Private Function ValidateIP(ByVal IPAddress As String) As Boolean
        Dim count As Byte
        Dim dotcount As Byte


        'check for illegal charaters
        For count = 1 To Len(IPAddress)
            If InStr("1234567890.", LCase(Mid(IPAddress, count, 1))) > 0 Then
            Else
                MsgBox("There are illegal characters")
                Return False
            End If
        Next
        'check if first character is "."

        If InStr(IPAddress, ".") = 1 Then
            MsgBox("First Character is '.'")
            Return False
        End If

        'check if there are consecutive ".."

        If InStr(IPAddress, "..") > 0 Then
            MsgBox("There are consecutive '.'")
            Return False
        End If


        'check for number of dots
        For count = 1 To Len(IPAddress)
            If Mid(IPAddress, count, 1) = "." Then

                dotcount += 1
                If dotcount > 3 Then
                    MsgBox("There are two many '.'")
                    Return False
                End If

            End If
        Next

        'check for values of ip address components 
        Dim num() = Split(IPAddress, ".")
        For count = 0 To 3
            If (num(count)) > 255 Then
                MsgBox("IP address is invalid")
                Return False

            End If

            'checks if last split is = 255
            If num(3) = 255 Then
                MsgBox("IP address is invalid")
                Return False
            End If
        Next




        MsgBox("Valid IP address")
        Return True
        'if all of these things are true return true

    End Function