You can use Mac OS X to connect to the Internet and to other computers on a network from home, school, work, or public “hotspots.” You can connect using Ethernet, a DSL or cable modem, a telephone modem using PPP, or with an AirPort wireless connection. Once you are connected, use Mac OS X applications to send and receive email, view webpages, play games, connect to your iDisk, and share files with other computers.

In Mac OS X, connecting to the Internet is similar to connecting to other types of networks. In order for your computer to connect with other computers on a network or the Internet, it needs a connection method (wired or wireless), and it needs to be set up to access the Internet and other computers on the network. If you are connecting to the Internet, you also need an account with an Internet service provider (ISP), a company that provides access to the Internet, usually for a monthly fee.

An account with an ISP may include a software package, a username and password, an account name and access numbers, domain name server (DNS) addresses, whether you should choose DHCP or manual IP address, and other information you enter into the Network pane of System Preferences when you set up your computer to connect.

The first time you started up your Macintosh, Setup Assistant walked you through setting up your basic network and Internet connection settings. If you did not use Setup Assistant to configure your computer to connect to a network, you can use the Network Setup Assistant to help you enter your information in the Network pane of System Preferences. Click Assist Me on the Network pane of System Preferences and then click Assistant to open Network Setup Assistant, and follow the onscreen instructions to enter your network settings.

In Network preferences there are settings for each type of connection your computer can potentially make, and there are several groups of settings you need to configure for each type of connection. The way you configure these settings varies depending on the type of connection you use.

If you use a telephone modem to dial-up a connection to the Internet, choose your modem port (internal or external) from the Show pop-up menu in the Network pane of System Preferences. If you connect to the Internet with a DSL or cable modem, or with a network that is connected to the Internet, choose Built-in Ethernet from the Show pop-up menu. If you have a wireless connection to the Internet, choose AirPort.

Once you have selected the method you use to connect to the Internet, you need to adjust some of the other settings in Network preferences, and enter information you received from your ISP, network administrator, or the other computers you want to connect to.

Click the link below for specific information on the settings you need depending on how you connect to the Internet.

If you experience trouble with a network connection you have already set up, use Network Diagnostics to diagnose the problem, and follow the onscreen instruction to resolve it. Click "Assist me" on the Network pane of System Preferences and then click Diagnostics to open Network Diagnostics.

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