the Internet

NOTE: ISPs and ISP offerings vary by country.

To connect to the Internet, you need a modem or network connection and an Internet Service Provider (ISP). An ISP offers one or more of the following Internet connection options:

• DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) connections that provide high-speed Internet access through your existing telephone line. With a DSL connection, you can access the Internet and use your telephone on the same line simultaneously.
  
  
• Cable modem connections that provide high-speed Internet access through your local cable TV line.
  
  
• Satellite modem connections that provide high-speed Internet access through a satellite television system.
  
  
• Dial-up connections that provide Internet access through a telephone line. Dial-up connections are considerably slower than DSL, cable, and satellite modem connections.
  
  
• Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN) or Mobile Broadband technology provides a connection to the Internet using cellular technology at broadband rates.
  
  
• Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) connections use high-frequency radio waves to communicate. Typically, a wireless router is connected to the broadband cable or DSL modem that broadcasts the Internet signal to your computer.
  
  

If you are using a dial-up connection, connect a telephone line to the modem connector on your computer and to the telephone wall jack before you set up your Internet connection.

If you are using a DSL, cable, or satellite modem connection, contact your ISP or cellular telephone service for setup instructions.

Web Browsers for Viewing Internet Sites

To view the Internet, you need a web browser, which is a software application (a program) that displays web pages. Web pages include text, graphics, sound, and video, which use the hypertext markup language (html). Web pages have links that allow you to move from one document to another, even when the documents are stored in different locations on the Internet.

A website is a collection of web pages maintained by an individual or an organization.

Web browsers allow you to read the hyperlinked web pages. Several web browsers are available. A commonly used browser is Internet Explorer.

1. To view a particular website, open Internet Explorer by clicking the Internet Explorer icon.
   
   
2. When the browser opens, click the address bar at the top of the browser window, and type in a web address.
   
   

Web Addresses

A web address, or uniform resource locator (URL), provides the location of a website. Every web page on the Internet has a URL. A common format for a web address is: http://www.dell.com.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: To learn more about the Internet and the different types of Internet connections, search for information on the Dell Support website at support.dell.com.

Setting up Your Internet Connection

To connect to the Internet, you need a modem or network connection and an Internet Service provider (ISP).

To set up an Internet connection with a provided ISP desktop shortcut:

1. Save and close any open files, and exit any open programs.
   
   
2. Double-click the ISP icon on the Microsoft® Windows® desktop.
   
   
3. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the setup.
   
   

NOTE: Have your ISP information ready. If you do not have an ISP, the Connect to the Internet wizard can help you obtain one.

If you do not have an ISP icon on your desktop or if you want to set up an Internet connection with a different ISP:

Windows Vista^®

1. Save and close any open files, and exit any open programs.
   
   
2. Click Start ® Control Panel® Network and Internet.
   
   
3. Under Network and Sharing Center, click Connect to the Internet.
   
   

The Connect to the Internet window appears.

4. Click either Broadband (PPPoE), Wireless, or Dial-up, depending on how you want to connect:
   
   
   • Choose Broadband if you will use a DSL modem, cable TV modem, or satellite modem.
     
     
   • Choose Wireless if you will use a wireless connection through a WLAN card.
     
     
   • Choose Dial-up if you will use a dial-up modem or ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network).
     
     

NOTE: If you do not know which type of connection to select, click Help me choose or contact your ISP.

5. Follow the instructions on the screen and use the setup information provided by your ISP to complete the setup.
   
   

Windows^® XP

1. Save and close any open files, and exit any open programs.
   
   
2. Click Start ® Control Panel® Network and Internet Connections.
   
   
3. Click Set up or change your Internet connection.
   
   
4. Click Setup. New Connection Wizard window appears.
   
   
5. Click Next. Choose Connect to the Internet and click Next.
   
   
6. Click Set up my connection manually and click Next.
   
   
7. Click either Broadband (PPPoE), Wireless, or Dial-up, depending on how you want to connect.
   
   
   • Choose Broadband if you will use a DSL modem, cable TV modem, or satellite modem.
     
     
   • Choose Wireless if you will use a wireless connection through a WLAN card.
     
     
   • Choose Dial-up if you will use a dial-up modem or ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network).
     
