It used to be easy when the ISPs were handing out static IPs like candy. Now they charge about a hundred a month to have a dedicated IP. Standard packages are all dynamic IPs now, and dual nics won't work with dynamic IPs under Windows. One card can be dynamic, but the Internet link has to be static.

I agree there has to be a modem of some sort in there somewhere IF he has a copper Ethernet connection. If he has a fiber optic nic, then his fiber optic cable plugs directly into it. I know ATT in Dallas has been setting systems up like that, they are running pure fiber all over town, it is possible he has the same deal in his town. It is the way of the future - it saves them a $200 box per DSL drop that they keep having to throw in for free anyway. That's a lot of damn money for them. My bet that is why his Linkys router didn;t work - its not a fiber optics router, its for copper Ethernet connections. They make routers with a single fiber port that also has copper ports. That is probably what he needs, but those ain't cheap. Linksys may make one in the 150$ range, but I doubt it.

If it was me, I'd buy the 60$ software and pester their tech support to see if it can make a PC running dual dynamic IP nics to act as a router. Plug the fiber on one side and then plug the other nic into a cheap hub, then plug the rest of the network into the hub.