How to Project PC Screen Over Ethernet LAN (Miracast Alternative for Desktops)

When users try to project their Windows display to another screen or PC, the standard Windows workflow suggests pressing Win + K and choosing “Connect to a wireless display”.

However, millions of custom desktop PCs, gaming rigs, workstations, and server-room computers encounter a frustrating wall: “Your PC doesn’t support Miracast, so it can’t project wirelessly”, or the “Connect to a wireless display” option is completely absent from the Windows Action Center.

This failure happens because Microsoft’s native Miracast requires both a Wi-Fi Direct-certified wireless network card and a WDDM 1.3+ graphics driver. If your desktop computer connects to your local network solely through a wired RJ45 Ethernet cable and lacks a Wi-Fi adapter, Windows cannot project using native tools.

ScreenTask provides the definitive solution: true Display over LAN that projects your desktop screen over any standard wired Ethernet connection with sub-millisecond network latency and zero wireless hardware requirements.

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Why Projecting Over Ethernet LAN Beats Wireless Casting

Wired Ethernet screen projection offers critical advantages over wireless casting protocols:

1. No Wi-Fi Card or Wi-Fi Direct Required: Works on custom tower PCs, rackmount workstations, and laptops with disabled Wi-Fi adapters.
2. Dedicated Gigabit Bandwidth: Cat5e, Cat6, and Cat7 Ethernet cables deliver 1,000 Mbps to 10,000 Mbps of dedicated throughput, eliminating wireless radio contention from nearby smartphones and microwave ovens.
3. Sub-Millisecond Jitter: Packet transit times across wired local switches average below 1 ms, preventing frame drops and audio-visual stutter.
4. Air-Gapped & Secure: Data travels exclusively across physical copper wiring, preventing wireless snooping or external radio interception in secure government, healthcare, or financial environments.

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Hardware Topologies: How to Connect Your Devices

You can project your screen over Ethernet using either of two simple physical setups:

Topology A (Local Network Switch / Router):
[ Host Desktop PC ] ─────── (Cat6) ─────── [ Gigabit Switch ] ─────── (Cat6) ─────── [ Client PC / Laptop / TV ]
                                                  │
                                          (No Internet Needed)

Topology B (Direct Peer-to-Peer Cable):
[ Host Desktop PC ] ──────────────── (Standard Cat6 Patch Cable) ──────────────── [ Client Laptop / PC ]

• Via Local Switch or Wired Router: Connect both the host desktop and the client machine to open LAN ports on your network switch or router.
• Direct PC-to-PC Cable: Connect a single Ethernet cable directly between the Ethernet ports of both computers. Modern network cards feature Auto-MDIX, so any standard patch cable works (no special crossover cable needed).

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Step 1: Assign Local IP Addresses

When Connected Through a Switch or Router

Your router’s DHCP server automatically assigns private IPv4 addresses (such as 192.168.1.110 and 192.168.1.120). You can verify your IP by opening Command Prompt (cmd) and running:

ipconfig

Look for IPv4 Address under your Ethernet adapter.

When Connected via Direct Peer-to-Peer Cable

If you are connecting two PCs directly without a router, Windows will automatically assign an APIPA address (e.g. 169.254.x.x), which works out-of-the-box.

Alternatively, assign manual static IPs for instant resolution:

• Host PC: IP 192.168.10.1, Subnet Mask 255.255.255.0
• Client PC: IP 192.168.10.2, Subnet Mask 255.255.255.0

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Step 2: Configure Windows Firewall for Ethernet Subnets

To allow the client machine to view your screen stream, ensure your Ethernet connection profile is set to Private:

1. Open Windows Settings $\rightarrow$ Network & Internet $\rightarrow$ Ethernet.
2. Click your active Ethernet connection.
3. Select Private network.

[!TIP] Quick Firewall Command: Open PowerShell as Administrator and run the following command to allow ScreenTask traffic across your wired LAN:

New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "ScreenTask Ethernet LAN" -Direction Inbound -LocalPort 7070 -Protocol TCP -Action Allow -Profile Private

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Step 3: Launch ScreenTask and Project Display

1. Download and run ScreenTask Portable.
2. In the IP dropdown, select your wired Ethernet IPv4 address (e.g., 192.168.1.110).
3. Under Select Screen, pick the monitor you wish to project (Screen 1 or secondary display).
4. Set Port to 7070 (or 9000).
5. Choose your Refresh Rate:
   • For static terminals, code, and system monitoring: 500 ms
   • For fast document scrolling and interactive presentations: 200 ms or 100 ms
6. Click Start Server.

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Step 4: View the Projected Screen on Any Client Device

On the receiving PC, laptop, or smart display:

1. Open any modern web browser (Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Firefox, Safari).
2. Enter your host desktop’s streaming address in the URL bar:

   http://192.168.1.110:7070

3. Press Enter and press F11 (or click Fullscreen) to view the projected screen in borderless display mode.

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Comparison: ScreenTask Display over LAN vs. Miracast & Hardware Extenders

Feature	ScreenTask (Display over LAN)	Microsoft Miracast	HDMI-over-Ethernet Extenders
Requires Wi-Fi Card on Desktop?	No (Wired Ethernet Only)	Yes (Mandatory)	No
Hardware Cost	$0 (100% Free & Open Source)	$30–$70 Adapter	$40–$150 Balun Pairs
Receiving Device Freedom	Any Device with a Browser	Miracast-Certified Displays	Dedicated HDMI Receiver Box
Driver / Kernel Changes	Zero (Standalone Portable)	Native WDDM Drivers	None
Internet Required?	No (100% Offline)	No	No

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Related Guides & Resources

• How to Share PC Screen via Direct Ethernet Cable (Peer-to-Peer)
• Windows 11 Setup, SmartScreen & Firewall Guide
• Windows 10 Setup and Firewall Screen Sharing Guide
• Air-Gapped Secure Screen Sharing for Enterprise Environments
• Download ScreenTask Standalone Executable