     

NOTE: If you do not know which type of connection to select, click Help me choose or contact your ISP.

8. Follow the instructions on the screen and use the setup information provided by your ISP to complete the setup.
   
   

Troubleshooting Problems Connecting to the Internet

If you are having problems connecting to the Internet, see the information that came from your Internet service provider and the information that came with any connection hardware.

If you cannot connect to the Internet, but have successfully connected in the past, the ISP may have a service outage. Contact your ISP to check the service status, or try connecting again later.

Web Browser Settings

By altering the browser settings you can adjust the web browser for convenience and security. For example, to change settings for Internet Explorer:

• Open Internet Explorer and click Tools® Internet Options.
  
  

OR

• Click Start® Control Panel® Network and Internet Connections® Internet Options.
  
  

The Internet Options window appears. Use this window to establish settings for certain features, such as:

• Browser home page
  
  
• Web page appearance
  
  
• Browser history
  
  
• Accessibility options
  
  

Setting the Browser Home Page

Set a browser home page (most frequently used page), so that every time Internet Explorer is opened, the same page appears.

1. Click Start® Control Panel® Network and Internet Connections® Internet Options.
   
   
2. Type the web address of the site you would like opened first every time you use Internet Explorer.
   
   

Setting the Way the Browser Displays Web Pages

The general appearance of a web page can be altered through the use of colors, languages, font, and accessibility.

1. Click Start® Control Panel® Network and Internet Connections® Internet Options.
   
   
2. Locate buttons to control web page appearance. Click the buttons for the features you wish to change.

   Colors	From the color selection window you can alter the text, the background, and the hyperlinks. The default is a simple Windows color scheme, black text, white background, and blue hyperlinks (purple if they have already been visited). Uncheck the Use Windows Colors default check box and the fields will no longer be greyed out. Click on the text color palette and a box of colors becomes available. Click OK. NOTE: Changing the text and the background colors to two similar colors makes text very difficult to read. NOTE: Some web pages have predefined color schemes that override your preferences.
   Languages	Language can be selected to display certain characters in the preferred language.
   Font	Fonts describe the size, shape, and style of the text. Select the font that you prefer.
   Text size	Increase or decrease text size by: Press <Alt><v>. Click Text Size and a side menu allows for immediate adjustment from largest to smallest. If you have adjusted the text to the largest font size possible, and are still having trouble reading the text on a web page, try the Zoom feature at the bottom right-hand side of the window.
   Zoom	Adjust the size of everything on the screen by using the Zoom feature. Hold the <Ctrl> key down while pressing the plus (+) key to zoom in. Hold the <Ctrl> key down while pressing the minus (–) key to zoom out.

   
   
   

Saving Space by Setting the way the Browser Logs Viewing History

Internet Explorer keeps a log of the websites that you visit in order to speed up the process of downloading graphics each time you re-visit a web page. You can delete or decrease the amount of space the history logs use.

1. Click Start® Control Panel® Network and Internet Connections® Internet Options.
   
   
2. Delete the files in the browsing history by clicking Delete, or minimize the amount of space by clicking Settings.
   
   
3. Reduce the file size (the number of MBs in memory) and/or reduce the number of days to keep information in the browsing history to limit the space used to store this information.
   
   

Increasing Computer Speed by Limiting the Number of Open Internet Windows

Tabs allow you to open multiple web pages at the same time in the same browsing window. It is not necessary to have multiple instances of Internet Explorer running simultaneously.

The tab feature speeds computer processing by limiting the number of programs that are open.

1. Click Start® Control Panel® Network and Internet Connections® Internet Options.
   
   
2. In the Tabs section, click Settings.
   
   
3. Click to select the check box next to Enable Tabbed Browsing.
   
   
4. Click to select Enable Quick Tabs check box. This option provides a visual display of all the tabs that are open.
   
   
5. Click Always open pop-ups in a new tab.
   This action ensures that advertisements open in the web browser you are currently using without redirecting your to a new address.
   
   
6. In the Open links from other programs section, click A new tab in the current window. This action opens hyperlinks in a new tab without opening a new browser.
   
   

Using Accessibility Options for Visual Impairments

If you have a visual impairment, the accessibility menu can be used to override individual web page settings to ignore certain colors and fonts on specified web pages.

