Toshiba Portege A600-S2202 Toshiba User's Guide for Portege A600 - Page 128

128 Exploring Your Computer's Features An overview of using the Internet The World Wide Web The World Wide Web (or "Web") is a subset of the Internet-a collection of interlinked documents (located on computers connected to the Internet) that work together using a specific Internet protocol called Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). The World Wide Web offers information as text, images, audio, or video to be referenced from anywhere in the world. Special programs called Web browsers are specifically designed to work with HTTP. They make it easier to connect to a particular network address and send and receive information. Internet Service Providers To connect a computer directly to the Internet, many people and businesses use an Internet Service Provider (ISP). An ISP is a company that has the equipment and the telecommunication lines necessary to maintain an Internet connection. You can connect to the Internet by using a telephone and modem or through other higher-speed communication methods such as Digital Subscriber Lines (DSL), cable, and satellite links. Connecting to the Internet To connect to the Internet, you need: ❖ A modem and telephone line, or a LAN connection ❖ A Web browser ❖ An Internet Service Provider (ISP) account Once you have established an ISP account, you can connect to the Internet. If you are using your computer at the office, then you probably connect to the Internet through your company's network. See your network administrator about connecting to the Internet. Surfing the Internet Once connected to the Internet, the Web browser displays a home page, for example, your ISP's home page on the Internet or your company's Web site home page. To visit a desired Web site, type in the Web address. The Web address, or Uniform Resource Locator (URL), is a unique identifier for that computer system linked to the Internet. Web addresses can also appear within a Web page's text, and are known as links.