How to Hook up the Internet on a Laptop

One advantage of using a laptop instead of a desktop computer system is mobile Internet access. Along with creating documents and storing photos, you can surf the Web, download music, check your email and use chat programs and forum websites with your laptop. Anything that you can do online, you can do on the go, as long as your laptop is ready for the Internet. You first must decide whether you want a wired connection or a wireless connection. You'll need an account with an Internet service provider unless you are connecting wirelessly from a location with WiFi access.

Instruction 

Wired Internet Access

• • Check your laptop to make sure it has a modem and a 10/100 ethernet port. If you purchased your laptop after 2004, you probably have these. A computer store can install what you are missing.
• • Turn on your modem and connect it to the router with a CAT5 ethernet cable.

  • Click on the Internet connection icon in the bottom right corner of your screen. This looks like a small computer or a small antenna, depending on the type of computer or operating system you have.

• • Choose "View Connections" to see what connections are available.
• • Click on the connection you would like to use. Most of the time, the computer will connect and will download any drivers it needs right away. If your computer needs to install the drivers or the modem or router, you will be prompted to put a disk into your computer if the hardware came with one. You can then follow the onscreen instructions to complete installation and connect.

Wireless Internet Access

• 1. Check your laptop to see if it has a modem and a wireless card. Any laptop purchased after 2000 will probably have a modem, and anything purchased after 2004 should have a wireless card. A computer store can install them if they are missing.
  2. Make sure your modem and router are on and connected to the Internet. Turn on the Internet button on your laptop if your computer has one. This might be a button that says "Internet," or it might look like a tower or antenna.
  3. Click on the "View Wireless Networks" button in the bottom right corner of your screen to view available wireless connections. If you don't have the right software installed for a particular modem or router, you will be prompted to follow onscreen instructions (which may or may not include placing a modem or router disk in your computer) before you can view wireless networks. Most wireless networks, however, do not require that you download or install anything before your computer can connect.
  4. Enter a password or network key if you are using a wireless connection that is password-protected. If this is your own network and you don't know the password, contact your Internet service provider. If it is someone else's network, ask for the password before you connect. You should then be able to surf the Web.

Resource

Maps of World: Laptop Internet Basics