Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the Internet?
A: The Internet (also referred to as the "Net") can be described as a global network of computer networks. Although this sounds complicated, when broken down it becomes quite clear. A single network (also called LAN - Local Area Network) is a group of computers directly linked to each other, hence they are able to share files, printers and so on. When looking at the Internet, it is a massive global network of many many smaller computer networks (such as corporate, government, educational and so on) all linked via telephone lines, cables or satellites and hence, able to communicate with each other. All such computers linked to the Internet communicate via a common language - TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol).

Q: What is the World Wide Web?
A: The World Wide Web (also referred to as "WWW" or the "Web") has been the fastest growing sector of the Internet in recent years. The Web has evolved to cover everything from online shopping, virtual shop fronts, to browsing through your favorite book in a library, check out your next holiday destination, download the latest versions of software to trial, etc...

Q: What's a URL ?
A: When discussing the web the term URL will often be used. This is an acronym for Universal Resource Locator and is the "address" where a particular page or document is available on the web (similar to your business address...ie. it's a unique way to identify where your business is). For example, to find the Lewisville Area Chamber of Commerce on the web, simply type its URL: http://www.lewisvillechamber.org at the address line in your web browser (such as Internet Explorer or Netscape) and you will be taken to this site no matter where you are in the world.

Q: How do I find information on the Internet?
A: The best way is to use Search Engines. Search Engines are web sites owned by companies that offer search services. Most are free and are easy to use. All you have to do is type in the phrase or question and click search on their site. There are many search engines and some have a specialty. All are basically the same but a little different on how they catalog sites. Here are just a few that might help get you started: www.AskJeeves.com - this site takes input in the form of a question. www.Google.com - Large archives www.Yahoo.com - Search and menus by category www.Altavista.com - Large archives www.Hotbot.com - Many parameters to choose from.

Q: How do I connect to the internet?
A: Find an Internet Service Provider (ISP). These companies offer several methods of connecting to the internet. They range in price from less than $10/month to more than $100/month - the faster or more technological then the more expensive it will be. Paid access is not necessary since there are a few free services available but they are usually slow with advertisements. It is recommended that you get a broadband access service if it fits in your budget. There are several ways to connect to the Internet. The most basic way is to get Dial-up service. You must use a modem from your computer and a phone line. The next level is DSL and Cable known as broadband - these are offered through your phone company and television cable companies, respectively. If you live in a secluded area, you may want to look into Satellite services.

Q: What is Domain Hosting?
A: Domain Hosting is the service provided that allows your DOMAIN NAME (i.e. www.YOURNAME.com) to be forwarded to space on the Internet. It is like an 800 number that is routed to your homepage. There are many options to hosting like the amount of space, the amount of traffic, the number of E-mails, and many more.

Q: Is Domain Hosting the same as Internet Access?
A: No, Domain Hosting usually does not give you access to the Internet. In fact, you do not need Internet access for you to have hosting services for your Domain Name. There are members of the chamber that offer both Internet Access and Hosting Services. If one of these companies is maintaining your website and updating your web page, then you may not need Internet Access. Internet Access is recommended for you to read your e-mail or make updates to your website if you are making updates.

Q: What is a POP E-Mail account?
A: Post Office Protocol (POP) is a protocol designed to allow single user computers to retrieve electronic mail from a POP server. POP is useful for computers, e.g. mobile or home computers, without a permanent network connection which therefore require a "post office" (the POP server) to hold their mail until they can retrieve it. Basically, they are e-mail accounts hosted by your e-mail provider.

Q: I am starting my business and I'm wondering if I should spend the money to develop a Web page?
A: More and more people are looking and searching on the Internet for products and services. If you are not listed then you have not given them you as a choice. A website is a becoming a necessity in business. A Web page is great for showing off products and getting people interested enough to buy your book or subscribe to your service, or order your product. It may not be as productive for you if you are selling your consulting time to organizations rather than individuals and if your work is developing customized solutions to organizational problems. Check out other people's pages and see what types appeal to you. What makes you want to know more about the business or buy the product? If you do decide to develop a Web page, you will probably want to get expert advice in designing it, and you'll need to plan for time (and money?) to keep it up to date and continually interesting.

Q: Websites load slowly on my machine. How can I speed them up?
A: Websites often load slowly when there is a lot of traffic on the Internet or at a particular site. Try accessing the site at different times. Also, computers often get their memory clogged with data after a while. Try turning your computer off, counting to ten, and turning it back on. Old web pages and cookies are stored in a temporary directory on your hard drive. When this directory gets filled up, it can slow things down. Your service provider can walk you through the steps for deleting these old, unnecessary files.

Q: What are the differences between the various types of modem access?
A: When connecting to the Internet by an internal dialup modem, you are accessing the Internet across a standard telephone line and receiving the slowest connection speed. DSL is a broadband access that uses telephone lines but provides substantially faster speeds. Cable modems access the Internet by using cable TV. lines and also provide faster speeds than dial up. Satellite modems connect to satellite dishes placed on your house or business. Some satellite connections allow you to both send and receive data whereas others only allow you to receive data and require that your computer's internal modem be connected to a phone line for sending information out.

Q: I can't download a program because I don't have enough room? What's up with this?
A: Although today's computers have large hard drives, they can still be filled up quickly if you download music or videos from the web. Most music and video files are extremely large. Try moving some of your larger files to external storage such as burning them onto CDs.

Q: People have sent me emails with pretty designs on them. How can I put designs on mine?

A: Some email programs provide stationary for your use. In Microsoft Outlook, you can find it by going to the Message pull down menu and selecting New Message Using. This will display a list of available stationary. See the Help menu for further details.