Macintosh Dialup Internet Access

Abstract

On this page you will find links to several documents that I have written concerning using a Macintosh computer to access the Internet. On a separate page, you can find information concenrning how to use a Mac to access IBM's Global Network (a.k.a. Advantis).

The documents are available in Acrobat PDF format.

These notes describe how to configure and use a Macintosh to access the Internet through an Internet access provider that offers dialup PPP service. I give a very brief description of the Internet, outline the basic protocols of the Internet, and describe the software components that you will need to run on your Mac. Then I detail how to install and configure these components, and how to connect for the first time. The documents are not available in text form because they contain many screen-shots.

Configuring Macintosh OT/PPP for InfoRamp

This document is specific to my ISP in Toronto, InfoRamp.

Acrobat PDF format (195,427 bytes).

Configuring Macintosh OT/PPP for Internet access

This document applies to any ISP.

Acrobat PDF format (200,047 bytes).

Macintosh Dialup Internet Access through InfoRamp

This older document describes how to configure MacTCP version 2 and MacPPP version 2 for InfoRamp. Apple's recently introduced OpenTransport (OT) supersedes MacTCP, and Apple has introduced OT/PPP that supersedes MacPPP - use one of the notes Configuring Macintosh OT/PPP above if you have OT/PPP.

This note is specific to my excellent Internet access provider, InfoRamp, in Toronto. If your provider is up-to-date, and uses a Cisco terminal server, most of the information in this note will apply to you.

PDF format (238,303 bytes)

Macintosh Dialup Internet Access with MacTCP/MacPPP

This older document describes how to configure MacTCP version 2 and MacPPP version 2 for an Internet access provider, other than InfoRamp, that offers dialup PPP service. Apple's recently introduced OpenTransport (OT) supersedes MacTCP, and Apple has introduced OT/PPP that supersedes MacPPP - use one of the notes Configuring Macintosh OT/PPP above if you have OT/PPP.

PDF format (250,058 bytes)

If you are forced to use an access provider that offers SLIP but not PPP, interpolate between one of these documents and my Advantis document.