The Xbox 360 is the salutary console you could buy . Except it ’s inexplicably missing something the Wii and PS3 have : Wi - Fi . You could buy Microsoft ’s $ 90 dongle . Or you could watch over our guide .
The Xbox 360 ’s deficiency of Wi - Fi is a totally killer hardware flaw — if you ’re not right on top of your router , you ’ve either got ta string miles of ethernet cable or buy that pricey fuck dongle from Microsoft . Unless you check out one of the cheaper alternatives . Here ’s every major agency to get your Xbox going on Wi - Fi , sorted by easiest to hardest ( but most satisfying ) .
Donglage
dongle are , by far , the easiest way to get your Xbox 360 on a wireless web . But they also tend to be the priciest .
•Microsoft ’s official wireless adapteris $ 87 , which is downright bull for a Wi - Fi aerial attached to a USB cable . But it looks the nicest and is extremely well-heeled to employ — just stop up and play . Update : This weekend you may get one for $ 69 .
http://www.amazon.com/s?tag=gizmodo08c-20
• The next blockage is a third - party tuner adapter , where you ’ve got your pick fromLinksys($65),Belkin($70 ) and hey , Linksys($90 , but it ’s 802.11n ) . Same deal , plug away and play .
• at long last , your tacky option is from … Microsoft . turn out , aregular Xbox radio adapter(which is a supercheap $ 50 ) , works just hunky-dory , with a tiny bite of finagle : Do n’t put in its actual install atomic number 48 . Just punch it in , and fix your encryption . It might take two attempt to get it to work , but it will . And , it wo n’t eat on up a USB port like the official Xbox 360 one . freebooter alarm : This is our cream for best option , based on its combo of cheapness and gismo , if you may chance one .
Share Your Computer ’s Connection
Sharing your figurer ’s connection is the cheapest choice — it ’s actually the gratuitous one . It ’ll go with a laptop computer or desktop , though a laptop is more truly wireless — the desktop bit is an option if your router ’s just a step too far out of the way . fundamentally , you ’re plugging your Xbox into the computer ’s ethernet port , and then have it use your reckoner ’s wireless connexion to link to the internet .
window
It ’s in reality harder to reliably share the cyberspace love on Windows with its cousin , the Xbox 360 , than it is on a Mac : No method acting worked reliably for us across multiple Windows computers . But here ’s how it should work :
1 . Share your electronic computer ’s wireless connection . Microsoft really details theprocess here , and it ’s pretty easy . From the internet and Sharing center , select the manage internet connections option on the left hand . From there , flop chatter on the connect you wanna share ( likely wireless , unless you ’re daisy - chain ’cause your box seat just wo n’t turn over ) and hit property . Under the sharing tab , just check the box to grant that connection to be share . stop up your Xbox into the ethernet port wine .
2 . There are a few other ways to proceed at this distributor point , and you ’re probably start to have try at least a distich of them to discover one that ’ll work . You could bridge over the two connexion ( dicey ) , or you could manually allot the ethernet port an IP address , detail here ( PDF ) . This Instructablerelies on automagicalnessto break up the setting , and I have had that work in the past , though not when I was sieve through method for this how to .
All in all , require to do some Googling and troubleshooting if you go the Windows itinerary .
Mac
You ’d think this would be easy , ’cause I hear somewhere that Macs just lick , and internet sharing on Macs typically ai n’t hard , but there is a tiny scrap of jujitsu involved here . This method acting , from Joystiq , is the most reliable one I used .
1 . On your Mac , down undecided Terminal , and type “ ifconfig en0 ” ( number zero , no quotes ) . A whole bunch of crap will bulge up . retrieve where it says “ inet 192.xxx.x.xxx ” ( it should be 192 , anyway ) . pen that debris down . It will probably be 192.168.2.1 , like mine . Also discover out your router ’s IP savoir-faire , which is most likely 192.168.1.1 ( Linksys ) or 192.168.0.1 ( D - Link uses this ) , depending on your manufacturing business . If you have Apple ’s Airport paraphernalia , the router will be at 10.0.1.1 .
