Setting up your Windows95 computer for the Internet
Lots of people have trouble sorting out Internet settings. There are lots of things to think about, but if you are reading this it's probably safe to assume you have managed to connect! Let's start with reliability of connection.
Configuring your connection
You will have configured a Dial Up Networking connection to connect to your Internet Service Provider (ISP). You find this in My Computer, under Dial Up Networking. Right-click this, and select Properties. There you will see the number you dial for your Internet connection. Below it, it says Connect using, then a modem name (possibly Standard modem). Click the Configure... button there. The first tab says General, and at the bottom it says Maximum Speed. This is the port speed, not the modem speed, so it should be set to about twice the modem speed if possible.
Next click on the Connection tab. Click on the Port Settings... button. Normally you should be able to set these sliders to maximum, for the fastest speed, but you can reduce them if you are having trouble connecting. Click OK when you've finished, then click the Advanced... button. You should normally have hardware flow control checked, and at the bottom is the space marked Extra Settings. This is where the modem init string is entered - see The init string for more information. Enter it if you have one (omitting the letters AT if they are included), then click OK. Click OK again to get back to the modem properties.
Now click on the Server Types tab. Under Type of Dial-Up Server you should see PPP:Windows 95 (etc). For most ISPs you should then check ONLY TCP/IP and Enable Software Compression. Some, but not all, also require Log on to Network - check with your provider. If in doubt, don't check it.
The TCP/IP settings will help connection reliability, but you need to get the right information from your ISP. You only need to enter an IP address if you have a static IP (many ISPs charge for this), otherwise use a server-assigned IP. This way you get whatever free location your server gives you. If you know the name server addresses, put them in - your ISP will tell you. Otherwise use the server-assigned addresses. Check the IP header compression and Default gateway details with your ISP too. You can get a lot of the information from Wysiwygs Settings, and the general idea is the same for most ISPs.