Hi Guys i'm relatively new at this so please excuse my ignorance. my problem is - i want to connect three pc's to the internet without having to go through a router because i require seperate ip addresses for each pc. is this possible and how do i do it. thanks stytter

With a router each pc would have a separate ip address just so you know. That is why we put in routers so you an use the single isp provided ip address but have multiple pcs. Otherwise you have to purchase from your ISP 3 ip addresses. Connect your isp connection with a switch and plug the three pcs into the switch. Isp will provide each with a ip address. Your security will only be as good as what the isp provides. FYI Give a person a fish, they eat for a day. Suggest they internet search and they learn a skill for a lifetime.

Otherwise you have to purchase from your ISP 3 ip addresses... ouch walletwise. i_XpUser

Unless you have Verizon DSL and you ask them to give you the Westell 327W wireless DSL modem/router, ($15 one-time fee) which gives you 4 Ethernet ports plus wireless! Sweet! :-). Of course you could use ICS, which means you would connect your modem to the first computer, and put a second ethernet card in. Then you could connect your second computer to that, and then have another card in the second computer which you would connect to the third computer, and they would all have to be on for each computer to be able to connect of course. You could also put an additional 2 ethernet cards in the main computer and hook up the other 2 computers to those. Another way would be to connect a hub or a switch to that second ethernet card and connect the other computers to that. (I was doing that for a while). That's why "Broadband routers" were and are a big hit--they solved all these problems instantly! And not only that, but they give you a good hardware firewall and filters that are easily configurable through your web browser. It's like having a dedicated computer with 5 or more ethernet cards in it for almost nothing (Price range from $5 to $100 for the latest and greatest). Tek.

i'm currently using aol gold which allows upto seven users on one account.will that be the same as having seperate ip addresses for each user

no. accounts are not the same as ip addresses Give a person a fish, they eat for a day. Suggest they internet search and they learn a skill for a lifetime.