Yeah, DHCP is always a lot easier to use, and all broadband routers support it. Make sure to post back if that still does not work. Also, sorry if you posted this, but does the PCLOS machine work if you connect it via a wired connection?
What else is cool is that if you buy a really nice router that support proxy arp, you can set your own machine to the default gateway, and it will work :-p.