Sharing WIFI to ethernet - problems

[Shoes77]

I'm trying to share my internet connection from my Macbook to my PS3/Xbox, but for the life of me I can't get it to work. My wifi connection is from my university - I'm living in a dorm, so I have no access to the router or anything.

I've tried a million different settings, and I've Googled and Googled so I'm not a newb.

I go to Preferences / Sharing, and do the sharing thing - wifi to ethernet.

I've tried using DCHP, DCHP with manual address, manual - nothing.

The settings I have at the moment are:

Mac:

DCHP with manual address

10.0.0.10

and on my PS3:

IP: 10.0.0.20
Subnet: 255.255.255.0
Gateway: 10.0.0.10
DNS1: 8.8.8.8
DNS2; 8.8.4.4

i keep getting DNS errors. I've tired using different DNS' - OpenDNS, the Mac's IP address - but nothing.

I can't figure it out. I've tried everything I can find.

Has anyone got any help at all? I'll be eternally grateful.

 

[ezramoore]

Have you come across this yet: http://www.ezramoore.com/2009/08/how-to-use-your-mac-as-a-wifi-bridge-for-your-xbox-360/ ?

I wrote this up for the Xbox 360, but you may be able to apply it to your PS3.

Let me know if you run into trouble.

 

[Shoes77]

I hadn't come across it, an just tried it, but still: no dice.

I wonder if it's the type of ethernet cable I'm using. A friend of mie can share my wifi on his Macbook no problem. I'm using a new-ish MPB, which I'm told can use any ethernet cable for machine-to-machine connections, but I might try a 'crossover' one.

Stupid thing is, even when routed through a router of hub first the outcome is the same.

A few questions: my ethernet on my Mac (en0) is 'inactive' until plugged into something, like my PS3. Is this normal? As a result, I think the iffconfig en0 command brought up the IP from my PS3 vas the 'router' - 10.0.0.10, which I previously set as my PS3's ip address.

Thanks for any help.

 

[ezramoore]

A few questions: my ethernet on my Mac (en0) is 'inactive' until plugged into something, like my PS3. Is this normal?

Yup, completely normal.

As a result, I think the iffconfig en0 command brought up the IP from my PS3 vas the 'router' - 10.0.0.10, which I previously set as my PS3's ip address.

I would recommend that you take the router out of the equation for now, a switch would be okay, but at this point lets simplify things.

 

[djharris]

I'm going to try to simplify your situation, let me know if these assumptions are correct. You didn't specify these explicitly, so let me know if there are any problems...

• Wi-Fi only is available from the University, NOT wired.
• Your Macbook is using the Wi-Fi from the University.
• XBOX/PS3 has only wired connection available

In this case, you have a few options...

• Wireless N adapter from TiVo is about $70, but it is a legit wireless to ethernet "bridge" and can be used on an XBOX or PS3 to access wireless networks. can be configured from any computer by plugging it in and using an admin interface in a web browser (similar to wireless router config). IF you have a captive portal w/login at your University, your PS3 has a web browser you can use.
• Check this out: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.7/en/mchlp1540.html (I've used a setup like this to share a USB cellular modem with my ipod at a relative's house via my macbook pro when only that was available, MAYBE you can do the same to share wireless to ethernet)

 

[ezramoore]

djharris reminded me, I meant to ask this in my previous post:

Doesn't the PS3 have WiFi built in?

 

[djharris]

djharris reminded me, I meant to ask this in my previous post:

Doesn't the PS3 have WiFi built in?

The lower end launch model didn't, he might have one.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PS3#Model_comparison

 

[Shoes77]

Yep, it does. But the wifi security system isn't supported by the PS3, so it won't connect.

The thing is, I SHOULD be able to share the connection. I can do it to other laptops, and my friend has hooked his laptop to my PS3 which works fine, so it's nothing to do with my PS3.

I don't know what the problem is. It's hell of frustrating.

 

[djharris]

Yep, it does. But the wifi security system isn't supported by the PS3, so it won't connect.

The thing is, I SHOULD be able to share the connection. I can do it to other laptops, and my friend has hooked his laptop to my PS3 which works fine, so it's nothing to do with my PS3.

I don't know what the problem is. It's hell of frustrating.

How did your friend do it? Is he using Windows?


Also... as long as both NIC's are gigabit NIC's, AND your cable is Cat6 cable, you do NOT need a crossover cable to do this scenario, any cable will do.

If one NIC is only NOT gigabit ethernet, OR you are using Cat5e cable (or below) you will need a crossover cable to go between them, OR you will need to send it through a hub or switch. (I suggest a switch, they are pretty cheap, no big deal)

This can help you figure out if your specific XBOX or PS3 model has gigabit ethernet, or 100Mbps

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xbox_360

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PS3

MOST recent Apple computers have gigabit ethernet, so you should double check that just to cover all your bases.

 

[Shoes77]

He was using a Windows laptop, yeah.

Both my PS3 and MBP are gigabit, so I'll try with a Cat6 cable - though, even when going through a router or a switch as it is produces the same DNS error.

 

[Shoes77]

Same problem with Cat6 cable. DNS issues, according to my PS3.

I'm at a loss. Am I doomed?

 

[Shoes77]

Huh... so it works on my bootcamped Windows 7 now. I put the WIFI gateway address in the ethernet gateway bit and works. Yet doing the same in OSX still brings up an DNS error. Oh man.

 

[matspekkie]

Huh... so it works on my bootcamped Windows 7 now. I put the WIFI gateway address in the ethernet gateway bit and works. Yet doing the same in OSX still brings up an DNS error. Oh man.

What ip is your ethernet getting if it is in 192.168.2.x range it won't work because the mac wants to use that for sharing you can change this form a terminal. another thing you might want to try is give both mac and ps3 the same dns server ip.

 

[ezramoore]

Why not point BOTH machines to an external DNS server like Google (8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4) or OpenDNS?

 

[Shoes77]

What ip is your ethernet getting if it is in 192.168.2.x range it won't work because the mac wants to use that for sharing you can change this form a terminal. another thing you might want to try is give both mac and ps3 the same dns server ip.

OSX WiFI adress is: 172.23.26.55
And OSX's ethernet is: 10.0.0.1

Will try changing the PS3 DNS.

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Why not point BOTH machines to an external DNS server like Google (8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4) or OpenDNS?

Tried that. No good.