CLAIMS

1.

An apparatus for a user to connect an Internetready device to the Internet by an Internet connection independent means, comprising: at least two connection ports, wherein the first port connects to an Internet conduit, and the second port connects to said Internetready device; a user interface, allowing said user to initiate passing information between said Internetready device and said Internet, and having associated indicators to indicate to said user that said passing of information is complete; a protocol handler block for receiving and handling messages from said user interface and from said Internetready device, and for sending on said handled messages to a network stack block; said network stack block for handling an associated subset of said handled messages, and sending on to a physical connection block; and said physical connection block for connecting to said Internet.

2.	The apparatus in Claim 1, wherein said indicators range from, but are not limited to, simple LED's to small LCD screens, cursor controls, and keyboards and/or keypads.

3.	The apparatus in Claim 1, further comprising a standard telephone jack connection.

4.	The apparatus in Claim 1, wherein said physical connection block comprises a data modem.

5.	The apparatus of Claim 4, wherein said data modem ranges from 2400 bps to 56 kbps, or wherein said data modem is an xDSL or cable modem.

6.	The apparatus of Claim 1, wherein said network stack block handles all network, transport layer, and data link layer protocols needed for Internet connectivity.

7.	The apparatus of Claim 1, wherein said protocol handler provides any of the following application protocols: POP3, SMTP, HTTP, FTP, and DNS.

8.	The apparatus of Claim 1, whereby said apparatus is built as a standalone device.

9.	The apparatus of Claim 1, whereby said apparatus is built to be embedded into other devices.

10.	The apparatus of Claim 1, wherein said data modem is a cable modem.

11.	The apparatus of Claim 1, added easily to any of, but not limited to: STB's; Ethernet hubs; and hubs that are attached to new home networking standards.

12.	The apparatus of Claim 1, wherein said connection between said Internetready device and said Internet is closed in that said user never intervenes to provide additional information.

13.	The apparatus of Claim 1, further comprising a rating system, wherein said Internetready device passes a rating level to the Internet, whereupon only data not violating said rating level is passed back to said Internetready device.

14.	The apparatus of Claim 1, further comprising security schemes to prevent accessing information of unauthorized sites.

15.

The apparatus of Claim 14. further comprising a key code for passing from said Internetready device to said Internet, whereupon a preagreed upon algorithm is used to generate a response, whereupon said response is sent back to said Internetready device, thereby authenticating said Internet connection to said Internetready device.

16.	The apparatus of Claim 15, used in reverse to prevent unauthorized Internetready devices from accessing a particular site.

17.	The apparatus of Claim 13, wherein said rating system is RSAC.

18.	The apparatus of Claim 1, wherein said initiating passing information between said Internetready device and said Internet is by said user pressing a button, thereby providing a onetouch operation.

19.	The apparatus of Claim 1, further comprising raw socket support.

20.	The apparatus of Claim 19, wherein said raw socket support further comprises any of, but is not limited to: support for multiple sockets; ability to set target and source port numbers; and TCP or UDP transport layers.

21.	The apparatus of Claim 1, wherein said protocol handler comprises a micro controller.

22.	The apparatus of Claim 21, wherein said micro controller provides Base64 and/or quoted printabie data decoding.

23.	The apparatus of Claim 21, wherein said micro controller communicates directly with said Internetready device and with a raw socket.

24.	The apparatus of Claim 1, further comprising multiple Internetready device connectors.

25.	The apparatus of Claim 1, further comprising auto BAUD rate detection for RS232 type connections.

26.	The apparatus of Claim 5, further comprising a pass through port whereby an existing POTS appliance may be connected.

27.

A method for a user to connect an Internetready device to the Internet by an Internet connection independent means, comprising: providing at least two connection ports, wherein the first port connects to an Internet conduit, and the second port connects to said Internetready device; providing a user interface, allowing said user to initiate passing information between said Internetready device and said Internet, and having associated indicators to indicate to said user that said passing of information is complete; providing a protocol handler block for receiving and handling messages from said user interface and from said Internetready device, and for sending on said handled messages to a network stack block; providing said network stack block for handling an associated subset of said handled messages, and sending on to a physical connection block; and providing said physical connection block for connecting to said Internet.

28.	The method in Claim 27, wherein said indicators range from, but are not limited to, simple LED's to small LCD screens, cursor controls, keypads and/or keyboards.

29.	The method in Claim 27, further comprising providing a standard telephone jack connection.

30.	The method in Claim 27, wherein said physical connection block comprises a data modem.

31.	The method of Claim 30, wherein said data modem ranges from 2400 bps to 56 kbps, or wherein said data modem is an xDSL and cable modem.

32.	The method of Claim 27, wherein said network stack block handles all network, transport layer, and data link layer protocols needed for Internet connectivity.

33.	The method of Claim 27, wherein said protocol handler provides any of the following application protocols: POP3, SMTP, HTTP, FTP, and DNS.

34.	The method of Claim 27, whereby standalone capability is provided.

35.	The method of Claim 27, whereby embeddable capability into other devices is provided.

36.	The method of Claim 27, wherein said data modem is a cable modem.

37.	The method of Claim 27, further providing easy connectivity to any of, but not limited to: STB's; Ethernet hubs; and hubs that are attached to new home networking standards.

38.	The method of Claim 27, wherein said connection between said Internetready device and said Internet is closed in that said user never intervenes to provide additional information.

39.	The method of Claim 27, further providing a rating system, wherein said Internetready device passes a rating level to the Internet, whereupon only data not violating said rating level is passed back to said Internetready device.

40.	The method of Claim 27, further providing security schemes to prevent accessing information of unauthorized sites.

41.

The method of Claim 40, further providing a key code for passing from said Internetready device to said Internet, whereupon a preagreed upon algorithm is used to generate a response, whereupon said response is sent back to said Internetready device, thereby authenticating said Internet connection to said Internetready device.

42.	The method of Claim 41, used in reverse to prevent unauthorized Internetready devices from accessing a particular site.

43.	The method of Claim 39, wherein said rating system is RSAC.

44.	The method of Claim 27, wherein said initiating passing information between said Internetready device and said Internet is by said user pressing a button, thereby providing a onetouch operation.

45.	The method of Claim 27, further providing raw socket support.

46.	The method of Claim 45, wherein said raw socket support further comprises any of, but is not limited to: support for multiple sockets; ability to set target and source port numbers; and TCP or UDP transport layers.

47.	The method of Claim 27, wherein said protocol handler comprises a micro controller.

48.	The method of Claim 47, wherein said micro controller provides Base64 and/or quoted printable data decoding.

49.	The method of Claim 47, wherein said micro controller communicates directly with said Internetready device and with a raw socket.

50.	The method of Claim 27, further providing multiple Internetready device connectors.

51.	The method of Claim 27, further providing auto BAUD rate detection for RS232 type connections.

52.

An apparatus for a user to connect an Internetready device to the Internet, wherein said apparatus is embedded into said Internetready device, said apparatus comprising: a user interface block to connect to said Internetready device; and a physical connector block for connecting to the said Internet.

53.	The apparatus of Claim 52, further comprising a protocol handler block.

54.	The apparatus of Claim 52. wherein said embeddable devices comprise any of, but are not limited to: Internet capable phones; answering machines; and fax machines.

55.	The apparatus of Claim 31, further comprising a pass through port whereby an existing POTs appliance may be connected.