Connecting to the Internet
After you've created a Dial-Up Networking icon that contains your connection
settings, you can establish a connection using any of these three methods:
- Open the Dial-Up Networking folder and use that icon to manually connect
to the Internet. This option gives you maximum control over when and how you
connect to the Internet.
- Set up Internet Explorer to automatically open a Dial-Up Networking connection
whenever you attempt to access a web page. By default, this option requires
you to respond to a confirmation dialog box before actually dialing. This
is your best choice if you use a single line for voice and data calls.
- Use advanced settings in the Dial-Up Networking folder to make a hands-free
connection that doesn't require confirmation from you whenever you attempt
to access any Internet resource. This option is best if you have a dedicated
data line and don't want any interruptions from Windows.
Making a Manual Connection
To connect to the Internet manually, follow these steps:
- Select the connection icon and open it.
- Check your username and enter a password if necessary. To store the password
for reuse, check the Save Password box.
- Check the entry in the Phone Number box. If the format is incorrect, choose
a new location or edit the number to include the required prefixes.
- Click the Connect button. Windows opens a modem connection and attempts
to dial the number. You'll see a series of status messages as the connection
proceeds.
After you successfully complete the connection, you'll see an informational
dialog box. At the same time, a Dial-Up Networking icon appears in the notification
area to the right of the taskbar.
Monitoring Connection Status
Whenever you have an open connection to the Internet, you can check its status
in a variety of ways. For example, you can double-click the icon in the notification
area, or you can right-click and choose Status to see a display showing the
total time this connection has been open and the total number of bytes you've
received and sent.
Tip
To see status information at a glance without opening a dialog box, simply
point to the icon in the notification area. After a few seconds, a ScreenTip
will appear.
Closing Your Internet Connection
When you've finished working with your Internet connection, you have three
options for closing it:
- Right-click the icon in the notification area and choose Disconnect.
- Right-click the connection icon in the Dial-Up Networking folder and choose
Disconnect. (Note that the same menu is available if you right-click on a
shortcut to a connection icon.) This technique is useful if the taskbar icon
is not available for some reason.
- If the connection status dialog box is open, click the Disconnect button.
