Connecting 2 computers not on internet to the internet

[FreeThrow]

Ok, we currently have two windows xp computers which are connected to each other. A cat 5 cable and a switch and another cat 5 cable connects them. One of those two machines (machine A) is not allowed to be directly connected to the internet, no matter what. The other machine (machine B) can be connected to the internet. However, the people who make machine A need to remotely connect to it. Our only option is hook machine B to the internet and then machine A to machine B.

How can I do this? I am specifying an IP for each of them and they just sit on their own little network.

If I hook machine A into a switch and machine B into a switch, and then hook that into our main switch, that would count as machine A being connected directly to the internet. How can I solve this?

Thank you!!

P.S. I don't know much about networking so I may not have a good understanding of an easy solution I could do.

 

[PhilFrisbie]

For someone on the Internet to remotely connect to machine A will require a "direct" connection, even if it is though machine B. This is because you will need to forward a port from the Internet to machine A, which will in effect directly connect it to the Internet and expose it to hacking.

 

[FreeThrow]

Phil I understand it seems like it's the same thing, but in the eyes of who it matters it's not the same thing. We're explicitly told not to connect the machine A to our main switch which leads to the internet. We are told we can do it if it's connecting through another machine. No matter how it's done. I'm not here to debate whether or not it's the same thing, only to find an answer as to how I can do this.

Thank you to anyone who can help.

 

[mbahr]

If I understand the situation... you wish to connect machine A, thru machine B, which can see the internet via the main switch.

I don't know exactly what the uses are, so will provide two options:

One is to use remote desktop on A, to actually use B to remotely connect to the web. You can browse or whatever you need to do in the remote session. Not sure this is what you need, though.

XP also has a "Internet Connection Sharing" program you can use, which allows A to connect to the Internet via B. B basically turns into a wee little gateway, with firewall and DHCP running on it. You can see the topology at http://www.easy-home-networking-guide.com/Direct-Connect-Peer-to-Peer.html Note that you may you may want to implement direct connection from A to B, and then B to the switch (B has two network cards).

You can see an example configuraiton of Internet Connection Sharing with Windows 7 (screens similar to XP) at
http://www.easy-home-networking-guide.com/Internet-Connection-Sharing.html

There are probably fancier ways to accomplish this but this may be the fastest to get up and running.

Is this what you needed?

 

[yumri]

if it is a manageable switch why not set up a ACL for computer A only to be able to access computers in a certain MAC table and block all others. Then have computer B with a "Internet Connection Sharing" Service turned on or some other program to link computer A to the Internet but i do not see why to do it this way as it seems kinda hard unless you are using Computer B as the firewall for the Internet in which i would suggest allowing the MAC of computer B to access the MAC of the router then blocking all MACs in the MAC table from accessing the MAC of the router to secure down the network in a MAC ACL way then setting up the router integrated firewall to only allow in what you want and block all others on a port level but also if it is a option make a IP table for what IPs are allowed to use the Router and only put in that of Computer B since the only IP should be that of Computer B.
By doing what i said above your network should be very secure but also turn off the DHCP sever on the router, all the DHCP client on the computers so nothing tries to change your IP addresses from the static ones they have, and make sure that the Sever service is on automatic on the Computer B.

 

[masterbunny5]

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306126


This link will give you a step by step walkthrough of how to enable computers A and B to share internet. This is done by having computer A connected to the internet, then changing settings to allow for this connection to be shared to attached devices (computer B).

Disclaimer: My "A" and "B" (for each computer) may not refer to the correct order you desire, just realize I am specifying to display the relationship. This process can be done B-A or A-B for it is just a pair of computers.