Basic info on PPPoE, DHCP, etc

[salmoneous]

I just set up a wireless network in my house, and am having trouble
sharing my internet connection. If anyone has any ideas what is going
on, I'd appreaciate the help. Better yet, if anyone can point me to
instructions on how this all works, that would be great.
Unfortunately, I haven't found any info on my issues that isn't waaaay
basic, or waaay technical.

Here's my situation. I've had Verison DSL hooked up to one computer.
In order to get a connection to the internet, I have to run a little
signon program. Once that is run, I have a connection for my browser,
newsreader, etc, until I break the connection. That called PPPoE,
right?

So I go out any buy a Netgear Wireless Router and USB Wireless
receiver. Connect DSL modem to Wireless Router and WR to main computer
via ethernet cable. Computer in basement is hooked up to USB receiver.
No problem getting a wireless connection bewteen router and receiver.

What I am having a problem with is getting that internet connection to
the computers - sometimes it works, othertimes it doesn't. When it
works, I just turn on the computer, open a browser and, hey, I have a
connection. (In the little bit of info I've been able to find, it
seems like that's the way it's supposed to work due to DHCP, whatever
that is.) But othertimes, there is no connection. Browser, newsreader,
command line pings, nothing. Why? At that point, the only way I know
to get a connection is to run the installation software that came with
my router. Within the installation program there is a test button,
clicking that seems to open the connection. Why? Can I do what the
test button does without running the installation program?

As I said, any thoughts would be greatly appreaciated, and any sources
of info on what exactly PPPoE, DHCP, etc. are and how
(non-technically) they work would be even better.

[Demus]

Did you put your password and user name in the router's setup?
There should be a page asking for your PPPoE info (point to point protocol
over Ethernet).
Also check the keep alive feature. That will keep the connection "always
on".

Another thing, did you uninstall the software that you used to connect
before the router?
It may cause problems.

DHCP is Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. It automatically assigns IP
address to all clients (any ip based computer or peripheral) connected to
the host (your router in your case) from a set pool of IP addresses. Most
commonly these will be 192.168.x.x, with 192.168.x.1 being the host and
192.168.x.2 through 254 being assigned to clients.
Try www.practicallynetworked.com for more info.

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