Disclosed is a technique which can share single public Internet protocol
without a network address translation when a plurality of computers use
the Internet through an Internet access gateway. The Internet access
gateway according to the invention includes a local network access point
which is connected to a local network for either inputting or outputting
a packet either to local network or therefrom; an Internet access point
which is connected to the Internet for either inputting or outputting the
packet either to the Internet or therefrom; a port translation table for
storing nodes having one Internet protocol address, public port numbers
corresponding to each of the nodes, a local port number corresponding to
each of the nodes, and a media access control (MAC) address corresponding
to each of the nodes; and an address translation processor for changing a
public port number using a local port number and the MAC address included
in an Internet protocol packet as delimiters in a predetermined assigning
manner when the Internet protocol packet is received at the local
network, storing a changed public number in the port translation table,
for a public port number corresponding to an Internet protocol packet
with reference to the port translation table when the Internet protocol
packet is received at the Internet, and searching for a local port number
corresponding to the public port number.