We also need software. This depends upon the ISP (Internet Service Provider) that we choose to use. Your ISP is your link to the Internet. ISP's such as AOL, CompuServe, Pipex, etc., have computers (known as servers), that allow you access to the World Wide Web, your own web space, e-mail, news groups — all the things we (generally) take for granted. Your ISP will supply you with software that allows you to connect to their servers.
Connection takes the form of you having a User ID and a password. Some ISP's provide a "connect by the hour service"; others charge a flat rate for "unlimited connection time." If you only use the Internet for a few hours a month, the former is probably better for you. If you connect for longer, the the flat rate option is usually more economical. It pays to shop around and it pays to use a big, well-known ISP if you plan to use the Internet (especially for business). Smaller ISP's won't tend to have the latest, fastest servers or wide bandwidths (a bandwidth is the amount of simultaneous data that can be transmitted at one time. Narrow bandwidths make for slower access if there are many users using the same ISP at the same time).
So the first stage, once we have our ISP account, is to dial in to our ISP. Some ISP's (like AOL) then provide you with a virtual environment with which to access its services and the World Wide Web. Others provide a simple dial script (a simple program that dials the number and handles the actual connection). Personally, I prefer the latter, for the simple reason that I like as few programs running as possible and don't want to be stuck with an additional layer of program. It also means that I get direct access to the Internet where I can exercise my discretion as to what I do and do not look at. Some ISP's provide in-built censorship and will not, for example, allow access to certain types of sites or areas of the Internet.