Click on any of the radio buttons to enable the accessibility features, or use the more advanced style-sheet feature, which allows a pre-formatted style sheet to be used for all web pages.

Internet Security and Privacy

Increasing Security for Your Computer While Accessing the Internet

Your Internet security can be increased, but you lose the ability to see all the functions that are available. However, if you lower the Internet security settings to see everything, you risk the security of your computer.

1. Click Start® Control Panel® Network and Internet Connections® Internet Options.
   
   
2. Open the Security tab.
   
   
3. While the Internet icon is highlighted, use the vertical slide bar in the security level for this zone to increase or decrease the security for Internet websites.
   
   

Clicking any of the other icons on the Security page will open additional security options.

1. Click Sites under either of these headings and add the sites that you trust or want to restrict.
   
   
   • Trusted sites can be added to a list so that information from those sites will be considered secure.
     
     
   • Restricted sites allow you to add websites that you fear may damage your computer.
     
     
2. Type in the web address of the site and click OK.
   
   

Protecting Your Privacy While Accessing the Internet

Privacy affects how other web pages are able to impact your computer. Each time you visit a website a certain amount of interaction occurs between the web page and your computer's browser.

Sometimes websites display ads that pop up in another window. Sometimes your visits to a website are tracked by cookies that are placed on your computer.

Ensure security and privacy by:

Viruses

Viruses are programs that attack your computer, damaging data and system programs and compromising secure information. These viruses can attach themselves to files that you download or receive in e-mail attachments.

Using Antivirus Programs

Protect your computer from viruses by using antivirus programs. Two popular antivirus programs include Norton AntiVirus and McAfee VirusScan. Both of these programs will regularly check your computer for viruses and quarantine suspected programs and data.

You can obtain antivirus programs from the Dell Support web page located at support.dell.com.

Updating Your Antivirus Programs

Keep your antivirus program up to date since new viruses are discovered every day. Regularly check for updates to your antivirus program. Some antivirus programs can update automatically when you are connected to the Internet.

Firewalls

Firewalls are an added security feature in Windows operating systems. A firewall is a software device that is configured to allow data to pass through a computer network, which has different levels of trust.

The basic task of a firewall is to regulate the flow of traffic between computer networks of different trust levels.

EXAMPLE: Typical examples of computer networks are: Internet, which is a zone with no trust Internal networks, which are zones of higher trust type

To set up a firewall:

1. Click Start® Control Panel® Network and Internet Connections® Windows Firewall.
   OR
   Click Start® Control Panel® Security Center® Windows Firewall.
   
   
2. Click Change Settings. Windows Firewall Settings window appears.
   
   

The General tab displays two settings: On and Off. The shields to the left are green with a checkmark (On) or red with an x (Off).

Setting Windows Firewall to On (recommended) provides another choice. A check box that says Don't allow exceptions is available for use.

3. Check the Don't allow exceptions check box to boost the security settings. Windows Firewall will send a message every time it blocks a program.
   
   

The Windows Firewall window provides several tabs that allow you to customize your security settings.

HINT: You must be logged on to the computer as an administrator to turn on Windows Firewall.

Spyware and Malware

Spyware is a type of computer program used for tracking consumers to better aim advertising at specific targets. It can also be used to discover information about individuals who do not protect their computers.

Malware is software that is designed to corrupt data or hard drives on computers. Some malware can record every key you press, which may allow the capture of your credit card numbers and banking information.

Spyware and malware can potentially harm your computer and make the information it contains vulnerable to security risks.

Several indicators point to infection with spyware. Watch for:

• Computer performance slows
  
  
• Regular tasks take longer to complete
  
  
• Your Web browser home page changes
  
  
• Pop-ups appear even when you are not connected to the Internet
  
  

Preventing Spyware and Malware Infection

Several options are available to prevent spyware and malware from infecting your computer. For example, you can use anti-spyware programs to secure, check, and/or clean up your computer. Remember to ensure that your anti-spyware program is always up to date.

HINT: Use trusted websites when downloading files. Be careful when obtaining free files on the Internet.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: To learn more about compatible anti-spyware and anti-malware software programs for Windows Vista, visit the Microsoft Catalog at the Microsoft website (microsoft.com).

