o get on to the Internet, you need an ISP, which stands for Internet service provider. There are so many out there today that it's pretty easy to find one, as long as you know what you need. Once you've found a good one, all you have to do is sign up for an account and log on. Your modem will dial into the ISP, and one of its many modems will answer and provide your computer with a connection to the Internet.

The first thing to consider when choosing an ISP is whether you want a local or national provider. What's the difference? The services of local providers are limited to a particular area, while nationals cover the entire country. AOL is probably the best known national ISP, but there's also EarthLink, MindSpring, and CompuServe.

There are also a lot of local ISPs. The main advantage a local ISP has over a national one is that it can be more accessible. Everyone can get onto AOL, but sometimes there are so many people dialing up that the server becomes busy, making it impossible to log on. Because local providers have smaller customer bases, they tend to be less busy, making dial-up less of a hassle. The Local ISP Finder is pretty darn useful when you're looking for an ISP in your area. Just type in your area code, and it'll serve up a list of providers for you.