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Sorry, yea i meant straight into a network switch or port
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How about an embedded controller? I have know idea what exists past desktop platforms.
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My goal is to have something i can plug into a network port and create an access point without using a power supply
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whats the smallest a power supply? Don't they usually require a hefty transformer?
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Ok cool, i can settle for a battery powered system. How do I get started on the host controller?
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The wifi chips inside smartphone can function as access points. I use my HTC Touch pro connected to 3G and a wifi router for my laptop. 
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Thanks for the correction chuckyh. How much range do you get with your smartphone acting as a wifi hostspot?
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You would have to power with PowerOverEthernet or use the ac adapter, but an ethernet wireless gaming adapter that they sell for xbox etc does this for you already.<br />

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Id like to create a portable access point about the size of a usb thumb drive. The goal is to create a device that plugs directly into an Ethernet port and use that connection to become a wireless access point. It should be powered by the ethernet port. <br />
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So my question is has this how do I get started creating something like this? I'm thinking of using a small linux client paired with a wifi receiver.Where can i find these things?
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Id like to create a portable access point about the size of a usb thumb drive. The goal is to create a device that plugs directly into an Ethernet port and use that connection to become a wireless access point. It should be powered by the ethernet port. 

So my question is has this how do I get started creating something like this? I'm thinking of using a small linux client paired with a wifi receiver.Where can i find these things?

Pocket Wireless Access Point

Linux is a UNIX-like open source operating system with hundreds of distinct distributions, including: Fedora, openSUSE, Ubuntu, Debian, Slackware, Gentoo, CentOS, and Arch Linux. Linux is generally associated with web and database servers, but has become popular in many niche industries and applications.

Linux

Unix is a multitasking, multi-user computer operating system originally developed in 1969 at Bell Labs. Today, it is a modern OS with many commercial flavors and licensees, including FreeBSD, Hewlett-Packard’s UX, IBM AIX and Apple Mac OS-X. Apart from its command-line interface, most UNIX variations support the standardized X Window System for GUIs, with the exception of the Mac OS, which uses a proprietary system.

Unix OS

Networking hardware includes the physical devices facilitating the use of a computer network. Typically, networking hardware includes gateways, routers, network bridges, modems, wireless access points, networking cables, line drivers, switches, hubs, and repeaters. But it also includes hybrid network devices such as multilayer switches, protocol converters, bridge routers, proxy servers, firewalls, network address translators, multiplexers, network interface controllers, wireless network interface controllers, ISDN terminal adapters and other related hardware.