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3.1 What Is a Network, and How Do You Join One?

out which ISP companies they use and what their experiences have been. Your home network
will likely be your primary means of accessing the Internet, so make sure the service you
choose fits both your academic needs and your budget. Be sure to ask about bundling options,
too, since some providers will give you a discounted Internet rate if you sign up for a package
(for example, cable television, Internet, and phone service).

Internet Access Around Town

Every coffee shop in town these days seems to be full of people working on their laptops or
smartphones. They are taking advantage of Wi-Fi Internet service, which is a LAN that has
been established by the coffee shop. Patrons then connect to the Internet access point in the
LAN, called a hotspot. You will also create a hotspot in your home if you elect to set up Wi-Fi
for your home network. Wi-Fi is available in a growing number of establishments through-
out cities and towns, from bookstores and hotels to laundromats, airport terminals, and the
airplanes themselves. Even entire cities are starting to offer free, citywide Internet service,
which is usually supported by local advertisers (Kinney, 2006). These networks are created
by moving the digital signal from one access point to another, thereby overlapping coverage
and expanding the network. Public Wi-Fi makes accessing cellular applications—including
your Ashford apps—easy and convenient. Learn more in Strategies for Success: Getting the
Most Out of Your Ashford Apps.

Some of these places offer free Internet access, but others charge a nominal fee for connec-
tion. Getting online at a hotspot requires that you be in range of the hotspot access point. Click
the setting on your Windows or Mac operating system to view available wireless networks
in your area. If you see a network available, click its name. This action will open the hotspot
network connection site and give you information about how to connect, the terms and condi-
tions of use of the network, and the fees, if any, associated with network access.

If you are unable to use your own computer, another way to get online is by taking advantage
of shared computers at your local public library, Internet café or other local business (usually
at an hourly rate), public school computer lab, or government facility. Remember, however,
that you cannot save documents on these computers (unless you use a USB memory device/
flash drive or cloud storage), and the connection is not necessarily secure or private. With
that in mind, knowing what the options are in your community is a good idea in case you ever
need a backup plan.

Strategies for Success:
Getting the Most Out of Your Ashford Apps

Important note: Did you know you can get a free Ashford University Mobile Classroom
app and a free mobile Constellation app for both Android and iPhone devices? These
let you access your Ashford classroom and Constellation course materials from your
mobile device and do class work from a local hotspot. See http://www.ashford.edu
/student_services/ashford_mobile.htm for more information, including a list of all
the tasks you can perform with the Ashford mobile app.

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