How to Connect to the Internet: Wi-Fi, Ethernet, & Dial-Up

It may seem obvious, but a common mistake that’s often made when connecting to the internet is not making sure the source of the internet is on. Especially if you’ve just set up a router and/or modem, ensure that it’s on and that everything is plugged in properly, and that any lights on it aren’t indicating that there are problems.

Understand that most mobile devices can only connect to wireless broadband. Devices like smartphones, tablets, iPods, handheld gaming systems, and so forth can usually only connect to Wi-Fi services, due to the portable nature of them. Therefore, you won’t be able to connect a mobile device to ethernet or to a dial-up network. Ethernet and dial-up connections are limited to non-portable gaming devices (not covered in this article) and computers.