Browsing Arabic translation

540.

Automatic connections with DHCP

541.

\marginscreenshot{03-connection-information.png}{ss:connection-information}{This window displays your \acronym{IP} address and other connection information.} If your network supports \acronym{DHCP} then you may already be set up for online access. To check this, click on the NetworkManager icon. There should be a ``Wired Network'' heading in the menu. If ``Wired connection 1'' appears directly underneath, then your machine is currently connected and probably setup for \acronym{DHCP}. If ``Disconnected'' appears in gray underneath the wired network section, look below to see if an option labeled ``Wired connection 1'' appears in the list. If so, click on it to attempt to establish a wired connection.

542.

\marginnote{An \acronym{IP} (Internet Protocol) address is a unique number assigned to your machine so that your router can identify you on the network. Think of it like a phone number for your computer. Having this unique address allows the router to speak to your computer, and therefore send/receive data. If you are still not online after following these steps, you may need to try setting up your network connection manually using a static \acronym{IP} address.} To check if you are online, click on the NetworkManager icon in the top panel and select the Connection Information option. You should see a window showing details of your connection. If your \acronym{IP} address is displayed as 0.0.0.0 or starts with 169.254, then your computer was not successfully assigned connection information through \acronym{DHCP}. If it shows another address (\eg, 192.168.219.133), then it is likely that your \acronym{DHCP} connection to the router was successful. To test your Internet connection, you may want to open the Firefox web browser to try loading a web page. More information on using Firefox can be found later in this chapter.

543.

Manual configuration with static address

544.

If your network does not support \acronym{DHCP} then you need to know a few items of information before you can get online. If you do not know any of this information, then you call your \acronym{ISP}.

545.

An \define{\acronym{IP} address} \dash This is a unique address used for identifying your computer on the network. An \acronym{IP} address is always given in four numbered groups, separated by dots, for example, 192.168.100.10. When connecting using \acronym{DHCP}, this address will periodically change (hence, the name ``dynamic''). However, if you have configured a static \acronym{IP} address, your \acronym{IP} address will never change.

546.

A \define{network mask} \dash This tells your computer the size of the network to which it is being connected. It is formatted the same way as the \acronym{IP} address, but usually looks something like 255.255.255.0.

547.

A \define{gateway} \dash This is the \acronym{IP} address of the device that your machine looks to for access to the Internet. Usually, this will be the router's \acronym{IP} address. \marginnote{\advanced{If you do not know your \acronym{ISP}'s \acronym{DNS} server addresses, Google has \acronym{DNS} servers that anyone in the world can use for free. The addresses of these servers are: Primary\dash 8.8.8.8 Secondary\dash 8.8.4.4}}

548.

\define{\acronym{DNS} server} \dash This is the \acronym{IP} address of the \acronym{DNS} \emph{(Domain Name Service)} server. \acronym{DNS} is what your computer uses to resolve \acronym{IP} addresses to domain names. For example \url{http://www.ubuntu.com} resolves to 91.189.94.156. This is the \acronym{IP} address of the Ubuntu website on the Internet. \acronym{DNS} is used so you don't have to remember \acronym{IP} addresses. Domain names (like \url{ubuntu.com}) are much easier to remember. You will need at least one \acronym{DNS} server address but you can enter up to three addresses in case one server is unavailable.

549.

To manually configure a wired connection, click on the \application{NetworkManager} icon and select \menu{Edit Connections}. Make sure you are looking at the ``Wired'' tab inside the \window{Network Connections} window. The list may already have an entry, such as ``Wired connection 1'' or a similar name. If a connection is listed, select it and click the \button{Edit} button. If no connection is listed, click the \button{Add} button.