Q: What do I need?

A: A computer running Windows 98 and above, Mac OS 9 and above, Linux, or UNIX, an Ethernet card or USB to Ethernet adapter and at least 32 MB of RAM. Generally speaking, the more RAM the better and as cheap as RAM is today, an upgrade is very affordable.

Q: What if I can’t connect to the Internet?

A: Do the easy things first.

1. Make sure you have cable television reception. If you have no cable reception, the data channels will be down too. Call customer support to let them know.
2. Make sure you see lights on the cable modem. The absence of lights means there isn’t any power to the cable modem. Check your power connections.
3. Check the Ethernet cable between the cable modem and computer. You are looking for a green light at the Ethernet card. We call this a “link light”. This means that the Ethernet card sees a physical “link” between the cable modem and the computer. If there is no link light, check your Ethernet card or USB to Ethernet adapter card properties in your control panel.
4. Power cycle the modem. That means to unplug the power to the cable modem wait 30 seconds and plug it back in. The will often fix your connectivity problem.
5. If you’ve done these things and the problem isn’t fixed, call customer support.

Q: What if I have more than one computer?

A: You can use more than one computer if you network the computers together so that they share the cable modem connection.

Q: How do I do this?

A: The easiest way to do this is to purchase a “broadband gateway” or “cable router”. This is a good idea in general because having one of these devices helps protect your always-on connection to the Internet. In fact, these devices make it very easy to have a network in your apartment. There is little or no configuration to be done and generally will work right out of the box.

Q: What about wireless networks?

A: You’ll need a wireless Ethernet card and wireless gateway to do this. This is a great option because it’s easy to set up and eliminates wires from your computer to the gateway. You should pay attention to how to set wireless security. This is outlined in detail with the directions included with your gateway.

Q: Where do I get the hardware you are talking about?

A: You can get good hardware at most any “big box” retailer like Best Buy, Office Max, Staples, Circuit City, Frye’s Electronics and many others.

If you are new to the Internet you may feel more comfortable with the service you get from local computer stores. They often will be able to give you more personal and knowledgeable service than a large retailer.

Q: What brands should I look for?

A: The market is fairly mature now so most anything you get will probably be OK. Do some checking with friends to see what equipment they use. Good bets are brands like Linksys, Netgear, Netopia, and D-Link.

Q: I hear a lot about computer security, what should I know?

A: You absolutely need virus protection. No kidding. MacAfee and Symantec are two of the most recognizable names in the anti virus market. There are even free virus programs you can try like the home version of Avast (www.avast.com). The free versions are pretty darn good but may not have as many bells and whistles as Symantec and MacAfee. What ever you get, MAKE SURE you update the virus databases regularly so you will stay up to date.

If you run Windows XP, use the firewall. You can get one of the previously mentioned “broadband gateways” or “cable routers”. They allow you to network your computers and prevent hackers from gaining access to your computer. Believe me, it’s cheap insurance. You can get free firewall software from vendors like Black Ice, Zone Alarm and Freefirewall.org.

Q: All of this information is overwhelming…what do I do now?

A: Don’t worry, do some research on the Web and try to learn as much as you can. Take care of the basics like a firewall and virus protection. Don’t forget all of the tutorials on the Internet that you can take for free and at your own pace.