When you use an external Internet modem which is connected to the Ethernet port of your Mac, you don't need install a program. Just connect both with an appropriate UTP ethernet cable. Use your web browser to log on to the modem and configure it.
On the Mac itself, choose System Preferences => Network and choose "DHCP server". That's all.
To configure a connection with PPPoE, go to System Preferences => Network and choose "Make PPPoE':
The old fashioned way: by analog modem and a telephone line
You need a few things:
- a modem (for your Mac to make contact with an internet provider)
- a telephone number (your computer is making a 'telephone call' to another computer)
- a login name
- a password
- possibly some DNS numbers ("Domain Name Server" - works at the background to get you to the right server address when you type www.internetsite.com
Besides that, you'll need browsing software, like Safari. Safari is standard software on your Mac, but there's more. You can choose to use FireFox, Camino, Mozilla, Opera, et cetera.
Do not use those free software cd's you install Internet on your Macintosh. The Mac comes with all software you'll need.
Third party USB modems
These modems 'll need extra software, or 'drivers' to let them work.
If needed: install your modem software first, before entering your login data.
Fill in the forms
Let's assume you have an Internet account and you'll enter the Internet with the internal modem.
Open 'System Preferences'
Make a new Location
Now click on the pull-down menu called 'Location'.
Choose 'New location':
Enter the name of your Provider:
Choose modem
Click 'Show' and choose 'Internal modem'
Now go to the 'TCP/IP' tab and select 'Connect using PPP':
Note: Enter some DNS-numbers if your provider has provided you any. If not, let it open.
Fill in
Your provider's name
Account = is your login name
Password and telephone number
Choose 'save password':
Note: Regarding passwords and login names: Capitals and small letters are not the same!
Click on 'PPP-options' and make your choice. Be warned: when you choose 'Connect automatically when necessary' the Mac will go online as soon as you start any browser or email program:
At 'Modem' choose "Apple Internal Modem". (if necessary, choose another modem, for example a USB modem). It's useful to choose 'Modem status in menu bar'. With this you can go online from any program:
Note: if your provider uses a proxy server, you can fill this out at the 'Proxies' (a proxy server is a filter- or security server).
Connecting.
Now click on the telephone icon in the Menu bar to connect (or disconnect):
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Electronic Mail
The standard program for email is 'Mail'.
Email works like this:
1. You have your own mailbox at the post-office: This is the place on the mail-server at your provider that's yours, on the POP-server
2. To open this mailbox at the office you'll need a key: The key is the logon name and password your provider gave you.
3. To send mail, there's a a public mailbox in your street: This is the outgoing mail-server of you provider. SMTP-server or POP3-server
4. However: to put your letter in the public mailbox, you'll need to live in the same street as the mailbox.: Only when you're on your provider's network, you're allowed to send mail through their mail-server.
Note: The reason internet providers only let their own customers send mail via their servers is obvious: anonymous mail-sending results in a huge amount of spam.
Mail
Configuring the Mail program is easy. Starting up for the first time it will ask you the appropriate questions by itself:
When your done, Mail opens:
Go to Preferences at the Mail Menu and configure Mail according to your wishes:
Want to configure more Mail accounts? Go to the Mail Menu => Preferences => Accounts and click the + symbol:
SWITCH-TIP
Importing email data from Outlook Express
You can use a program called Outlook2Mac, but there's also an open source option. It's called 'DbxConv'.
Note: this trick only works with Outlook Express, not with MS Outlook! First get Outlook Express and import all your email to this program. The reason for this is that MS Outlook works with .pst files and we need a .dbx file to make this work. OUtlook Express uses .dbx.
How does this work:
1. Download DbxConv and place it in a new folder on your hard drive, for example C:\emails.
2. Localize your Outlook Express Mailboxes. They have the .dbx extension. Copy them to the new folder.
3. Open DOS prompt. To do this: go to 'Start' => 'Execute' and type 'cmd' (or 'command') and hit the return key.
A black window with white letters opens: the DOS prompt.
4. Go the new folder by typing: C:\emails
5. You are in that folder now. Now type:
DbxConv *.dbx
6. What happens next is that all your .dbx files (your emails) will be converted to another file format called .mbx
8. Now transport this .mbx file to your Mac. For example by burning a cd or networking.
Place the .mbx file on the Mac's Desktop.
9. Launch the Mail program. Go to 'File' => 'Import Mailboxes'. Select 'Other'.
Mail tells you that it will go look for .Mbox files.
Select the .mbx file and import it into Mail
Finished!
Note: you can find this tip and more at http://www.hawkwings.net/
WARNING:
On default, you Mail will be removed from your providers Mail server after one week. To change this option, go to Mail => Preferences => Accounts => Advanced:
TIP
The Mail icon in the Dock tells you when new mail has arrived and more:
You can also access Mail from any program to get new Mail or create a new message:
Am I obliged to use Mail?
No, there are several email programs to use, like Eudora, Entourage and browser related email programs.
Carbon Copy and Blind Carbon Copy
CC and BCC can be found here:
BACKUP TIP
Where are the email files located on my hard drive?
Go to User/Library/Mail to backup your email:
You can also backup Mail preferences at:
/User/Library/Preferences/com.apple.mail.plist
This file contains your account information et-cetera.
Marking mail as Spam or Junk.
Right-click on the e-mail and choose 'Mark as Junk'
Troubleshooting
At the 'Window' => 'Activity Monitor menu, Mail tells you what's going wrong.
Note: Keep in mind that as soon as you switch providers, your outgoing mail server has to change too!
SAFARI TIPSs
Changing the page Safari opens with.
Go to the Safari Menu and select 'Preferences':
Surfing without a trace
At the Safari Menu you'll find 'Private Mode'. Select it to not let Safari remember anything about the sites you visited.
Easy reading
Command + makes your Safari page larger and better to read. Command - does the opposite.
Scrolling
Use the Space Bar to scroll down a little.
Shortcuts
Command 1, Command 2, Command 3 et cetera lets you hop to the first, second, third .... bookmark in the Toolbar
Downloading images
Just drag and drop them to your Desktop or a folder. Otherwise, Control - click and save them (or right-click in case you have a multi-buttoned mouse) with this menu:
Download location
At default, Safari saves files at your Desktop. Go to the Safari => 'Preferences' Menu to change that at the '...' section.
Downloading movies from sites like YouTube
Wait until the whole movie has loaded. Go to the 'Window' Menu => 'Activity Monitor'. You'll see all files that are on the web-page. Search for the largest file. Double click it to download.
Note: when it's a Flash movie, you can't play it right away. Use the iSquint program to convert it to MP4, so you can watch it on your Mac or iPod.
Mailing a whole internet-page
Use the Command i shortcut and the page you're on opens in Mail so you can email it immediately.
You can find the bookmarks in the Safari folder that is located in the User/Library
Note: other browsers have their own folders with bookmarks and stuff.
Using your Mac as a web-server
Your Mac's equipped with the famous Apache Web-server software. In case you want to use your Mac as a web-server, place your website in the /Users/Sites folder:
Note: your start page has to be called 'index.html'
Next you have to open the Firewall. Go to System Preferences =>' Sharing' and start 'Personal Web Sharing':
Note: More about the internal Firewall in the next chapter, called 'Security'.