Many of us are finally able to get high-speed Internet access through, either DSL or Cable modem hookups for our computers in Atlanta and elsewhere. One of the first things you may find if you have more that one computer in the house is that everyone suddenly wants to use your system so they can really zoom on the net. Several companies have given us a nice solution to that problem. They call them DSL/Cable routers.

There are several on the market from most of the network equipment manufacturers. The one I chose was the BEFSR41 unit from LinkSys. It is not only a router but it also handles the PPPoE logon requirements for most of the DSL systems available. It includes a 4-port 10/100-network switch so you can share your broadband connection. They also have a 1-port and an 8-port version as well. The only difference is the number of ports on the switch. This particular unit will also provide a firewall, DHCP server, NAT translation, and can serve up to 253 PCs. I use it at home for telecommuting, but it could be used in small offices as well. You can create a DMZ if you need to for exposing a single machine to the Internet without firewall protection.

What are all those initials? Well, let me give you a quick definition of each so you get the basic idea. If you need more detail, there are lots of sources available, but the best part of this unit is that you probably won't need to worry about finding out. My entire installation took under 20 minutes and that included reading the manual! After several days of putzing with various combinations of software and failing, believe me the router was less costly than my sanity.

Let's start with DHCP or Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. Basically it means that your computer networking setup is done for you automatically when you boot up. You don't need to worry about setting up an IP address for each machine, just let the DHCP server do it for you. Next there is NAT or Network Address Translation. It allows you to get a single IP from your ISP and use it to access the Internet from multiple machines at the same time. The NAT server sends the data out onto the Internet with the real IP address while remembering where it went. When the reply comes back, the data is forwarded to your PC as if the router wasn't even there.

Next, I think, DMZ. Well you probably all know what a DMZ is between countries, right? Well think of this the same way. The machine in the DMZ is available and visible on the Internet. The rest of the machines are protected behind the firewall and are literally invisible to the outside world. This arrangement can allow you to deal with programs that can't be passed through firewalls, or setup your own web server, etc., and still protect the rest of your home network.

Did I miss anything? Oh yeah, PPPOE. This is mostly a cross between what you probably use now for dialup access, PPP, and the most common network or Ethernet. It stands for Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet. It allows the service provider to authenticate you on the network before they assign you an IP address. Since most of you will have a Dynamic IP address which will change each time you connect, this is the only way they can be sure that you are authorized to use their network. So, think of it as the dialup for a non-dial connection. The nice part about this router is you don't have to worry about that anymore. You put in your username and password and the router remembers and connects you automatically.

So if you're thinking about a high speed, full time connection, and you have a need to share it, I highly recommend this solution. It's quick, it's easy, it's cheap, and it works! If you'd like more info you can check out http://www.linksys.com. The 4-port unit I bought should be available for around $150 on the web. The 1 and 8 port units go for around $100 and $200.

"Tip" from Bob Click, Web site host: http://www.dealsguy.com/ On a friend's advice, I also purchased the Linksys router with a four-port hub. However, after I had it up and running, I had "major" problems uploading e-mail and files. Finally ---- I found out from Earthlink tech support, my ISP, that I had to upgrade the "Firmware," available from their Web site, because mine didn't have the latest version. It works fine now. For what it's worth though, I was not impressed with Linksys tech support. Took them four days to return my call. On the other hand, Earthlink's tech support is great.

I have seen cheaper routers since then with the same features, but know nothing about them. I've also seen the Linksys cheaper in Sunday ads. Earthlink said that up to three machines on my network are allowed access to my DSL connection at no extra charge. I can't afford more than three; one is my laptop when necessary.