With Dial-Up Networking, you can create a true network connection over an analog modem or ISDN adapter and become a node on the network. No matter what type of network you are dialing into, if Windows 98 (Win98) has a client for it and network protocol support, you can connect to it.

Behind The Connection.

One of the best and most popular examples of Dial-Up Networking is how millions of us connect to the Internet everyday. Using the combination of Dial-Up Networking, Microsoft's Dial-Up Adapter, and the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), we dial our local Internet service provider (ISP) using a modem and become a node on the Internet. Chances are you didn't even realize this was what was going on when you called out to check your E-mail. You became part of the world's largest wide-area network.

Dial-Up Networking requires that you have the Dial-Up Adapter installed on your computer.

In the good old days of Windows 3.x, we had to struggle with add-on dialer programs based on slow 16-bit code. This was fine for the time because 14.4 kilobit per second (Kbps) modems were the fastest on the block and the Internet wasn't packed with multimedia content. As modem speeds increased, the 16-bit dialers started to have trouble keeping the data flowing smoothly.

Many third-party vendors produced 32-bit dialers to keep up with our need for speed. With Windows 95 (Win95), that all changed.

Microsoft saw a need to offer built-in Dial-Up Networking and included three components with Win95 to make this easier to do. First, Microsoft added TCP/IP to the list of available network protocols. This eliminated the need to find or purchase a third-party TCP/IP stack. Next, Microsoft created a new network adapter called Dial-Up Adapter. This uses your modem as a virtual network interface card (NIC). Dial-Up Adapter has its own set of properties and protocol bindings just like a normal NIC. You can use any protocol with it and any network client.

The last piece to the puzzle is the addition of the Dial-Up Networking (DUN) module. DUN is the component that bridges the TCP/IP stack and Dial-Up Adapter. DUN uses yet another protocol called Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) to send your user name and password to your ISP, to receive the IP address assigned to you by your ISP, and handle all network data passing through the serial port to your modem.

Most of what we just covered above is transparent to you and isn't crucial to know. But it is important to know some of the mechanics behind the scenes so that if something goes wrong, you at least know where to look. The following sections cover how to set up Dial-Up Networking in Win98, how to configure your dial-up options, and how to make your first connection.

Depending on how your PC was set up by the manufacturer, you may or may not have to do some of the following steps. Also, many ISPs will provide you with software that will lead you through this entire process with wizards. It can't hurt to know what's actually going on under the surface, however, especially if something goes awry. If nothing else, this will help you double-check your setup and get familiar with how Dial-Up Networking is configured under Win98.

We are going to assume that your computer already has a modem installed. The Dial-Up Networking function is comprised of three parts: the Dial-Up Networking software component, the Dial-Up Adapter, and the TCP/IP. As we go through installing the necessary components, Windows may ask if you want to restart your computer. It saves time to wait until you finish all steps of the installation before doing so.

Installing Dial-Up Networking.

Check to see if Dial-Up Networking is installed on your computer. You can find this out very easily by double-clicking My Computer on the Desktop. If you see an icon for Dial-Up Networking, you are halfway home. If you don't see this icon, you'll have to install the program now.

Double-click My Computer, then select Control Panel, and find the icon for Add/Remove Programs. Double-click this, then click the tab titled Windows Setup at the top of the Add/Remove Programs Properties page. In this dialog box, you will see a list of Windows components.

Find the one labeled Communications and double-click it to view the different items available in the category. Click Dial-Up Networking to install the service on your computer, then click OK. You may need your Win98 CD-ROM to complete this step.

Win98 is supposed to install the Dial-Up Adapter when Dial-Up Networking is installed. Let's make sure it is installed before we leave the Control Panel. Move down the list to find the Network icon then double-click on it. You will see a list of network components. If Dial-Up Adapter is there, you are set. If it isn't, click Add, select Adapter, then click Add, again. You will now see the Select Network Adapters dialog box, with manufacturers on the left and specific network adapters on the right. Select Microsoft on the left and Dial-Up Adapter on the right, then click OK. You will need your Win98 disc.

In order to connect to the Internet, you'll need TCP/IP installed and bound to the Dial-Up Adapter. If your system already had Dial-Up Adapter installed in it, but does not have TCP/IP, you will need to follow these steps: from Control Panel, click Network, then Add, and choose Protocol from the items on the page. Click Add to bring up the Select Network Protocol dialog box. Then, select Microsoft from the left-hand side and TCP/IP from the right. Click OK.

While we are in the Networks part of Control Panel, let's save ourselves some time in the future by having Win98 remember our password each time we connect to our ISP. Click Add, Client, Add, and then select Microsoft from the manufacturers list on the left and select Client For Microsoft Networks from the network clients list on the right. Then, click OK.

Unless your ISP automates the process for you with a setup application, you will need to type in the DNS address in your connectoid's TCP/IP settings.

Creating A Connectoid.

With Microsoft Client installed, you have the option of saving your password so you don't have to type it in each time. If there are other users of your PC who you don't necessarily want to have surfing the Web without you being there, you may not want to do this. Otherwise this is a great time-saving feature.

At this point, restart your PC.

Now that all the proper "pipes" are installed, let's create a connectoid—an icon in the Dial-Up Networking folder—for our ISP. A connectoid contains, among other things, the phone number, the modem, and the type of dial-up server to use for a particular connection. To create a new connectoid, click Start, Programs, Accessories, Communications, and Dial-Up Networking. Then, double-click Make New Connection, which brings up a wizard that leads you through the process.

The first screen asks you to name your connectoid and select a communications device. Your currently installed modem should be listed here. If not, select it from the list then click Next.

The next page has fields for entering your ISP's phone number, including the area code and the country code. Click Next, then Finish, to complete this part of the process.

Before you can dial out, there is one more thing you have to do: set up the TCP/IP settings for the connectoid so it will work correctly with your ISP. First of all, right-click the connectoid and select Properties. Click the Server Types tab, then select the Dial-Up Server type that begins with "PPP" (unless your ISP provides you with other instructions.)

Make sure that Log On To Network and Enable Software Compression are checked, and uncheck the NetBEUI and IPX/SPX Compatible protocols at the bottom. Now click the TCP/IP Settings. Your ISP should have supplied you with at least one set of Domain Name Server (DNS) addresses. Click the radio button next to Specify Name Server Addresses and enter the numbers you were given.

Making The Right Connections.

You are now ready to make your first connection. Double-click the connectoid icon to start the process.

Enter your user name and password and click Save Password if you don't want to enter it every time you attempt a connection. You will then be connected to your ISP, ready to exchange E-mail and surf the Web. When you are finished, simply click Disconnect to hang up the phone.

If you run into problems connecting or performing other tasks once connected, double-check the settings and retrace your steps. Setting up a Dial-Up Networking connection isn't the hardest thing you will do with your computer, but when it doesn't work right, it can be one of the more frustrating aspects.

by Keith Schultz and Kimberly Maxwell