FOR MORE INFORMATION: To learn more about spyware and malware, see the following topics in Windows Help and Support: click Start or ® Help and Support: "Remove spyware from your computer" "Using anti-malware software to help protect your computer" "When to trust a website".

Spam

Spam refers to unwanted e-mail messages, which can include chain letters and advertisements. You can obtain anti-spam programs to reduce the amount of spam you receive. However, these programs are not perfect and may block valid e-mail messages.

Obtain anti-spam programs from the Dell web page.

Phishing Scams

Phishing is a term that refers to scams that attempt to steal information through seemingly legitimate e-mails and text messages that appear to be from a reputable business. Be cautious with any e-mail or website that requests your personal information, such as your credit card number.

Protect yourself from phishers by turning on the Phishing Filter.

NOTE: You must have Internet Explorer version 7 to use this filter.

1. Open Internet Explorer and click Tools® Phishing Filter.
   
   
2. Click to select Turn on the Automatic Website Check.
   
   
3. Click Phishing Filter Settings. The filter redirects you to the Internet Options Advanced tab to make more selective settings.
   
   

Shopping Securely Over the Internet

It is important to do business with reputable online stores to avoid possible fraud and to easily exchange or return items. Read store ratings or reviews by other customers if you are not familiar with the online store.

Take the following precautions to ensure that your online shopping experience is both safe and secure:

• Verify the credibility of the retail website.
  
  
• Is it a well known shopping site?
  
  
• Does the website belong to an Internet trust organization.
  
  
• Can you contact a person associated with the website by phone or a physical mailing address?
  
  
• Is product information and availability displayed openly and honestly?
  
  
• How fast will the order be processed?
  
  
• Are the shipping costs reasonable?
  
  
• Does the store have a reasonable return/exchange policy?
  
  
• Does the website use of encryption for user and payment data?
  
  
• Are there any quality seals on the website? These seals represent an outside assessment of the security measures in place.
  
  

Controlling Pop-ups

1. From the Internet Options window, click the Privacy tab.
   
   
2. If the box next to Pop-up blocker is unchecked, then the pop-up blocker is not turned on.
   
   

If the box is checked, then the pop-up blocker is turned on, and you can click Settings to access more features for the pop-up blocker.

3. Click Settings.
   
   
4. Enter web addresses into the exception area to allow pop-ups from specified websites.
   
   
5. In the Notifications and Filter level section, place a checkmark in the two boxes if you would like to hear a sound when a pop-up is blocked, and if you want to see the information bar when a pop-up is blocked.
   
   
6. In the Filter level drop-down menu, chose Low, Medium, or High settings to control the amount of privacy.
   
   

Controlling Unwanted Toolbars

Toolbars are located in the top of the browser to assist you as you navigate through web pages. Many of these are useful but too many can decrease the actual size of the browser you use to view the websites.

1. Click View.
   
   
2. Click Toolbars. Another menu will appear that displays all the available toolbars for the browser. A check next to a toolbar indicates that the toolbar is currently turned on.
   
   
3. Click a toolbar to enable or disable it.
   
   

Content Advisory/Parental Controls

Internet Explorer has the ability to block content from the Internet.

1. Click Start® Control Panel® Network and Internet Connections® Internet Options.
   
   
2. Open the Content tab.
   
   
3. Click Enable in the Content Advisory portion of the tab.
   
   

Certain types of content can be blocked by requiring a password to access the website. Read the description under the option before selecting it.

Bookmarking Favorite Websites

Save the address of frequently visited websites for later reference by bookmarking them.

In Internet Explorer, use the Favorites menu to bookmark frequently visited websites. On the web page you want to add, click Favorites® Add to Favorites.

To organize your list of favorite bookmarks into folders:

1. Click Favorites® Organize Favorites.
   
   
2. Click Create Folder to create a new folder.
   
   
3. Highlight a folder or page and click Rename to change the way a favorite is listed.
   
   
4. Highlight a folder or page and click Move to Folder to move a page into a folder.
   
   
5. Highlight a folder or page and click Delete to delete a favorite from your list.
   
   

To view a list of favorites, click on the Favorites menu and a drop-down list appears with all of the previously chosen favorites. This function can also be accomplished by pressing the <Alt><a> key combination.

