Comprehensive yet succinct, Connecting to the Internet is a guide to the entire process of connecting a private network to the Internet and then maintaining that connection. This practical handbook provides essential information without the burden of extraneous detail. Using a step-by-step approach, the text covers the processes of planning, designing, implementing, and maintaining an effective and secure LAN-to-Internet connection-from TCP/IP essentials, to choosing the most appropriate Internet Service Provider, to setting up a firewall. The book includes coverage of: TCP/IP essentials; standard Internet service protocols, such as DNS, FTP, Mail, News, Telnet, the Web, and SSL; and security technologies-packet filters, circuit proxies, application gateways, network address translation, firewalls, vendors, security policies, and auditing.