User's Manual

58
Chapter 5: Using the Internet
www.gateway.com
Learning about the Internet
The Internet is a worldwide network of computers linked together to provide
information to people everywhere. The two most popular services on the
Internet are e-mail and the World Wide Web. You can access this network by
connecting your computer to a telephone, DSL (Digital Subscriber Line), or
cable line and signing up with an Internet Service Provider (ISP).
If you want to access the Internet you need:
■ A modem – a device that connects your computer, using a telephone,
DSL, or cable line, to other computers or servers.
■ An Internet Service Provider – a company that provides access to the
Internet through an ISP server. When you connect to an ISP, the ISP server
lets you access the Internet and your e-mail messages.
■ A Web browser – a program that displays information from the World
Wide Web.
■ An e-mail program – a program that lets you create, send, and receive
e-mail messages over the Internet.
Your computer
connects to the
Internet through
an ISP.
ISP Servers
let you connect to
the Internet and
access your e-mail
messages.
Internet Servers
store information so other
computers can access it
from the Internet.