A+: Browser and Script Setup *

A web browser, such as Microsoft Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox, is the main interface through which you navigate the Internet. Internet Explorer is a standard component of Windows. Updates and newer versions can be downloaded manually from the Microsoft website or via Windows Update. Other browsers can be downloaded in compressed form and installed manually.

Depending on how you connect with the Internet, you might need to adjust the browser configuration.

Typical options you might need to change include

• Proxies for use with LAN-based or filtered access— Users who access the Internet through a local area network might be doing so through a proxy server. A proxy server receives a copy of the website or content the user wants to look at and checks it for viruses or unapproved content before passing it on. The proxy server information is set through the browser’s configuration menu (for example, Internet Options in Internet Explorer).

• Automatic dial up for convenience— Internet Explorer and most other browsers can also be set to dial up the Internet automatically whenever you start the browser to make Internet access easier. This option is very useful for dial-up connections.

• Email configuration— Most browsers include an email client; the settings for the email server and other options must be made to allow email to be seen and replied to within the browser.

• Disable graphics— Users with extremely slow connections who view primarily text-based pages can disable graphics for extra speed.

• Security settings for Java— Advanced features, such as Java and ActiveX, make sites more interactive, but might also pose a security risk; these features can be limited or disabled through the Security menu.

You can also adjust default colors and fonts and the default start page.

Generally, you should use all the features possible of the browser unless you have speed or security concerns that lead you to disable some features.

Setting Up Your Browser to Use Your Internet Connection

In most cases, users will want the Internet to be available as soon as they open their web browser. Because some users have dial-up connections and some networks use proxy servers to provide firewall protection or content filtering, you might need to adjust the browser configuration to permit Internet access.

To view or adjust the browser configuration for Internet Explorer, follow this procedure:

A. Open Internet Explorer.

B. Click Tools, Internet Options.

C. Click the Connections tab.

D. If the Internet connection uses a dial-up modem, select the correct dial-up connection from those listed and choose Always Dial (to start the connection when the browser is opened) or Dial Whenever a Network Connection Is Not Present. Click Set Default to make the selected connection the default.

E. If the Internet connection uses a network, click Never Dial a Connection, and click LAN Settings to check network configuration.

F. Ask the network administrator if you should use Automatically Detect Settings or whether you should specify a particular automatic configuration script.

G. Click OK to save changes at each menu level until you return to the browser display.

If a proxy server is used for Internet access, it must be specified by servername and port number.

A. From the Connections tab, click LAN settings.

B. From the Local Area Network (LAN) Settings window, you have two options underneath Proxy Server. If a single proxy server address and port number is used for all types of traffic, click the Use a Proxy Server checkbox and enter the address and port number. However, if different proxy servers or ports will be used, click the Use a Proxy Server checkbox and click the Advanced button.

C. Specify the correct server and port number to use.

D. Click OK to save changes at each menu level until you return to the browser display.

Enabling/Disabling Script Settings

Some networks use a separate configuration or logon script for Internet access. To specify a script with Internet Explorer, click Tools, Internet Options, Connections, LAN Settings, Use Automatic Configuration Script. Enter the URL or filename of the script and click OK.

You can also configure Internet Explorer to automatically detect the settings if your network is configured to provide them. However, if you enable this option and the network is not configured to provide them, Internet Explorer will not be able to connect to the Internet.