TCP/IP is the protocol that lets your computer talk to other computers over the
Internet. There are many ways to get TCP/IP on your computer, some quite easy, others more
difficult. The most important file to any Windows user relating to TCP/IP is called winsock.dll.
The type of program which contains this file and lets you use it to establish an Internet connection is called a dialer. In the past, probably the dialer most widely recommended and used was Trumpet Winsock. Many Win 3.1 users still use it today. It comes in two varieties, a freeware version and a shareware version. The freeware version is, well, free, and a bit less featured than the shareware version, which you may try free at first, but which expires if you don't eventually register and pay for it. We at On-Site / SurfNJ have found that, while some people have no problems at all using Trumpet, most are turned-off by its extremely technical and cryptic setup, scripting, and operation. It also seems to mysteriously stop working for no apparent reason after several months of trouble-free use. For this reason, we no longer recommend this product.
Currently, Windows 3.1 users have their choice of two excellent all-in-one Internet
packages, the Netscape Navigator Personal Edition, and the Microsoft Internet Explorer for
Windows 3.1 (full version). These two products are nearly identical feature-for-feature.
They both contain the following:
The bottom line is this: if you are planning to stay with Windows 3.x for a while and you don't currently have any Internet software, and you want the shortest path and the fewest headaches in getting set up and using the Net, one of these all-in-one packages is for you. They are equally easy to set up and use. Both come with "setup Wizards" which guide you through the setup process and obviate the need for in-depth technical knowledge of client/server intercommunications and protocols. The only things you need to know are your account name, password, the phone number you will dial to access your ISP, and some of the names of the computers at your ISP (we will give you this information), and you will be finished setting up and using your Internet account in minutes.
For more detail on these two competing products visit the Netscape homepage and the Microsoft homepage.
If you would like step by step instructions on downloading Internet Explorer (Full
Install) using Terminal click here.
If you are currently using America Online (AOL), Compuserve, or Prodigy, you may be thinking "But don't I already have a dialer? Why can't I use that one?" Well, the reason why you can't use the software from any of those three services to access an Internet Provider is simply because their software only lets you connect to that one service. Yes, it dials, yes it gives you TCP/IP, yes, it installs a winsock.dll file on your computer, but not for a general-purpose Internet connection. AOL, Compuserve and Prodigy are self-contained systems, they are not ISPs, and as such, the software they give you is proprietary and only works with their system.