This step-by-step article describes how to configure a connection to the Internet in Windows XP Professional. You can use the Network Connections tool in Control Panel to establish connectivity between your computer and the Internet, a network, or another computer.

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Create a new dial-up connection

1.	To start the Network Connections tool, click Start, click Control Panel, double-click Network Connections, and then click Create a new connection in the left pane.
2.	Click Set up my connection manually, click Next, click Connect using a Dial Up modem, and then click Next.
3.	Type a descriptive name for the Internet service provider (ISP) that you are using in this connection, and then click Next.
4.	Type the phone number that was provided to you by your ISP. Note that you may need to check with your ISP about long distance or access charges. Click Next.
5.	Choose whether you want this connection to be shared by all users (Anyone's use) of this computer, or only for yourself (My use only).
6.	In the next screen, type the logon information that was provided by your ISP to access their service.
7.	Click Next, and then click Finish to end the setup process.

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Modify an existing dial-up connection

You may need to modify some of the parameters in your dial-up connection to successfully connect to the Internet. Review the following information to make any changes:

•	Click Start, click Control Panel, double-click Network Connections, click the connection you want to modify, and then click Change settings of this connection.
•	On the General tab, click Alternates to provide additional phone numbers in case the first one is busy or disconnected.
•	On the Networking tab, make sure that the type of dial-up server you are calling to is correctly selected.
•	On the Advanced tab, you can enable the Internet Connection Firewall or Windows Firewall protection to prevent access to your computer from the Internet.

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