newbie needs help

Are you saying you have a dsl connection for downstream traffic and a analog dialup account for upstream data?

You may use a PPPOA or PPPOE client to connect to the server side device of your ISP but if your not using an analog phone modem then your not dialing up. You have an aDSL connection from the sounds of it. If your modem has an ethernet interface then just get a AP/Router combo with PPP client functionality. Many will.

Your not dialing up. Don't know how else to say it to make you understand. Anyway, pretty much any router that advertises itself as a dsl modem will have PPPOE and OA support. I'd think most SOHO routers have it but check the data sheets of any device your not sure about.

When you do get one it does mean you won't have to manually authenticate to the server, what your calling "dialing up". The router will handle this task. You can connect up to 255 PC's on many consumer routers. Some will limit it further but certainly more than you want to put on a 100 dollar router. That's a non issue. If you have more than the limit of a budget router then you need to buy a higher end device anyway. Yeah, only one IP is the point of getting a router in the first place. Another non issue.

The router would authenticate IF it has the client functionality in it's firmware. Your PC's would not. They would have what would seem like an always on connection. They's just be live to the internet. The router would handle all responsibilities of getting an IP form your provider and connecting with the PPPOE software. Your workstations would have no role in this.

The manual does mention PPPOE so it does support it. YOu'd just have to use the web based interfaced to enter you user/pass combo. Download and search the pdf for PPPOE if you want more information.