Updated: 03/06/2020 by Using the Internet, computers connect and communicate with one another, primarily using the
TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol). Think of TCP/IP as a book of rules, a step-by-step guide that each computer uses to know how to talk to another computer. This book of rules dictates what each computer must do to transmit data, when to transmit data, how to transmit that data. It also states how to receive data in the same manner. If the rules are not followed, the computer can't connect to
another computer, nor send and receive data between other computers. To connect to the Internet and other computers on a network, a computer must have a NIC (network interface card) installed. A network cable plugged into the NIC on one end and plugged into a cable modem,
DSL modem, router, or switch can allow a computer to access the Internet and connect to other computers. ISPs (Internet service
providers), the companies that provide Internet service and connectivity, also follow these rules. The ISP provides a bridge between your computer and all the other computers in the world on the Internet. The ISP uses the TCP/IP protocols to make computer-to-computer connections possible and transmit data between them. An ISP assigns an IP address, which is a unique address given to your computer or network to communicate
on the Internet. If you have a home computer network, the computers are also using TCP/IP to connect. The TCP/IP protocol allows each computer to "see" the other computers on the network, and share files and printers. When computers connect on the same network, it is called a
local area network, or LAN. When multiple networks are connected, it is called a wide area network, or WAN. With this type of network, your home has a network router that connects to your ISP. The router is given the IP address for your connection to the Internet and
then assigns local IP addresses to each device in your network. These local addresses are often 192.168.1.2-255. When accessing a local computer in your network, your router sends your TCP/IP packets between the local IP addresses. However, when you want to connect to the Internet, your router uses the IP address assigned by the ISP. Your IP address is not a 192.168.x.x address because the ISP assigns that IP address
and not your router. When requesting information from a web page, such as Computer Hope, you enter a URL that is easy to understand and remember. For your computer to access the computer containing the pages, that URL must be converted into an IP address, which is done with DNS. Once DNS has converted the URL into an IP address, the routers
on the Internet will know how to route your TCP/IP packet. The illustration below helps explain the information in the previous sections about your computer communicates with others on the Internet. Windows, macOS, and Linux computers use the TCP/IP protocol to connect to other computers on a LAN or WAN. Connecting to a LAN or WAN requires either a wired connection or a wireless connection. A wired connection is usually done using a network cable (Cat 5 or Cat 6 network cable). A wireless connection (Wi-Fi) uses an 802.11b, 802.11g or 802.11n wireless network card. With both connection types, a network router is usually required to connect to other computers. Connecting to the Internet at your home also requires either a cable modem or a DSL modem, depending on which ISP you use. Tip See our DNS page for further information on how DNS resolves a web address into an IP address. 
Windows 11 Windows 10 Windows 7 Windows 8.1 More...Less A wireless network at home lets you get online from more places in your house. This article describes the basic steps for setting up a wireless network and starting to use it. Get the right equipmentBefore you can set up your wireless network, here’s what you’ll need: Broadband Internet connection and modem. A broadband Internet connection is a high-speed Internet connection. Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) and cable are two of the most common broadband connections. You can get a broadband connection by contacting an Internet service provider (ISP). Typically, ISPs that provide DSL are telephone companies and ISPs that provide cable are cable TV companies. ISPs frequently offer broadband modems. Some ISPs also offer combination modem/wireless routers. You can also find these at computer or electronics stores, and online. Wireless router. A router sends info between your network and the Internet. With a wireless router, you can connect PCs to your network using radio signals instead of wires. There are several different kinds of wireless network technologies, which include 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, 802.11ac, and 802.11ax. Wireless network adapter. A wireless network adapter is a device that connects your PC to a wireless network. To connect your portable or desktop PC to your wireless network, the PC must have a wireless network adapter. Most laptops and tablets—and some desktop PCs—come with a wireless network adapter already installed. To check whether your PC has a wireless network adapter:
Setting up the modem and Internet connectionAfter you have all the equipment, you'll need to set up your modem and Internet connection. If your modem wasn't set up for you by your Internet service provider (ISP), follow the instructions that came with your modem to connect it to your PC and the Internet. If you're using Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), connect your modem to a phone jack. If you're using cable, connect your modem to a cable jack. Positioning the wireless routerPut your wireless router somewhere where it will receive the strongest signal with the least amount of interference. For better results, follow these tips: Place your wireless router in a central location. Place the router as close to the center of your home as possible to increase the strength of the wireless signal throughout your home. Position the wireless router off the floor and away from walls and metal objects, such as metal file cabinets. The fewer physical obstructions between your PC and the router's signal, the more likely that you'll be using the router's full signal strength. Reduce interference. Some networking equipment uses a 2.4 gigahertz (GHz) radio frequency. This is the same frequency as most microwaves and many cordless phones. If you turn on the microwave or get a call on a cordless phone, your wireless signal might be temporarily interrupted. You can avoid most of these issues by using a cordless phone with a higher frequency, such as 5.8 GHz. Securing your wireless networkSecurity is always important; with a wireless network, it's even more important because your network's signal could be broadcast outside your home. If you don't help secure your network, people with PCs nearby could access info stored on your network PCs and use your Internet connection. To help make your network more secure: Change the default user name and password. This helps protect your router. Most router manufacturers have a default user name and password on the router and a default network name (also known as the SSID). Someone could use this info to access your router without you knowing it. To help avoid that, change the default user name and password for your router. See the documentation for your device for instructions. Set up a security key (password) for your network. Wireless networks have a network security key to help protect them from unauthorized access. We recommend using Wi-Fi Protected Access 3 (WPA3) security if your router and PC support it. See the documentation for your router for more detailed info, including what type of security is supported and how to set it up. Some routers support Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS). If your router supports WPS and it’s connected to the network, follow these steps to set up a network security key:
The wizard will walk you through creating a network name and a security key. If your router supports it, the wizard will default to Wi‑Fi Protected Access (WPA2 or WPA3) security. We recommend that you use WPA3 if you can, because it offers better security than WPA2, WPA, or Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) security. With WPA3, WPA2 or WPA you can also use a passphrase, so you don’t have to remember a cryptic sequence of letters and numbers. Write down your security key and keep it in a safe place. You can also save your security key on a USB flash drive by following the instructions in the wizard. (Saving your security key to a USB flash drive is available in Windows 8 and Windows 7, but not in Windows 10 or Windows 11.) Use a firewall. A firewall is hardware or software that can help protect your PC from unauthorized users or malicious software (malware). Running a firewall on each PC on your network can help control the spread of malicious software on your network, and help protect your PCs when you're accessing the Internet. Windows Firewall is included with this version of Windows. Connect a PC to your wireless network
If you have problems with your Wi-Fi network when using Windows 10, see Fix Wi-Fi problems in Windows for advanced troubleshooting info.
If you have problems with your Wi-Fi network when using Windows 11, see Fix Wi-Fi problems in Windows for advanced troubleshooting info. Need more help?What devices do we use that connect to the Internet?Types of internet connected devices
As well as computers and mobile phones, there are: smart speakers, such as Google Home and Amazon Echo. wearables, such as Fitbit and Apple Watch. smart meters measuring household energy consumption.
What are 3 devices that can be used to connect to the Internet?Here is the common network device list:. Switch.. Router.. Bridge.. Gateway.. Modem.. Repeater.. Access Point.. |
