Possible? PC as gateway to Internet for USB access point/wifi card

Is it possible for a Windows XP PC's LAN connection to be used by a
few other PC's via wifi to a USB wifi card like the D-Link DWA-160?
Here's the connectivity map:

multiple PC's <---> wifi <---> USB wifi card acting as an
access point <---> Windows XP PC running some kind of .exe or java
packet forwarding software <---> hardwired LAN <---> Internet

One constraint is that I want to do this without "installing"
software, but I can run an .exe or java software that I carry with me
on a USB memory stick. There's no need to leave anything permanent,
as I'd only need this wifi access for other people in the room
temporarily during meetings.

The reason I can't just directly connect a wifi access point directly
to the LAN is that a user must log into the PC to access the LAN and
Internet. Direct connections to the Internet are prohibited. But
after logging onto the PC that PC can access the Internet via the LAN,
so in theory any laptops that use that PC as a gateway could have
Internet access though it, too.

I seem to recall doing something like that a decade ago, just using a
very short and simple java program to receive IP packets and forward
them on, & vice versa, but we were using a pair of LAN cards in a PC.
I was hoping that there might now might be a turnkey wifi USB solution
on the market to do all this. Is there?

If you go to Network Connections, select two high-speed network
interfaces (e.g., an ethernet and a wireless) and right-click on one
of them, you'll see a "Bridge Connections" command. This might do what
you want. Search for Network Bridge in XP Help and Support for more
information.

On Aug 18, 3:54*pm, CraiginNJ <cr...@uthe.net> wrote:
> Is it possible for a Windows XP PC's LAN connection to be used by a
> few other PC's via wifi to a USB wifi card like the D-Link DWA-160?
> Here's the connectivity map:
>
> * * * * multiple PC's <---> wifi <---> *USB wifi card acting asan
> access point <---> *Windows XP PC running some kind of .exe or java
> packet forwarding software <---> *hardwired LAN <---> *Internet
>
> One constraint is that I want to do this without "installing"
> software, but I can run an .exe or java software that I carry with me
> on a USB memory stick. *There's no need to leave anything permanent,
> as I'd only need this wifi access for other people in the room
> temporarily during meetings.
>
> The reason I can't just directly connect a wifi access point directly
> to the LAN is that a user must log into the PC to access the LAN and
> Internet. *Direct connections to the Internet are prohibited. * But
> after logging onto the PC that PC can access the Internet via the LAN,
> so in theory any laptops that use that PC as a gateway could have
> Internet access though it, too.
>
> I seem to recall doing something like that a decade ago, just using a
> very short and simple java program to receive IP packets and forward
> them on, & vice versa, but we were using a pair of LAN cards in a PC.
> I was hoping that there might now might be a turnkey wifi USB solution
> on the market to do all this. *Is there?

(E-Mail Removed) wrote:
> If you go to Network Connections, select two high-speed network
> interfaces (e.g., an ethernet and a wireless) and right-click on one
> of them, you'll see a "Bridge Connections" command. This might do what
> you want. Search for Network Bridge in XP Help and Support for more
> information.

I did that once on a Cisco switch. Locked my MAC out from accessing the
network until the Cisco admin reset something.

--
Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley Lake, CA, USA GPS: 38.8,-122.5