Apple Airport and Xbox "Live" [Archive]

mdouglas

Dec 2, 2002, 01:34 AM

Dear Group,

I'm living a dichotamous (sp?) life - I use Apple computers and have a Microsoft Xbox. I'm interested in getting Xbox "Live" and was wondering if anybody had any ideas about how to connect the Xbox to my Airport system (I have a cable modem - Motorola "Surfboard" - connected to my Airport hub)?

My hope is that there is some 3rd party product that is the equivalent of an Airport card that I can connect to my Xbox and tap in to my wireless network.

Any help, insight, or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

TIA,
Mark

LimeiBook86

Dec 2, 2002, 02:17 AM

I have the same cable modem :D If Microsoft comes out with some adapter for wireless internet then your set, but I don't think they will... Just hook up the XBOX to your AirPort or a Router.... yeah wireless gaming would be better but unlike PS2, XBOX doesn't have any USB ports so connecting a USB adapter is out of the question. Sorry dude M$ is cruel! ;)

MacBandit

Dec 2, 2002, 02:56 AM

Originally posted by LimeiBook86
Sorry dude M$ is cruel! ;)

You're too nice. Microsoft SUCKS!!!!

You will have to connect it to an Airport Base Station I believe.

mdouglas

Dec 2, 2002, 10:35 AM

So there's no wireless option that anyone can think of for this situation? My cable modem / Airport are quite a distance from my Xbox and that's why I was more interested in this type of set-up.

However, if I could somehow have the cable company move the modem (and thus the Airport, too) close enough to the Xbox to run a wire from the Airport to the Xbox, how would I go about doing so? Would I run a wire from the "Ethernet" socket on the Airport to the Xbox? Or, would I need to buy a router that connects the cable modem to both the Xbox and the Airport and needs manual switching to toggle between the two?

TIA,
Mark

MacBandit

Dec 5, 2002, 02:56 AM

Originally posted by mdouglas
So there's no wireless option that anyone can think of for this situation? My cable modem / Airport are quite a distance from my Xbox and that's why I was more interested in this type of set-up.

However, if I could somehow have the cable company move the modem (and thus the Airport, too) close enough to the Xbox to run a wire from the Airport to the Xbox, how would I go about doing so? Would I run a wire from the "Ethernet" socket on the Airport to the Xbox? Or, would I need to buy a router that connects the cable modem to both the Xbox and the Airport and needs manual switching to toggle between the two?

TIA,
Mark

You might be able to use two base stations. One on your computer and one on the XBox. I don't know if they will communicate back and forth to eachother though.

LimeiBook86

Dec 5, 2002, 08:05 AM

I think a regular ethernet wire can travel 100feet and a ethernet wire connected to a Hub can go 300+ feet, I'm not sure if this goes for routers, correct me if I'm wrong...

iJon

Dec 5, 2002, 08:58 AM

Originally posted by LimeiBook86
I have the same cable modem :D If Microsoft comes out with some adapter for wireless internet then your set, but I don't think they will... Just hook up the XBOX to your AirPort or a Router.... yeah wireless gaming would be better but unlike PS2, XBOX doesn't have any USB ports so connecting a USB adapter is out of the question. Sorry dude M$ is cruel! ;)
Actually from what I've been told the controller connectors are just a redesigned usb port. dont know if it is true though, dont really care. I really do think Microsoft will come out with a wireless adapeter for xbox live. i think this because microsoft has starting making their own wireless equipment. it only makes sense and it will give it an edge over ps2 online gaming (which it already does if you haad read reviews on ps2 gaming online). your gonna have to let xbox live get a little more broken in an then ill be youll see an 802.11b adapter of some sort.

iJon

MasterX (OSiX)

Dec 5, 2002, 04:47 PM

You would have to look for an external Ethernet to Wireless converter. If such a thing exists perhaps you could configure it on a PC and then plug it into the Box. Hmm, somehow that doesn't sound like it'll work.

As for WiFi the Apple Base station is 150 feet radius (but others like 54mbps hubs are more, sometimes 300ft+)

1--BaseT ethernet (Cat5) goes 100m, so it's 300ft- not 300ft+ (we learned that in Cisco, heh). I suggest ordering the cheapest UTP Cat-5 cable you can get, then plugging it into the "LAN" connector on your base station (rev 2). If you have Rev.1 i think you're out of luck (can't say, i use faux base station for my laptop)

mdouglas

Dec 5, 2002, 05:23 PM

OK, if I simply have the cable company move my cable modem to near my Xbox, can I put my Airport there (next to Xbox) and connect the Xbox to the LAN port on my Airport? If I do this, will it affect the rest of my network and the way I've organized it?

Mark

iJon

Dec 5, 2002, 05:41 PM

Originally posted by mdouglas
OK, if I simply have the cable company move my cable modem to near my Xbox, can I put my Airport there (next to Xbox) and connect the Xbox to the LAN port on my Airport? If I do this, will it affect the rest of my network and the way I've organized it?

Mark
it will work great. its just your network will slow down if your doing something on your computer or xbox.

iJon

mdouglas

Dec 5, 2002, 09:31 PM

Do you mean it'll slow down if I'm doing something on my computer and my xbox?

