The Internet today has become so firmly entrenched in our lives that without it the activity of a modern person is almost impossible to imagine. Judge for yourself, because many banking services or even payment for housing and communal services are tied to the Internet. And this is not a question of popular social networks in which almost all politicians consider it their duty to leave a publication. But, distracting from the scope of such technologies, let's see how to configure the Internet in Windows-systems. We will consider them solely because they are the most common OS in the post-Soviet space.
How to configure the Internet on a computer: basic connection options and types of actions
Before proceeding to the direct configuration of the Internet connection, you should decide which connection will be used. Today, you can use a wired and wireless connection. We will not consider wired connections through conventional (rather than ADSL) modems, since they are already, to put it mildly, irrelevant due to the low access speed. Let us dwell on the usual cable connection and connection based on routers (routers and ADSL modems operating wirelessly).
As for how to set up an Internet connection, most of the steps for both types of connections are not particularly different. The difference is only in some specific settings. Separately, we touch on actions that allow you to turn a regular stationary PC or laptop into a distribution server (to amplify the signal, connect more devices, etc.).
Wired Settings
So, let's start with a wired connection, in which the network cable is connected directly to the Ethernet card port, for which, of course, all the necessary drivers must be installed. How to configure the Internet in the 7th or any other version of Windows?
In all cases, you will first need to use the network and sharing management section, which is located in the standard “Control Panel”.
Here you need to establish the creation of a new connection and select the Internet connection and its type, after which it remains only to follow the additional instructions of the customizer. Upon completion of the connection, it can be used immediately, but only if the provider provides automatic settings for this connection (for example, when using dynamic IP addresses).
In this case, if you use the change in the properties of the network connection and go to the properties of the IPv4 protocol, the input fields for the necessary addresses will be inactive. But how to configure the Internet for cases when the computer assigns a static IP to the provider? Nothing too complicated. In the fields of the subnet mask and the gateway, specify the standard addresses and enter the value of the desired IP. If required, the provider needs to find out the addresses of DNS servers, drive them into the appropriate fields and save the changes.
How to set up the Internet through a wireless connection?
With a wireless connection, the situation is much simpler, but only in the sense of setting the necessary options on the computer. The main settings concern the parameters set on the router (router). How to set up the Internet in this case? Nothing complicated!
To perform the necessary operations, you must enter the device’s web interface with the username and password admin, using the address 192.168.0.1 or 1.1 entered in any Internet browser, then go to the wireless section, specify the network name (SSID), correctly select a region, set the channel and connection mode to automatic (unless otherwise provided), indicate the type of connection and check the broadcasting SSID and broadcasting points of the router with mandatory flags. For dynamic IPs, nothing else is required.
For static addresses, you will need to enter the connection parameters on the router yourself. They are issued by the provider when drawing up the contract for the provision of Internet connection services.
Note: password protection of networks is set in the connection properties. It also sets the security protocol and encryption type.
VPN Technology
Speaking about how to configure the Internet through a computer, it is especially worth noting wireless technologies based on VPN (virtual private networks). The main advantages of such connections include independence from the regional location of users, complete security of receiving / transmitting information through the use of tunneling, absolute privacy on the World Wide Web by changing the local external IP address, and high connection speed. To configure this type of connection, it is completely optional to install additional programs, since all actions can be performed directly by Windows tools.
Configure a VPN server to distribute the Internet
The main method for creating such a connection is the organization of the corresponding VPN server. But this requires a wireless module. On laptops, such Wi-Fi modules are built-in, and external USB devices can be used for fixed terminals.
As for how to configure the Internet in this case, as usual, the creation of a new connection is used, but in the next steps a connection to the workstation is selected with an indication of your VPN connection. Next, you will need to enter the address of the VPN server on the Internet, having received it from the provider, and set the login control parameters (logins and passwords). Please note that a prerequisite is the automatic configuration of all types of addresses in the IPv4 protocol properties.
Typical connection errors and methods for fixing them
With the Internet settings a little figured out. Now a few words about typical connection errors. If there is no connection for any reason, just check the options set for IPv4 for starters. In some cases, you should disable the use of IPv6, since the simultaneous use of both protocols can cause conflicts. For both wired and wireless connections, in some cases it makes sense to change the automatic receipt of DNS addresses to manual entry. In this case, you can use special free combinations, for example, from Google. For all situations, separately check proxy activation. If the provider does not provide a proxy server, you must disable it for local addresses.
Troubleshoot connection problems in programs using the Internet
As for the inoperability of some programs, which, by the nature of their activity, may require an Internet connection, most often the main problems are related to access to certain resources. In this case, say, for browsers, you can install additional extensions in the form of VPN clients (ZenMate, Browsec, Hola, friGate, etc.).
In Opera, you can use the built-in client. For other applications that are not dependent on the browser used, there is a solution too. For example, programs such as SafeIP change the external address of the computer not only at the browser level, but also apply such settings to all available applications.
Separately, pay attention to programs for which you need to open special ports. You can do this either in the operating system itself, or in the program, or on the router.
Brief Summary
On this, in fact, you can put an end to. As already noted, a wireless VPN-based connection is by far the most relevant due to the simplicity of settings, complete user privacy and information security, as well as independence from the territorial affiliation of a computer when organizing a network. When changing the external IP, you can also get rid of its binding to a specific region in which the provider or even the user terminal itself is located.