Step 3 is the subject of the rest of this course—what you can do once you're on. The basics are discussed in the next chapter.
<Section 3.1> Connection Methods
In theory, there are three ways to connect to the Internet from a personal computer or workstation:
(1) Your PC may have a direct connection. This means that it is part of a Local Area Network (LAN) that is in turn connected to one of the component Wide Area Networks of the Internet. Your computer will have its own Internet Protocol (IP) Address. This type of connection is common in offices, especially of high-tech firms, but definitely not for home use.
(2) You may have a connection to a "host" computer that is directly connected to the net. If you can use a modem to connect your home PC to the mainframe at the office and the mainframe is on the net, then you can get an Internet connection that way. But what if your office doesn't have a mainframe on the net? You can still subscribe to a service that makes a host computer available to the public. This is presently the cheapest and most common method for public access to the net.
(3) There is a connection method in between cases (1) and (2) called a Serial Line Internet Protocol (SLIP) connection. You dial up a special host computer—just like case (2)—called a SLIP-server. The difference is that the SLIP server gives you a temporary IP address and talks to your computer using the Internet Protocol. This requires your computer's software to speak SLIP. Your computer thinks it is using case (1) even though your actual connection is closer to step 2. The advantage of fooling your terminal into thinking it has a direct connection is that it can use all the fancy, free software developed for computers with direct connections.
The software for a SLIP connection is being built into all new communications software. If you just bought or upgraded your software, you probably have SLIP capability already. The catch? SLIP is too slow on a cheap 2400 baud modem. But if you buy a fast FAX modem it works fine. That's one reason that a $350 FAX modem is a good investment. It is fast enough for SLIP and gives you the ability to send and receive FAXes as well.
SLIP technology is still rather new and somewhat experimental, so this discussion will focus on the old reliable—method 2. How do you find a service that will give the public access to the Internet?
Depending on where you live, you may have a provider you can call in your local area code. If not, then most of your problem will be finding the cheapest way to make a long distance phone call. This book does not have a list of providers, since such a list will get out of date rapidly. Instead, it gives you one cheap way to get on the Internet, then gives you instructions on how to find out who the providers are and what their rates are. I would rather teach you how to look out for yourself than just give you some outdated advice. This method also has the advantage that one set of instructions works for everybody. That wouldn't be true if I listed 20 or 30 providers. Instructions are given in "Gettin on the Internet Step by Step."
<Section 3.2> Types of Internet Providers