First, I'm working on the 7.1 as soon as I can get my cd burner to figure
out the iso files.

Second, the DHCP is "leased" on a per connection basis and is NOT static.

Third and fourth, I do not have a router, only an 8 port hub.  I have the
Qwest VDSL service that is part of the Choice On-Line/ TV package.  I have a
gateway that feeds both our digital TV and internet.  The hub plugs into the
gateway with the uplink port.  The 4 windows PC's connect through the hub.
One of those is my NT server which is the PDC, but due to the Qwest is NOT a
DHCP server.  I do not have a router or dsl modem and no phone lines are
involved so your scenarios seem to fall off at this point.  For a firewall I
have ZoneAlarm on all windows PC's.

From: "Eric Van Buskirk" <yonica@qwest.net>
To: <plug-discuss@lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us>
Subject: RE: Networking
Date: Sat, 28 Jul 2001 17:45:30 -0800
Reply-To: plug-discuss@lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us

Looks like you alread have some good people helping you out, so I am going
to say some things which may be more tangential to your specific situation.
So take what you like, if anything.  I make some assumptions here, some of
which may be mistaken.

First, I would concur that you should upgrade to 7.1.

Second, when you said you get your ip addresses from qwest, it wasn't clear
if that meant you simply leased *static* adresses from them on a monthly
basis (for which they want an extra $35.00 per month from me), or whether
you lease a dhcp address from them on a per connection basis.  These are two
different kinds of leases, hence the confusion.

Third, you must have a router, one which I don't remember you mentioning
(but I do have a tendancy to read too fast!).  The router will either an
intel, cisco, linksys, or some such.  Would be curious to know, as I have
qwest "service" as well.

Fourth, it seems as though you have each computer configured for a ppp
connection with qwest: that is, each computer has a direct connection to
qwest (direct, but still through your dsl router (or "modem")).  And from
qwest, each computer leases a separate dhcp address.  If this is correct, I
would be curious to know why you did it this way.  This method is less
secure: first, for protection you are relying solely on the merits of your
router and its built-in firewall; second, each comptuer has a "routable"
(public) address, which makes it one-step easier for you to be hacked;
third, if you would have done it the way I am about to suggest, then you
would have been already up and running.