With the help of the World Wide Web you can now find masses of information on the internet. It is a huge resource of information and can help you find things to do wherever you are in the UK. But perhaps the most important development is that you can now keep in contact with friends and family back at home for free.

 

If you are lucky, you might already have a wireless internet connection in your accommodation. But if you don’t, we need to help you get connected. In the UK, a fast internet connection is available from a large variety of sources – and we’ll try to assist you to understand what to look out for in the world of internet connectivity in the UK.

How to get an internet connection

You need to find an ISP (Internet Service Provider) to give you a connection to the internet in your home. But first of all you need to know what you are looking for.

It is now cheap to obtain a fast internet service through a ‘broadband’ connection. (Broadband means "broad bandwidth" and is the term used in the UK to describe a high-capacity link that can transmit large amounts of data, voice and video). There are lots of products from different companies, which are advertised in speeds of Mbps (Mega bits per second). The bigger the number of Mbps, the better the connection speed.

Often the price goes up depending on usage i.e. how much information you download from the internet. So if you plan to use your connection to get big files like music and videos, you need to take out an ‘unlimited’ service or one that guarantees high download limits.

Requirements and Packages

Most UK internet connections require you to have a BT (British Telecom) phone line. Some companies do connect you via underground cables but you should check whether or not this is available in your area first.

There are some good deals that provide broadband service alone and there are also packages that combine phone, TV and broadband services in one affordable package. If you want all of these products then these are definitely worth considering. See section on home multimedia for more information on combined packages. Some providers offer packages that include free international calls – that’s worth checking out!

Some providers of TV services (extra channels than the 4 or 5 basic channels) and some providers of mobile phone services give you Broadband FREE! Often this will be only a 2Mb speed and have a download limit. Also you will be expected to sign up for a yearly contract.

 

Have a look at the "Find a..." tab for a selection of providers

Can’t afford broadband access?

If you don’t have enough money to get your own internet connection, you can go to a commercial internet café or you can get very affordable access by visiting your local library.

 

Have a look at the "Find a..." tab for a selection of providers.

Communication on the internet

For those of you who don’t know, there is now some great communication software with which you can stay in contact with friends, colleagues and family anywhere in the world using the internet. And the best thing is it’s free!

MSN Messenger

With Windows Live Messenger, you can contact people using text, voice and even video.

To get started on free phone calls you just need a set of headphones. But plug in a webcam and you will be able to see the person you are talking to as well.

Make sure your friends download the same software. Then simply add their email addresses to your Messenger contact list and you will be able to speak to them anytime for free!

Simply type ‘Windows Live Messenger’ into google.co.uk and click on the first link at the top of the page. Then just follow the on-screen instructions.

Social Networking

Social networking sites are very popular in the UK. They allow you to contact anyone you know, anywhere, provided they have a profile page on a specific site. The main difference between these and Messenger is that you have to leave messages for each other, rather than “talk” in real time.

But the advantage is you can build your own personal page, with music and video, so people can find out about you online. And you can search for your old friends and contact them in minutes.

By Matt Taylor

 

 

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USEFUL WORDS

instant messaging = a kind of email when both people are online at the same time

chat rooms = an online conversation between a group of people on topics chosen by them, where you can enter or leave the ‘room’ at any time

newsgroups = a website where people with shared interests can get news and information

e-commerce = business done on the Internet

attachments = files that you can send at the same time as email messages

browsing = looking at different websites, with no particular goal

surfing the Internet/Net/Web = moving from one website or webpage to another, usually looking for something

graphic images = pictures, icons, diagrams etc.

Internet Service Provider (ISP) = the company which provides your Internet connection

downloading from the Internet = bringing data from the Internet to your computer

uploading from the Internet = sending data from your computer to the Internet or to another Internet user

spam = unwanted advertisements and other material sent to you by email from companies

cookies = a kind of program that is sent from the Internet to your computer (often without your knowledge) which can follow and record what you do, which websites you visit etc.

offensive material = material such as pornography, or extreme political views, or material that encourages hate and violence against people

 

TALKING ABOUT E-MAIL AND INTERNET COMMUNICATIONS

 

’I’ve bookmarked the BBC homepage as I use it regularly to get the latest news’.

(put it in a list of websites I can access immediately)

‘If you subscribe to newsgroups, you often get hundreds of messages’.

(become a member of)

‘Some ISPs allow you to screen out unwanted mail’.

(prevent from reaching you)

‘Our server at work was down yesterday so I didn’t get your message until today’.

(not working)

‘Someone hacked into our company server and destroyed all our files’.

(accessed it illegally)

‘Do you have good anti-virus software?  It’s worth updating it frequently’.

(protection against computer viruses)

‘She must have changed her email address – the message I sent her bounced’.

(came back to me)

‘That file you sent me as an attachment was unreadable.  The text was completely garbled’.

(just a series of meaningless letters and numbers)