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General discussion

Use PS3 as WiFi card to provide internet to my network?...

by MrKassner Sep 29, 2009 9:50PM PDT

I have been using my laptop lately as a big WiFi card for my network by having it connect to my neighbors WiFi then using a network bridge to send it over Ethernet to my router thus giving me internet to my desktop and everything else. The only problem with this is I don't like the idea of my laptop running 24/7 just to sit there giving the rest of my house internet.

So I was wondering first does Linux have something similar to a network bridge like on Windows, and second if it does could I use it on the PS3 to take my neighbors WiFi and send it out to Ethernet to my router? I currently have Yellow Dog Linux installed on it but I still have the Xubuntu installer CD, so I have the option of either distribution. My desktop and laptop both run Windows 7 64bit.

(Note: My neighbor DOES know I'm using his internet and he has no problem with it, me and him talked all that over a couple days ago.)

Discussion is locked

4 Posts
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A PC or PS3 would cost more in electricty in a few months
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Sep 29, 2009 10:42PM PDT

Than what I use. I paid 25 bucks for a Netgear WGPS606 which is out of stock there but I do see it around the internet near 30. Setup wasn't hard.
Bob

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Yeah but I have no money right now,
by MrKassner Sep 29, 2009 10:54PM PDT

and won't for a very long time. I'm having to make do with what I have, and the only things I have with WiFi capabilities are my PS3 and laptop, my laptop is a cheap one with a tendency to reach temps of 170+F when under heavy use, and still pretty hot 120 to 130F when just idling, so I don't trust it to be running 24/7, while as I've seen people never turn their gaming systems off and not have a problem with it for 10years.

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Then back to the laptop.
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Sep 29, 2009 11:31PM PDT

My answer is no as to the PS3 but see if others chime in.

I have had laptops pulling duty as servers and here's some tricks I used.

1. If it's XP I install SPEEDSWITCHXP (see google) to clock down the CPU to its lowest speed. Why? For work as a wifi access point all laptops I've seen don't need to run at top speed.

2. Don't close the lid. Leave it open. Even partly open helps the heat get out.

3. Put it on some cooling pad. Even if homemade.
Bob

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I've done most of those,
by MrKassner Sep 29, 2009 11:43PM PDT

It's on Windows 7 so I can't do number one but it is set to turn the CPU down to 5% in power settings when not in use.
The screen is always open as the WiFi antenna is in the screen so I need it up to get a good signal.
It's on a cooling pad that has two fans pulling hot air away.

I'm pretty sure the PS3 could do it because I would think you could simply do a kludge and install Windows XP in a virtual machine on the PS3 and use bridge connections in the XP virtual machine. But that wouldn't be a very good fix due to the PS3's limited RAM (who's bright idea was to put 256MB of RAM in a system you can install your own operating system in and need to run the first operating system just to use the second one?).

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