Windows NT Workstation provides three standard tools for accessing Internet servers: Internet Explorer, FTP, and Telnet.
A multitude of other tools are available to access the information and services on the Internet. For example, you can use an Internet Relay Chat (IRC) client to participate in real-time discussions in "rooms" hosted on an IRC server. You can use the Inbox application on the Windows NT Desktop to send and receive electronic mail. Which tools you choose depend on the information you want and how it is stored on the Internet.
This section briefly describes some Internet tools and provides the process for installing them on a computer running Windows NT. For comprehensive discussions of the tools available for using the Internet, consult the Internet or your local library or bookstore.
The Internet has been evolving since the early 1970s. Early servers on the Internet conformed to original Internet protocols, such as the File Transfer Protocol (FTP) or Virtual Terminal Protocol (VTP, now called Telnet). These protocols generally provide a way to copy files and/or issue commands or start programs through a character-based interface or, more recently, through a graphical user interface such as Windows or X Windows.
Internet technology has now grown beyond the simple file transfers on character-based FTP or Telnet servers. Newer servers on the Internet now have graphical interfaces and present information and services to Internet users by using hypertext documents. World Wide Web (WWW) servers now automatically provide formatted text, sounds, and animation to Internet users. You must use the proper browser (such as Internet Explorer) to use these Internet servers. Fortunately, Internet Explorer also supports the older standards, such as FTP, so you can use Internet Explorer to access multiple servers and data types.
Internet Explorer is a Web browser that allows you to connect to Web servers and view the information provided by that server. The servers transmit the files by using the Hypertext Transport Protocol (HTTP). The files are typically text files that have been formatted by using the Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). However, the Internet and Internet Explorer support viewing (or downloading) nearly any file type.
Windows NT Workstation provides an FTP command-line utility that enables you to connect to FTP servers and transfer files. Multiple variations of FTP clients are also available on the Internet or commercially. FTP has the advantage of allowing clients to upload files to a remote FTP server.
Telnet is a graphical application that you use to log on to remote computers and issue commands as if you were at the computer's keyboard. By using Telnet, you can use the resources of remote computers to run programs and perform other functions.
Many other tools are available through the Internet or commercially. These tools include:
The Windows NT TCP/IP protocol provides FTP and Telnet. These tools can be used to gather more Internet tools. Two popular FTP sites for obtaining public-domain Internet tools (and other Windows Sockets applications) are sunsite.unc.edu and ftp.cica.indiana.edu.
Once you have a connection to an Internet service provider, you can use the FTP program provided with Windows NT TCP/IP to connect to an FTP server and download files, including Internet tools. The same tool can exist for different operating systems or processors. Make sure you obtain the correct version of the tool.
The files are probably compressed by using the shareware program Pkzip. Use the shareware program Pkunzip to expand the .zip files on your local hard disk. The shareware compression tools are often available on local bulletin boards or FTP servers in an uncompressed format.
After you uncompress the files for a particular program, read any available Readme files for specific information about installing and configuring the program, and comply with those instructions. Most public domain software designed for Windows 95, Windows for Workgroups, or Windows 3.1 works on Windows NT without modification.
To add shortcuts for easy access to the new programs, see online Help. With shortcuts you can start the Internet tool from the Windows NT Workstation Desktop.