Macs All-in-One for Dummies®, 2nd Edition

Chapter IV.1. Connecting to the Internet and Browsing the Web

In This Chapter

• Setting up an Internet connection

• Browsing Web sites

• Searching a Web page

• Saving Web pages

• Viewing and playing multimedia files

• Downloading files

You can use a computer all by itself, but to get the most out of your Mac, you need an Internet connection. The Internet can also open a whole new world for you by letting you browse and read news on the Web, watch movies, listen to radio stations, find and download new applications, update versions of your existing programs, and shop online. For most people, an Internet connection is no longer an option but a necessity.

Setting Up an Internet Connection

From a technical point of view, to connect to the Internet, your Mac must connect to another computer, run by a company called an Internet Service Provider (ISP); it's through the ISP that your Mac actually connects to the Internet.

To connect your Mac to an ISP, you have three options:

• Ethernet (also called high-speed broadband)

• Wireless (also called WiFi high-speed broadband)

• Dialup access

Ethernet connection

A broadband Ethernet connection is the fastest way to connect to the Internet. The two most common broadband connections are through cable modems or DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) modems.

Your Mac can connect to a cable modem or DSL modem with an Ethernet cable, which plugs into the Ethernet port with a plug that looks like a wider version of a telephone plug. After you connect your Mac to a cable or DSL modem, you can ...