Lesson 6

Getting Connected

There are many ways to access the Internet. The one you choose will depend upon your needs, convenience and cost. This list gives you the most popular options and some helpful links if you want to find out more:

  • Home broadband (wired) - high speed Internet using your existing phone line. Also known as ADSL. The speed depends upon the age of your phone line and distance from your local exchange. ADSL speeds are generally 1-8 Mbps with an average around 2 Mbps. There are a number of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) that offer broadband (click here). You will need an ADSL modem or router which are often provided free of charge by the ISP. There is usually a monthly fee of about £12.99 to £29.99 depending on the package and the speed. Many packages have a monthly usage (bandwidth ) quota. If you go over the quota you will be charged. Unlimited broadband means there is no quota, although in reality heavy users are often charged extra. A 2-5GB quota will be sufficient for normal Internet and email use. If you download a lot of music and especially games and film, an unlimited service would be the best option. ADSL2 broadband should be coming soon offering speeds up to 24Mbps.
  • Home broadband (wireless) - this is actually the same service as above, but your ISP will provide you with a wireless router instead of a modem. Once this is set up, you will be able to connect to the Internet using wireless devices such as laptop computers anywhere within range of the router (about 30m). It is important that you secure the network with a password so that neighbours or passers by don't connect to your broadband for free and use up your bandwidth allowance!
  • Cable broadband - provided by cable TV companies, often as part of a package with a cable television subscription eg Virgin Media.
  • Dial up Internet - the 'old fashioned' method of connecting to the Internet using a dial-up modem plugged into your phone line. There is either a monthly charge or you will be charged for a local rate telephone call whilst you are connected. Dial-up Internet is very slow and not much use for accessing music or video online. However, it is relatively cheap and easy to setup. There are still some parts of the UK where broadband is not available and dial-up is the only option. Here is a list of free dial up Internet Providers.
  • Mobile broadband - truly mobile Internet wherever you are!
    • Wireless hotspots - around the country some city centres, airports, cafes and hotels have wireless hotspots where you can connect to the Internet using a laptop computer. This might be a pay as you go service or a subscription service. This link has a wireless hotspot search facility.
    • 3G wireless Internet - some mobile phone companies (eg T-Mobile) are now offering 3G wireless Internet cards for laptop computers. These allow you to get broadband-like speeds using the mobile telephone network. This is a subscription service.
    • WAP mobile phones - Modern mobile phones can access the Internet. These are often known as WAP phones and connect using either 3G (as above) or GPRS (an older, slower system). Some mobile phone contracts come with free web minutes, with others you pay the amount of data you download. Here is a list of UK mobile phone providers.
  • Internet cafes - as well as cafes with wireless hotspots, there are many Internet cafes across the UK where you can sit down at a computer and surf the Internet for a hourly fee. Here is a list of Internet cafes in Sheffield.
  • People's Network - many libraries in England now provide free access to computers that are connected to the Internet. This network is called the People's Network and is a wonderful, free resource. This link has information about the Sheffield People's Network.

Multimedia on the Net

  • One of the best things about the Internet is all the fun multimedia eg
    • Online radio stations
    • Music videos
    • Movie trailers
    • Online games
  • In order to view/play multimedia files on the Internet you need plug-ins to be installed onto your computer. If you have a modern computer these will probably be present. If not you might need to download them. The most popular are:
    • Windows Media Player
    • Quicktime Movie Player
    • Real player
    • Adobe Flash Player
  • If you visit a website using these files and you don’t have the correct player installed, the website will usually redirect you to get them installed.

Your turn!

1. Go to this website to play a 3D version of the game Pong:
www.liquid.se/pong/pong.html (this might not work in schools). Use your mouse to control the paddle and try to beat the computer!

2. Go to this website to see music videos:
www.slack-time.com/ Click on Watch to view the video.

3. Go to this website to see some movie trailers:
www.apple.com/trailers/ (this might not work in schools)

4. Go to this website to listen to internet radio:
uk.music.yahoo.com/launchcast/default.asp

Internet and the Law

There are a number of laws which are there to protect Internet users and prosecute cyber-criminals:

  • Copyright law - copyright law is designed to protect 'intellectual property'. This means text, images, music, video, designs and ideas. It is very easy to copy and download material from websites, but you should be aware that much of it is protected by copyright. Some sites allow it for personal use, but you must pay royalties to use it commercially. It also covers the redistribution of material without the owner's consent and has lead to a number of legal proceedings against ordinary people using file sharing sites (like Napster, Kazaa) to share music, video and games.
  • Computer misuse act - this law is used to prosecute hackers. People who hack into computer networks, sometimes to steal data and sometimes to delete data.
  • Data Protection act - nearly all your personal information is stored on computers around the world. Scary but true. Your name, address, date of birth, bank details, credit history… The Data Protection Act ensures that companies keep your private data private and prevents them from sharing it with other companies without your consent. It also means that companies can be prosecuted if they don't make precautions against hackers and loss of data.
  • Fraud - the Internet has increasingly been used by criminals in a fraudulent way. Criminals might pass themselves off as legitimate businesses or even pretend to be banks and ask for your PIN number (known as Phishing). The Office of Fair Trading is the government department who can help if you think you have been defrauded whilst online.
  • Obscene publications act - this act has been extended to cover Internet sites and is a law that can be used to prosecute people who upload obscene pictures or make obscene remarks on websites.

There are a number of other laws that have had to be updated as the Internet is increasingly used by criminals, including anti-terrorism laws and laws to do with inciting racial hatred.

Summary

You should now be able to:

  • Understand the different ways that you can connect to the Internet
  • Play online games
  • Watch a video online
  • Listen to music online
  • Understand which laws affect Internet users

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