Mark

Originally posted by iJon

it will work great. its just your network will slow down if your doing something on your computer or xbox.

iJon and

RBMaraman

Dec 5, 2002, 10:26 PM

Originally posted by iJon

it only makes sense and it will give it an edge over ps2 online gaming (which it already does if you had read reviews on ps2 gaming online).

iJon

What are you talking about? PS2 online gaming rocks! I plugged my PS2 into my dorm room network socket, everything was detected automatically, and I was online within 2 minutes. My friend got XBox Live, and can't get it to run over our school's network. Out IT department says our servers can run the PS2 network, but not the XBox (Which is funny, since Microsoft techs came in and upgraded all of my schools servers over the summer). Of course, personal preference always applys. I love my PS2, and now that I can game online, I love it even more. Sony was smart, only shipping 200,000 Network adaptors this year. Which, by the way, sold out within 1 week of hitting the stores.

iJon

Dec 5, 2002, 10:57 PM

Originally posted by RBMaraman

What are you talking about? PS2 online gaming rocks! I plugged my PS2 into my dorm room network socket, everything was detected automatically, and I was online within 2 minutes. My friend got XBox Live, and can't get it to run over our school's network. Out IT department says our servers can run the PS2 network, but not the XBox (Which is funny, since Microsoft techs came in and upgraded all of my schools servers over the summer). Of course, personal preference always applys. I love my PS2, and now that I can game online, I love it even more. Sony was smart, only shipping 200,000 Network adaptors this year. Which, by the way, sold out within 1 week of hitting the stores.
thats cool that it works. these are just what i read on amazon.com. people said they had lots of problems with some games. thats great that it works for you. but that does suck for the xbox users. thats kindof funny that microsoft came and fixed it and it still doesnt work,haha.

iJon

LimeiBook86

Dec 6, 2002, 11:37 AM

I don't think Microsoft will come out with a Wireless adapter, although there might be a slim posibility... :rolleyes:

RBMaraman

Dec 6, 2002, 11:55 AM

Originally posted by iJon

thats cool that it works. these are just what i read on amazon.com. people said they had lots of problems with some games. thats great that it works for you. but that does suck for the xbox users. thats kindof funny that microsoft came and fixed it and it still doesnt work,haha.

iJon

I've read some of those Amazon reviews as well. I've played some of the games that people have had trouble with, and I think it may be a network issue and not a PS2 issue.

It's pretty funny when Microsoft can't figure out how to reconfigure my University's net to work with one of their own products. It really shows how intelligent they are. Of course, our IT guys aren't exactly Einstein's.

Mosco

Dec 23, 2002, 06:31 PM

linksys and d-link have wired to wirless adapters. They are like the usb to wireless adapters except they use ethernet wire instead of usb and use no drivers. they work with anything that has a ethernet port.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000066JQU/qid=1040686160/br=1-4/ref=br_lf_e_4//002-1998474-3800846?v=glance&s=electronics&n=602778

that is the linksys one, the dlink is about the same price.

ArtMan617

Dec 27, 2002, 07:58 PM

This (http://gear.ign.com/articles/379/379062p1.html) looks like it's about the same thing as the LinkSys product above. I remembered reading about it on IGN a while back, so it might help you. Good luck!

-ArtMan617

usa4jer

Dec 27, 2002, 08:18 PM

check out xbox.ign.com. i remember a few weeks back they reviewed a wireless ethernet adapter that works for all the consoles. basically it's like an external wireless card that plugs into the ethernet port and communicates with any WiFi network. i think it cost around $100, but IGN gave it a good review.

better yet, here's the link to that review:

http://gear.ign.com/articles/379/379062p1.html

ArtMan617

Dec 27, 2002, 10:13 PM

Originally posted by usa4jer
check out xbox.ign.com. i remember a few weeks back they reviewed a wireless ethernet adapter that works for all the consoles. basically it's like an external wireless card that plugs into the ethernet port and communicates with any WiFi network. i think it cost around $100, but IGN gave it a good review.

better yet, here's the link to that review:

http://gear.ign.com/articles/379/379062p1.html
Sorry for the relatively useless post, but I found it funny that usa4jer basically said the exact same thing that I did...um...that's about it.

-ArtMan617

mdouglas

Dec 29, 2002, 05:25 PM

Dear Gang,

Thank you so much for all your responses. The wireless ethernet "bridge" from the IGN website looks interesting, but I'd already tried to fix my original problem by the time that link was posted. Here's what I've done. I had the cable company move my cable and modem (and thus Airport hub) to a place adjacent to my XBox and I've plugged the XBox ethernet wire into the "LAN" port on the Airport hub. However, I find that I get kicked off of online games much more commonly than when I simply run the cord from my modem to the XBox.

In other words, my set-up is much less reliable when it goes through the Airport router. Does anyone have a solution to this or any insight in to my problem? I'm assuming that it has something to do with the Airport's built in security / routing functions interfering with XBox's connection. Do you think I might have less of a problem if I bought the $100 wireless bridge rather than being hardwired to the LAN port of the Airport?

TIA,
Mark

pablol

Jan 31, 2004, 10:55 PM

I have found that I get kicked off xbox live all the time when I used the Airport Base Station (either via the ethernet or via xbox wireless adapter) vs. connecting xbox directly to cable modem as well. Anyone have a fix?