Searching for Information on the Internet

If you need to find information (a web page) on the Internet without actually knowing the web address, you can use a search engine to search for information.

There are many search engines to choose from. Each search engine may behave differently. Read the Help sections for the specific search engine to learn how to use it.

1. Access a common search engine and type the word or combination of words you are searching for in the Search field.
   
   
2. Press <Enter> or click Go or Search (depending on the search engine).
   
   

A list of related web pages is displayed below the search field.

HINT: When searching for information, make sure that your spelling is correct and that you use specifically related words to help refine the search. Most search engines have an advanced search feature to help refine your search.

Changing the Internet Communications Protocol (TCP/IP) Settings

The Internet uses certain communications protocols to share information. When you click a selected website (to access the web page), information is sent (downloaded) to your computer through a communications protocol, such as:

TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and Internet Protocol (IP).

You may need to change your computer's settings for the TCP/IP.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: To learn more about the settings for your TCP/IP, see the documentation that came from your Internet Service Provider. Also, see Windows Help and Support for a better understanding of working with Internet settings: click Start or ® Help and Support.

Printing a Web Page

Many websites provide a printer-friendly version of the pages to be printed. If this is not available:

1. Click File.
   
   
2. Click Print Preview to view and verify what will be printed. Often the format of the page you are currently viewing is not what is printed.
   
   

Other features are available from the Print Preview screen:

• Click the first drop-down menu to allow multiple pages to be displayed simultaneously.
  
  
• Click the second drop-down menu to move from frame to frame. Since many windows are divided into separate sections (frames), sometimes the section that prints is located in a separate frame from the rest of the browser.
  
  
• Click the third drop-down menu to zoom in or out of a specified page.
  
  

Freeing up Space and Protecting Your Computer

Clearing Browser History

The browser keeps a record of all the websites you visit. This function was designed to make travel to the same website take less time. However, this can sometimes create security risks or even impact your computer's performance. Deleting the browser history can reduce the risk and the size of the history files on the computer.

1. Click Start® Control Panel® Network and Internet Connections® Internet Options.
   
   
2. In the browser history section, click Delete.
   
   

Deleting Temporary Internet Files

As files are downloaded to your computer, they are stored in temporary file space. These files can become a drain on your computer's resources if too many are stored. Deleting them regularly helps enhance your computer's performance and speed.

1. Open your web browser and locate a tab for Internet Options.
   
   
2. From the Temporary Internet Files section, click the Delete Files button.
   
   

Decreasing the Size of the Temporary Files Folder

Internet Explorer keeps a log of the websites that you visit and a storage space of temporary Internet files. You can delete or decrease the amount of space the temporary files and history logs use.

1. From Internet Explorer, click the Internet Options tab.
   
   
2. Delete the files in the browsing history, and then minimize the amount of space by clicking Settings.
   
   
3. Reduce the number of MB in memory and/or reduce the number of days to keep information in the browsing history to limit the space used to store this information.
   
   

Maintaining Privacy by Blocking and Deleting Cookies

Cookies are small markers (pieces of code) placed on your computer when you visit a website. Companies on the Internet use cookies to track visits to their website.

Some cookies simply enhance your use of a website. For example, a cookie can save your website password information so that you only have to enter it the first time you visit a website. However, some cookies may use this personal information for commercial gain, putting your privacy at risk.

Delete the cookies in your web browser's history by opening your Internet browser and clicking the Options tab. Look for a Delete Cookies button and click it.

For example, to delete cookies in Internet Explorer:

1. Open Internet Explorer.
   
   
2. Click the Tools tab® Internet Options.
   
   
3. Under the Temporary Internet Files section, click the Delete Cookies button.
   
   

You can also limit the number of cookies placed in your computer by increasing the privacy settings:

1. From the Internet Options window, click the Privacy tab.
   
   
2. Move the vertical slide bar up for more privacy and the reduction of cookies allowed, or down for less privacy and to allow cookies to freely pass between the web page and your Internet browser.
   
   
3. To block all cookies, move the slide bar to the top to block all cookies, and then click OK.
   
   

HINT: Blocking cookies may prevent some web pages from displaying correctly. Some websites store your member name, password, or other information about you in a cookie. If you delete that cookie, you may have to enter your personal information again the next time you visit the site.

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