Mac OS X: The Missing Manual, Panther Edition

Connecting by Dial-up Modem

If you intend to connect to the Internet via ordinary phone lines, courtesy of your Mac’s built-in modem, you need to sign up for an Internet service. Hundreds of companies, large and small, would love to become your Internet service provider (ISP), generally charging $20 per month for the privilege of connecting you to the great Internet.

Figure 18-1. Panther’s new Network Status screen shows you how each of your network connections are doing at the moment (the status messages actually change as circumstances change). To adjust the network settings for a connection, double-click its “row.”

A setup program for Earthlink, a popular ISP, presents itself as part of the Setup Assistant program that runs the first time you turn on a new Mac.

But if you aren’t starting in such virgin territory (or if you want to sign up with a different ISP), you must plug a series of settings into the Network pane of System Preferences. You’ll need to get this information directly from your ISP by consulting either its Web page, the little instruction sheets that came with your account, or a help-desk agent on the phone.

Note

The following instructions don’t pertain to America Online. It comes with its own setup program and doesn’t involve any settings in System Preferences.

The PPP Tab

Start by opening System Preferences and clicking the Network icon. You’re shown the view pictured ...