Buying a new Mac computer is exciting. Once the computer is set up
and turned on, one of the first things you might need to configure is an
Internet connection. The type of Internet connection will determine the
appropriate method of setting up the computer.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
A cheap internet connection such as dialup is slightly different than a more expensive connection like high speed internet.
Getting the Mac connected requires taking the time to determine the
appropriate method of activating your Internet settings. While it might
seem like a complicated process, it is actually simple to set up the
Internet on a Mac. Setting Up Dial-up Connection on Mac OS X
- Click on the “System Preferences” icon and select “Network” when the menu opens. The network is the online network settings.
- Select the appropriate modem type. For example, select either “Internal Modem” or “External Modem” from the drop down list of items. The appropriate modem will differ depending on the type of connection you are using.
- Click on the TCP/IP tab when the window opens. Select the appropriate type of connection from the list. Macs provide a choice for AOL dial-up, manual entry or Point-to-point protocol which is otherwise called PPP. If your connection is AOL, select the AOL option and fill in the domain address provided by AOL. If you select the manual option, enter the IP settings in the appropriate box, fill in the DNS server address and then search the domains so the computer will work on the rest. If you select PPP, fill in the search domain and the DNS server address in the appropriate box.
- Click on the PPP tab on the network options and then fill in your information. It will ask for an account name, phone number, internet provider’s name and an ISP alternate phone number.
- Press the Command button the Mac keyboard and then press Q. The computer will save the changes and then exit the system.
Setup Ethernet Connection on a Mac
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
- Open the “System Preferences” and then select “Network” to open the network settings. Open the drop down list to view the options.
- Under the drop down list, select the “Built-in Ethernet” option as the modem type instead of the “Internal” or “External” options. Ethernet connections are used for cable modems, DSL connections or similar high speed Internet options.
- Enter the settings provided with the ISP in the appropriate blocks and select the appropriate type of Internet connection. If you are using a dynamic host configuration protocol, or DHCP, pick DHCP from the menu options and the information is filled in automatically. Otherwise, select the “Manually” option and type in the IP address, subnet masks, DNS server and router in the appropriately labelled boxes.
- If the connection uses PPPoE, or point-to-point protocol over Ethernet, select the tab at the top of the network settings. When the tab opens, select the “Using PPPoE” option and then fill in the requested address information. You’ll need your account name, the password on your account, the service provider name and the PPPoE address name.
- Anyone whose Mac computer is used by others and the Internet is needed by the others using the computer should click on the small box by “Save Password” to enable password settings.
- Select the “Show PPPoE Status” on the menu bar if you prefer to show the status of the PPPoE connection.
- Press the Command key and then Q to save and close the settings.
