Connecting to the Internet is essential for a distro to run smoothly. especially true if you are installing from a CD instead of a DVD. The simplest way to install software. and the mechanism for resolving dependencies is based heavily on having a net connection at all times.

From the beginning. Linux was built for networking. so it is particularly efficient on the web. The default browser included with most distros is Firefox. Some distros like Debian however, have a re-branding called lceweasel. However. derivative distros of Debian like Ubuntu and Linux Mint also provide Firefox. An Opera version is available, but the operation is a little buggy.

To set up a new Lan connection, the network symbol of two computers, one in front of the other, is used. Right click in the taskbar, and choose "edit connections"
Click on Edit, then go to Ipv4 settings. Change the Method drop down box from Automatic (DHCP) to Manual. Click on Add. then edit the fields. Enter the IP address, the Netmask and the Gateway. Also enter the DNS address. Most Linux distros allow you to specify only a siHgle DNS server, unlike Windows. However, you can add a number of IP addresses and associated configurations. Click on Ok, then click on Close.

If you need a special client to login to your service provider, you should" be directed to the page when you start a browser. Many providers allow you to connect directly, without a client. If you are connecting from your laptop, while maintaining a windows desktop as the main computer, you will need to change the machine id your laptop. This is because many service providers lock their connection to a single machine id. To determine the machine id of your Windows machine, go to run or cmd and type
ipconfig fall

In the list of figures, look for a line that says physical address. which should look like:
Physical Address : 00-34-8B-OZ-42-Q9

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Now start up the connection editor in Linux, and enter this id in the MAC field.

This should let you connect to the Internet with the same machine id as the one used for your main computer.

If Linux is installed in an office environment, or you otherwise use a proxy for connecting to the Internet, you will have to configure the proxy address in your browser before you start surfing.

In Firefox, the proxy can be configured by going to Edi t > Preferences > Advanced> Network> Settings. Either use auto detect proxy, or manual proxy configuration. Enter the proxy address and the port number. If there is a different proxy for SSL and FfP sites apart from the HTIP proxy, enter these as well. Contact your network administrator for these settings if you do not know them or have them written down. Some companies use a URL for configuration, which can also be entered in this window.

In Opera, the proxy settings can be found in Tools > Preferences > Advanced > Network > Proxy servers. You wont have to repeatedly put these settings in, just one browser will do, as the other browser can import the settings from a configured browser.

These steps should make your computer ready to surf the web. In some distros, there can be a mysterious problem in connecting to the Internet. Despite the IP address and associated configurations being correct, a connection simply cannot be established. Make sure that the Ipv6 protocol is disabled, a setting change that requires a restart. This problem is particularly noticeable in OpenSUSE.