PS3/Sky router wired connection issues - Help!

[TheCracker]

Background: For a while now i've been wirelessly connecting my Mac, laptop and PS3 to my Sky router and they've all generally connected with very few problems. I'd always quite fancied linking the PS3 directly to the router (wired connection) since the area we live in only delivers an 'upto' 2mb download speed and when both me and my wife are using the connection the PS3's online strength diminishes quite noticeably.

The only thing that stopped me doing this until now is the fact that the router was situated some way away and a wired connection would have ment drilling through walls and floors etc. However, since the house fire we had a couple of months ago, the router has now been moved to a much more accessible point. We've also signed up for Sky Anytime Plus, which requires a wired connection between the Sky HD box and the router, so i thought i might as well run two CAT5 cables together whilst i was at it.

Problem: Quite simply the issue i have now is that even though i have the Ethernet/CAT5 cable connected to the back of the PS3, when i go into the Playstations Network Settings to change from wireless to wired, the PS3 isn't registering the connected cable at all, whilst the Sky HD box is registering its connection.

Has anyone else encountered a similar problem? Can anyone suggest something obvious i might be missing?

 

[Mr. S]

Did you use a cross-over cable? I've accidentally plugged in a patch cable once and the PS3 didn't like that either.

A cross-over cable is meant to be used between a router / hub / switch and a machine whilst the patch cable is meant to connect 2 machines directly. Cross-over cables have their wires twisted. It's like that:

Cross-over:

End 1 Send <> Receive End 2

Patch:

End 1 Send <> Send End 2

 

[TheCracker]

Did you use a cross-over cable? I've accidentally plugged in a patch cable once and the PS3 didn't like that either.

A cross-over cable is meant to be used between a router / hub / switch and a machine whilst the patch cable is meant to connect 2 machines directly. Cross-over cables have their wires twisted. It's like that:

Cross-over:

End 1 Send <> Receive End 2

Patch:

End 1 Send <> Send End 2

Doubt that will be it, the cables are the same and the one between the router and Sky HD box work fine. The cables came with little patch/crossover converter attachments, which i've tried too just in case that was the problem.

 

[Mr. S]

Doubt that will be it, the cables are the same and the one between the router and Sky HD box work fine. The cables came with little patch/crossover converter attachments, which i've tried too just in case that was the problem.

You could always try to power down both the router and the PS3 and switch on the router first and the PS3 like a minute later. Did you try something alike?

 

[TheCracker]

You could always try to power down both the router and the PS3 and switch on the router first and the PS3 like a minute later. Did you try something alike?

Yeah, tried all the obvious stuff. Spoke to the tech guy at work, he thinks i might need to allocate a static address to the PS3 before it will even recognize that there's a cable attached. If i get chance i'll try it over the weekend.

 

[Mr. S]

Yeah, tried all the obvious stuff. Spoke to the tech guy at work, he thinks i might need to allocate a static address to the PS3 before it will even recognize that there's a cable attached. If i get chance i'll try it over the weekend.

Depends on the router - usually the DHCP should simply allocate one to the PS3 and you're done. If possible at all, a firmware update could help as well. Static IP won't change the fact that the cable isn't being recognized, I'm afraid - does the indicator on the router show up? I.e. does the router recognize the PS3 being plugged into it, at least?

 

[thechosenwonton]

btw, cat5 isn't going to make your internet connection any faster... if you've got a 2mb connection, 802.11G is is more than fast enough to support that - so you'll still have speed issues when you and your wife are using the internet simultaneously, as that 2mb link is the bottleneck, NOT the wireless.

 

[TheCracker]

btw, cat5 isn't going to make your internet connection any faster... if you've got a 2mb connection, 802.11G is is more than fast enough to support that - so you'll still have speed issues when you and your wife are using the internet simultaneously, as that 2mb link is the bottleneck, NOT the wireless.

The wired route isn't so much to get a quicker connection, it's more to get a more consistent connection.

 

[thechosenwonton]

Ahh collision avoidance and what not. DHCP should work with no problems... don't know what kind of router you have, but on most you can see connected devices, and corresponding MAC addresses - check if the router shows your PS3's MAC address. If it doesn't, then it's either the port on the router/switch, port of the ps3, or the cable.

If it does show the MAC could be something as simple as a bad rj45 cap on the cable, try a different cable. That's about all the troubleshooting I can give ya, as this is a simple setup, so not much to go wrong with it.

 

[TheCracker]

Depends on the router - usually the DHCP should simply allocate one to the PS3 and you're done. If possible at all, a firmware update could help as well. Static IP won't change the fact that the cable isn't being recognized, I'm afraid - does the indicator on the router show up? I.e. does the router recognize the PS3 being plugged into it, at least?

Ahh collision avoidance and what not. DHCP should work with no problems... don't know what kind of router you have, but on most you can see connected devices, and corresponding MAC addresses - check if the router shows your PS3's MAC address. If it doesn't, then it's either the port on the router/switch, port of the ps3, or the cable.

If it does show the MAC could be something as simple as a bad rj45 cap on the cable, try a different cable. That's about all the troubleshooting I can give ya, as this is a simple setup, so not much to go wrong with it.

When i get chance i'll give these options a try. Thanks fellas 👍

 

[GilesGuthrie]

I'll make the assumption that the PS3 and the Sky+HD box are in close proximity. Try connecting the CAT5 cable that the Sky+HD box is happy using to the PS3. If PS3 connects using that cable, it's a cable fault (most likely) or a dead port on the router (less likely). If the PS3 does not connect using the Sky+HD cable, then there's something up with the PS3's network port, or the routing at either the PS3 or Sky end.

You can find your Sky router's admin password online with a quick search. Connect in, switch logging on, and find out what's happening.

 

[TheCracker]

I'll make the assumption that the PS3 and the Sky+HD box are in close proximity. Try connecting the CAT5 cable that the Sky+HD box is happy using to the PS3. If PS3 connects using that cable, it's a cable fault (most likely) or a dead port on the router (less likely). If the PS3 does not connect using the Sky+HD cable, then there's something up with the PS3's network port, or the routing at either the PS3 or Sky end.

You can find your Sky router's admin password online with a quick search. Connect in, switch logging on, and find out what's happening.

Only just noticed you've replied to this Giles.

It has indeed turned out to be a cable fault, although i'm not sure why, the cables were both bought new and at the same time. One works, one doesn't.

I discovered the fault by chance after having to unplug it all following the re-plastering of our living room. After setting it all back up again i must have switched cables because the Anytime Plus was no longer showing. Sure enough, when i checked to see if the PS3 was recognizing the wired connection, it was and connected straight away!