i have been advised that to connect more than one pc to the net without a router i will require a SWITCH. could someone please explain what this does and who manufactures them and where they are available from. thankyou very much for your time.

Hubs, Switches, Routers: A Hands-on How-to Most SOHO routers include a 4-port switch. If you use a switch to share your internet you will have to get multiple IP addresses from your ISP - tis will usually come at a much higher cost OR you can use ICS(internet connection sharing) which requires a host computer to always be running and is a little more complicated. If you will only be getting a single IP from your ISP a router is the logical choice. Michael J

web search network switch. or go somewhere like buy.com and look it up. Give a person a fish, they eat for a day. Suggest they internet search and they learn a skill for a lifetime.

A Switch is a piece of hardware that allows traffic from PCs and other network components to flow efficiently. It does not do any internet connectivity. A router often consists of a built-in modem and switch. If you are wanting to connect a couple of devices to the internet a 4port router is probably your best bet for price/functionality. To see some examples of routers and switches check the netgear site at http://www.netgear.com/index_hm.php Hope this helps a bit. Grant <