COMPUTING FOR THE BEWILDERED By Bill Hayles Hello, again. THE INTERNET. Welcome to the Internet! You're about to join me on a journey through a unique land without frontiers, a place that is everywhere at once -- even though it exists physically only as a series of electrical impulses. We'll be joining a growing community of millions of people around the world who use this global resource on a daily basis. Setting up an Internet Connection is much harder than using one already set up and working, and so we'll be leaving the intricacies of TCP/IP addresses and DNS servers until it doesn't give you a headache just thinking about them. Instead, we'll concentrate firstly on explaining what The Internet is, then exploring what it can be used for. We'll be learning how to browse, how to send and receive e-mails, and how to get involved in mailing lists and discussions. We'll look at domain names and maybe running your own (small) web page. Finally, we'll start looking at the technical side. That should keep us out of mischief until Easter. WHAT IS THE INTERNET? The Internet is the world's largest computer network. Literally millions of computers, all capable of communicating with each other for the exchange of information. The single largest telecommunications system ever conceived. The Internet knows no geographic boundaries. You will neither know, nor care, where in the world the computer you're currently accessing is situated. My own sites, mentioned in every article, are physically located in Hong Kong. Distance is no drawback on The Internet! HOW DID THE INTERNET BEGIN? The Internet has had a relatively brief, but explosive history. It grew out of an experiment begun in the 1960's by the U.S. Department of Defense. The DoD wanted to create a computer network that would continue to function in the event of a disaster, such as a nuclear war. If part of the network were damaged or destroyed, the rest of the system still had to work. That network was ARPANET, which linked U.S. scientific and academic researchers. It was the forerunner of today's Internet. In 1985, the National Science Foundation (NSF) created NSFNET, a series of networks for research and education communication. Based on ARPANET protocols, the NSFNET created a national backbone service, provided free to any U.S. research and educational institution. At the same time, regional networks were created to link individual institutions with the national backbone service. NSFNET grew rapidly as people discovered its potential and as new software applications were created to make access easier. Corporations such as Sprint and MCI began to build their own networks that they linked to NSFNET. As commercial firms and other regional network providers have taken over the operation of the major Internet arteries, NSF has withdrawn from the backbone business. NSF also co-ordinated a service called InterNIC, which registered all addresses on the Internet so that data could be routed to the right system. This service has now been taken over by Network Solutions, Inc. and other registration services in cooperation with NSF. SOCKETS AND CLIENTS One of the keys to understanding how your computer interacts with The Internet is to appreciate the role of the SOCKET. The socket is the mechanism which connects your own computer to the net. The socket most likely works by means of dial-up networking or an ADSL connection. The programs you use to collect your e-mail, surf the web etc., called the CLIENTS, make use of this socket. They, themselves, cannot access The Internet directly. Things can be arranged so that a client can start the socket's connection routine, but without a connected socket the client can do nothing. Also, and particularly relevant when it comes to dial-up connections, closing a client doesn't necessarily also close the socket. HOW CAN I ACCESS THE INTERNET? We'll stick to the four ways most likely to be relevant to you. 1. The commonest way is still to use your own computer and telephone line to connect into the computer system of an ISP, an Internet Service Provider. What do we mean by this? You will have a personal home computer, which will have suitable hardware and software. The only special piece of hardware you will need is the MODEM. This is a device which connects into the telephone system and enables your computer to exchange information with another by means of an ordinary telephone call. Almost any home computer you buy nowadays will come with a modem. Even if you don't have one, they are not expensive and are available to suit almost any computer. You do NOT need the latest, most powerful computer to access the Internet. A modest or even second-hand one will do just as well. The software you need will almost certainly be included in that supplied when you buy the computer. Any special software required will be supplied by the ISP you choose. The software will include an e-mail reader and composer, and the same for newsgroups, as well as a "browser", the software used to access the World Wide Web (WWW), and the technical programs needed to use the modem. The hardest part is configuring your own software to connect to your ISP and connect (log on) with your own unique user identity and password. Many ISPs will supply a CD-ROM which will make this as easy as possible, needing you only to supply personal details and doing the rest. Because buying a computer is a considerable investment both financially and in terms of commitment, before you take the plunge you may well wish to test the water first. 2. An increasingly common and cost efficient way is to have a permanent ADSL (Asynchronous Digital Subscriber Line) connection using your existing telephone cable. ADSL is now available in most areas. You will be supplied with a special device (a router or a USB modem) by your ISP, which will connect your computer to The Internet through your phone line, but NOT using your phone system or number. This means that you can access the net and make (or receive) a phone call at the same time. The ADSL connection is permanent - always on - and is paid for by a fixed monthly fee, currently around 40 Euros. ADSL is much faster than dial-up, and is very much the system of the future. The only downside is that the monthly fee is payable even if you don't use the facility for any reason. 3. Another way, particularly suitable for a novice or occasional user, is to use the services of an "Internet Cafe". An Internet Cafe is somewhere, not necessarily a bar or cafe, where there are computers connected to the Internet and available for hire, usually by the half-hour. You pay your fee and you are then free to use the computer to "browse the web". You will normally be able to take a hard (printed) copy of anything that you wish to bring away with you. You will not normally be allowed to download files by FTP, but you should be able to access, read and reply to e-mail if your ISP provides a web based mail reading facility (most do), and to read but not necessarily post to newsgroups. You may well find that the cafe staff will be more than willing to help you to get started, especially if you visit at a quieter time. You can expect to pay around 3 Euros for a half hour session.  4. Use Web TV or other non-computer Internet Access Technology. A recent development is the addition of basic Internet facilities to other technology, such as web phones and e-mail and the World Wide Web (WWW) through your TV. These devices have a single purpose computer built in, together with any additional hardware necessary to get on line. The technology has reached a point where it is a feasible, cheap, but basic and not over reliable alternative to a conventional computer. Another possibility is a Web Phone, such as the Alcatel model being offered by Telefonica. This will give you basic e-mail and web browsing facilities, without the need to buy a computer, and for a lesser price, but still more expensive than the Web TV model. It has to be said that none of the various web TV systems and web phones that have been offered have yet proved successful. That's all for today. Next time, I'll be looking at costs, and looking at what The Internet can be used for. If you wish to contact me, you can do so by e-mail to questions@billnot.com. Although I can't promise to give everybody an individual reply, I do read everything. My main computer related website is http://cftb.net. If you wish to join our computer chat discussion group (mailing list) you can do so by sending an e-mail to computerchat@billnot.com with the single word SUBSCRIBE as the subject. If you have been, thanks for reading this.