This article explains 2 ways by which you can connect a computer to the internet. The details of the parameters required to connect the computer to internet is also explained in detail.
How to connect a computer to internet with modem
In this topology , the computer is connected to the modem directly. It is assumed that there is only a single computer. The following steps are followed to connect the computer directly to internet with a modem.
Step 1
Purchase a modem. Modems can be purchased online or can also be provided by the ISP. Your ISP can provide you with this information. Check out modems here – Modems
Step 2
Connect the ethernet card on the router to the modem using ethernet cable. If an ethernet cable is not available you can purchase it here – Ethernet cable
If the modem has a gigabit ethernet port and your PC has only a fast ethernet port, ensure that you upgrade the ethernet card of your PC to a gigabit ethernet port for best internet performance. Check out Gigabit ethernet cards
Step 3
Configure the TCP/IP parameters on the PC with the necessary details. This would include the IP address, subnet mask, default gateway and dns server IP address.
This is either provided dynamically by the modem or has to be configured with a static IP address. The type of IP address (dynamic or static) is typically specified by the ISP. (Internet service provider).
Step 4
Once step 2 is completed , the computer is connected to the internet and you should be able to access the internet.
How to connect two computers to internet
In this setup, two computers require connectivity to the internet. A wireless router is used in this setup.
A wireless router with 4 ethernet ports is connected to the internet. There are two computers on the network.
Computer 1 has an ethernet card and Computer 2 does not have an ethernet card.
Step 1
Connect an ethernet cable on the ethernet card of PC and connect to the router. If an ethernet cable is not available, you can purchase it here – Ethernet cable
Step 2
Ensure that the light on the network card is green.
Step 3
Configure the TCP/IP address parameters on the computer. There are two options to configure.
The dhcp service on the wireless router can be configured to provide dynamic IP address to the computer after establishing connectivity. For this, the DHCP should be configured on the router
A screenshot of the TCP/IP setting of a computer which has recieved dynamic IP address from the router is shown below.
Static IP address can also be configured on the PC. An example configuration would be the following.
IP address – 192.168.0.2
Subnet mask – 255.255.255.0
Default gateway – 192.168.0.1 (Router IP address)
DNS server IP address – 192.168.0.1 (Router IP address)
After following steps 1-3, computer 1 should now abe able to connect to internet.
Step 4
Computer 2 does not have an ethernet port. A wireless adapter is suggested for establishing connectivity. A wireless USB adapter can be purchased here – Wireless USB adapter
Step 5
Connect the USB adapter to the USB port on the computer. The device drivers should be installed automatically.
Once the device drivers are installed, the IP address should be configured. Follow step 3 for this process.
Step 6
Once the IP address is configured, the wifi paramters like security key, ssid should be configured on the USB adapter. Once configured, connect to the wireless router.
This would ensure that the computer is connected to the internet.
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