Possible to connect a console to my PC with ethernet?

I've got a wired internet connection in my place, straight from the modem to my PC with an ethernet cable. Is it possible to attach my PS3 or WiiU to my computer with an ethernet cable as well, and use online features, or are there any special steps I need to take?

Try it and see what happens, I guess?

I know that I had a situation with my old non-wifi 360 where I would connect it via Ethernet to my PC, that used wifi, and then Windows 7 let me share the connection. It worked well. But the computer would have to still be connected to the Internet. I'm assuming you only have one Ethernet port? So if you did that, your PC wouldn't have Internet.

You can do that as long as you have two ethernet ports. You can then choose to bridge the connections assuming you aren't connecting over PPPoE or similar to the modem. However if I were you I'd just buy a router, that makes everything a lot more simple.

You probably could (bridges still work), but then you'd have no collision detection and you would probably have problems with it. I wouldn't recommend it.

Routers do all that work you don't know about for you (collision detection, MTU interval rating, firewalling, routing, etc.), and are fairly cheap these days ;)

You want a crossover cable, instead of a straight through, if you have the available ports.

Yes. But if you are a computer networking novice it is unlikely you will do what is needed.

That's why he's asking help from us.

This is the best recommendation. Go get an inexpensive router, you don't need it to be the best since you're just going to use it for hardwired connection.

Yeah I just bridge the connection between my laptop wifi and my xbox. It works fine just as long as you stick to doing one or the other. Using the internet on both things can cause some issues as mentioned. You need to pull up the network adapter page on your control panel and just select the Ethernet port with the console and the port/wifi with internet then right click on one and it will say bridge connection.

Just get a 4 port switch, they're practically giving them away. It's easier than setting up internet connection sharing on a PC and you're not reliant on the PC being turned on and running to get your consoles online.

If your PC still has ports that don't support auto MDI-X then you have bigger problems. Aside from that I'll just echo the "bridging should work but get a switch/router" sentiment.

@hurricaneivan29: not quite. I could explain to someone how to make an imaging server but it doesn't mean they aren't going to just look at a few pages of instructions and if, then, else scenarios and say eff this crap.

@bluefalcon: Just because you don't feel the need to instruct him, doesn't mean he's not asking for it...

@hurricaneivan29: once again. Not what I said.

@bluefalcon: Once again, you're not helping. Not even pointing him a direction.

@hurricaneivan29: ...missing the point.

Not really. Saying yes and then implying I'm an idiot doesn't help anyone. It's a zero-effort comment that you made just to subtly boast about your know-how. But thanks, I guess.

@tuxfool: I'm getting my internet through a 3rd-party ISP, who gets their internet juice from Rogers. According to them, and Rogers as well, I have to buy a specific supported router in order to use their service, just like I had to buy a specific modem as well. The router they've been okayed by Rogers to use is about $40. Is that "inexpensive" relative to other routers? I really just want netflix access from my consoles. Would I be better off buying a DVI-to-HDMI cable and hooking that up to my TV, instead of trying to connect the consoles themselves to the internet?

I cannot speak to specifics, but 40$ isn't that much for a router. It probably wont be the best in the world, but it will certainly get the job done. However what they are saying smells to me like BS. The ISP shouldn't care what router you use if it is connected to the modem unless they are recommending a router with a built-in modem.

What modem and router do they want you to use?

Also definitely connect your consoles to the internet. It will make life much more easy when downloading patches etc.

I didn't call you any names. It's interesting that thats what you gleamed from that short exchange though. It's also interesting you already dropped the Ethernet idea for something else already...

@bluefalcon: TBH, you're really not adding anything worthwhile here.

@tuxfool: Got attacked for mearly stating that the process to carry out the original plan would be too complex for a networking novice (also known as a general user) without great effort a general user would be very unlikely to be willing to carry out. I did nothing more than correct those who played a different internal dialouge.

