Most networks that enable all the computers on it to access the intenet will go through a router/modem they wont connect directly to the internet as this would mean they would all need accounts with the ISP that is being used
Yeah, and I knew that, but I've been hung in this thinking nonetheless that each computer should have an IP associated with it...So that makes sense, I follow ya.

You seem to think that pinging something will get you the ip of it, youyneed the ip in the first place to ping something, otherwise how would you address your ping?
Right, I actually do know that, I was just thinking backwards this morning. Sorry 'bout that, that's why I made the stupid.exe comment on my part last post.