2 . Then plug away your Xbox 360 into your Mac , open up Sharing in Preferences . sprain on cyberspace sharing , and share your Airport ’s cyberspace connexion with ethernet .
3 . On the Xbox , flip to your net preferences ( under organisation preferences ) , and insert the IP name and address you got from the terminal freaky deaky earlier but + 1 , like 192.168.2.2 to my original 192.168.2.1 . Subnet should be 255.255.255.0 , and then set your gateway as the ifconfig number , 192.168.2.1 . Under DNS ( back one screenland , then down ) , put in your router ’s actual address for both . Test your Xbox hot connection . Your NAT might suck , but you could get on Xbox Live .
Hack Your Router
This method is the least straightforward , and requires a little bit of work on your part . Essentially , you ’re buy a second router ( a cheap one , for about $ 40 ) and instal custom computer software on it that turn it into a giant wireless feeler that ’s hooked up to your Xbox 360 .
There are oodles of Linux customs firmwares for router nowadays , withDD - WRTandTomatobeing the most pop . Tomato is a fleck more user favorable , but itworks with far few routersthan DD - WRT . DD - WRT works with dozens ofdifferent router ( click for the leaning ) .
Whichever microcode you go with , the method for putting on your router will vary from machine to gimmick , with Buffalo routers being a infamous hurting in the bottom . Tomato include pedagogy with the firmware download — but hereare some of the details , andLifehacker ’s complete guideto installing and using Tomato .
https://lifehacker.com/turn-your-60-router-into-a-user-friendly-super-router-344765
DD - WRT is my preferred microcode . Here are thedetailed install operating instructions , but with most Linksys router , you’re able to just drill into the router options from the World Wide Web destination ( 192.168.1.1 ) and upload the DD - WRT firmware , immediately , urinate it middling easy . But some routers want different , exceptionally specific install methods . So check out the list before you draw out to Best Buy or Circuit City .
My favourite router for this because of its tininess and cheapness ( under $ 40 ) , was the Buffalo G-125 , which required you to flash it overTFTP backdoor the DD - WRT firmwareonto it during a abbreviated window of time , like Luke cut down those bombs into the Death Star ’s vent shaft . It ’s a pain in the ass , but everything else about the Buffalo routers make it worth it . Unfortunately , you ca n’t buy it in the States until the next month or so , so your inexpensive wager is is Linksys ’s $ 40ishWRT54 G , which unluckily , has unlike install methodsdepending on the revision . The DD - WRT wiki is very honorable , so you should n’t run into problem following it .
Once you get either firmware install , you ’re give-up the ghost to set your hacked router up as a wireless client .
1 . You ’re go to ask to go into the hacked router ’s preferences . Set the hack router to guest manner .
2 . These issue are going to vary slightly base on your router , but you need to assign it an IP address — if your chief router ’s IP address is 192.168.0.1 , coiffe your hacked router at 192.168.0.2 or 192.168.0.101 ( a number that ’s in your main router ’s DHCP server compass ) . Then make the gateway and DNS the same IP address as your independent router .
3 . When it reboots you ’re gon na have to re - login to whatever IP address your whoop router is . Do that , go back in , and give the hacked router the same SSID ( name ) as your main router ( Linksys , gizrox , whatever you have it named ) . you may also configure wireless security at this peak , though for me , it ’s always been kind of flaky , WEP in peculiar , so you might have to play around to see what works .
4 . To quiz , endeavor to get online using the hacked router as your cyberspace connection , with all of your information processing system ’s IP mount exit on automatic . If it works , secure the hacked router into your Xbox . If not , checkout the DD - WRT wikifor more halpz .
4 . On your Xbox , you’re able to provide everything do to robotic — the hacked router does all the work .
The hacked router method might take the longsighted , but at least you wo n’t have a useless dongle when the Xbox 720 comes out , you ’ll have a full - featured router , and it ’s cheaper than the official dongle . Plus you ’ll have a intuitive feeling of accomplishment that will carry over to gaming , so you should kill a lot more people in Call of Duty .
GamesGamingHow ToMicrosoftXboxXbox 360Xbox Live
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