Now we could engage in a long and complex dialogue with the TC about what type of nic, software, ip addresses, etc. but it's more than likely he won't give or wouldn't easily be able to give out that type of information.

@bluefalcon: You said nothing useful to anybody. Look at what I said, then you let the guy decide if it is too complicated or not. The guy asked for advice, and you didn't offer solutions or alternatives, you just told him it was too complicated.

If you have nothing worthwhile to add, just say nothing.

this.

You can get a 4 port switch for around ten dollars at many places if routers are too expensive.

Seriously this. Routers are like 20-30 bucks at tons of places these days and since all you need it for is a bridge it is a no brainer. Yes you could get a switch but why not drop a few dollars more and get some wifi with that too?

@the_nubster: Your ISP is full of crap. There is no way in hell you are "required" to use a specific router. If you can find your modem model # post it in thread and I will gladly research it for you myself.

@karkarov: I've got a Thomson DCM476.

@tuxfool: Hear, hear!

And thank you for proving my point. Here you are, denying that you're talking down to me yet making digs at me for looking for alternative solutions. You didn't call me any names outright, but that doesn't mean you aren't being disrespectful. You've yet to offer anything of value to this topic, either in the form of an easy-to-implement solution or any sort of guidance for your supposedly complicated solution, but you continue to spend your time posting here. So please, either expand on your original idea if you think it might be helpful or stop posting in this topic.

@the_nubster: What router are they recommending you get?

@tuxfool: Either a TP Link TL-WR840N, or a TP Link TL-WR940ND. They're $30 and $40, respectively, so I don't really know where they fall in terms of how expensive they are.

@the_nubster: It is a budget router, but it will be fine. I doubt that you will be all that demanding, so it doesn't make sense to me to recommend you a 100$ router.

I'd say get it, plus given it is your ISP recommended, support calls may be easier.

@the_nubster: Thanks for posting the info. Here is the score. Your ISP is selling you a line of BS. MAYBE you have to use their modem. There could be some whacked out stuff going on inside it that could cause an issue since it is specifically stated to be a rogers modem. Doing some research into this apparently Rogers is pretty nazi like when it comes to their Docsis 3 required plans, which I assume you are on since your modem is a Docsis 3.0 modem. This means you can't really replace your modem, or doing so would be risky at the least.

Router wise. You can use any router you want. Your modem has a generic ethernet out, it is not a gateway so there is no built in wifi nonsense. Just get yourself something cheap like a Netgear n150.

Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-RangeMax-WNR1000-Wireless-Router/dp/B001UI4RTG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421599241&sr=8-1&keywords=netgear+n150+wnr1000

@karkarov: The support guy from Rogers said as much, in terms of how strict Rogers is. That's why I thought the router thing was probably the same, but if I can just grab a cheap router and have it work fine, I'll probably go that route.

@tuxfool: Hopefully I can avoid support calls altogether. So it seems like routers are around the $30 range for the cheaper ones.

Thanks for the help, guys!

@the_nubster: No problem, happy gaming dude and good luck finding the right router for you!

@the_nubster: or how about I do neither since you've been so rude?

The whole needing specific routers thing is nonsense. However $40 is a very cheap price for a router, which means if all you need it for it to basically be a splitter for multiple hard connections, you'll be fine. For reference my router cost over $200, but that is because it's a new fangled AC router that is designed to output maximum signal distance, seeing as my house has shitty seemingly dead reception areas.

You've already done neither, so what the hell are you still doing here? Either try and be helpful, or stay silent. You're just coming off as rude smug person at the moment.

@liquidprince: at the moment responding to you. This site sends out these little notification things whenever someone replys to you. So since we both agree there is nothing else to be learned here you can keep messaging me or we can engage in something interesting. So.... How bout dem Cowboys?

I would talk to you about the Cowboys but its far to complex for a football novice like you to understand.

@71ranchero: probably right. I don't really care about football in the slightest. It was a rhetorical question son.