How to Use the Internet

Level of difficulty: Easy

The Internet is the biggest library of information. Learning how to use it is indeed very useful. The Internet is a network of connected computers, allowing the users to share information along different channels. A computer connected to the Internet can access information from different servers. Information movement on the Internet is achieved by a system of computer networks that share data through packet switching using the standard TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol). Internet connection can be obtained thru a Dial-up, DSL (Digital Subscriber Line), Cable, Digital, and 3G Technology (use of Internet through mobile phones). In order to connect to the Internet, all we have to do is to subscribe the service through an ISP (Internet Service Provider) company.

Materials Needed:
- Computer
- Internet Connection
- ISP (Internet Service Provider)
Step 1
The first step to do to use the Internet is to double check if the computer is connected to the network by clicking on the 'Start' menu of the computer. Select 'Control Panel' and click the 'Network Connections'. If your Internet connection is through a DSL connection, check the 'Local Area Connection' icon if it says connected. If the icon says connected, proceed to step 2.
Step 2
Before using the Internet, a browser application should be installed on the computer. A Web browser is a program that allows the user to interact and display, images, text, music, videos, and other information located on a Web page. There is a misconception between the Internet and the World Wide Web (www). The World Wide Web (www) is a set of interconnected images, documents, and other resources linked by URLs (Universal Resource Locators) on the Internet.
Step 3
Open the browser application. There are two ways to open the Web browser. Click the shortcut icon placed on the desktop or click the 'Start' menu of the computer and click the icon of the Web browser installed on the system. Once the browser application is open, proceed to step 4.
Step 4
On the opened browser, look for 'Address' and beside that, you will see a white field where you can type in the Web address of the website that you want to visit. That bar is called the Address bar. Another way to open a website is to click on 'File' on the upper left hand corner of the browser. From the File menu, choose 'Open'. There will be a field where you can type in the Web address of the website that you want to visit.