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"The Xbox Live FAQ"

In response to continued asking of the same questions over and over again, I decided to write a FAQ instead.

So what is Xbox Live?
It is an online gaming service for the Xbox. You can play online multiplayer modes of some games, or download content, or post fastest lap times etc.

Is it free?
No. It costs £40 for a years subscription or £5 per month if you want to pay per month. You can buy a starter kit for £40 that includes a years subscription and the headset allowing you voice communication with the other players. [URL]http://uk.special.reserve.co.uk/q_GG5321_official_microsoft.html[/URL]

What do I need?
First of all you will need an Xbox. Also you need broadband internet. 256 kbps is the minimum speed. No dial up or ISDN. It can be through ADSL or cable, whichever you prefer. You will also need a valid credit card for creating the account.

So does the Xbox just plug into the broadband and work ok?
No. The Xbox has an Ethernet port on the back of it. You must be able to connect the broadband to the Xbox via that port, so a USB broadband modem will not work. So you either need an Ethernet modem or a router.

How do I use the internet on my PC then?
To use an Ethernet modem or router with your PC you will need it to have a network card. This will give a port just like the one on the back of the Xbox, and often it has a little LED next to it. If you have one of these then you can either get an Ethernet modem or router. If you do not have one then you will need to buy a network card. These are not expensive. [URL]http://uk.special.reserve.co.uk/q_GG8957_mercury_10100_pci_.html[/URL]

If on the other hand you are not comfortable opening up your PC to fit a network card, then you could consider one of these [URL]http://uk.special.reserve.co.uk/q_GG4568_usb_to_10100_netwo.html[/URL] as a way of getting an Ethernet port on your PC without a network card.

So what about the modem or router then?
Often this is supplied by your ISP, the people you get the broadband through. If you got a USB modem then you will need to replace it. I suggest getting a router, this means you can have the PC and the Xbox connected at the same time. Otherwise you will need to unplug the modem from the PC and plug it into the Xbox every time you want to play.

If you have ADSL: [URL]http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?rb=719885724&action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=48449[/URL]
This is good because it has an ADSL modem in it. All you would need to do then would be run a cable to the phone line, a cable to the Xbox and a cable to the PC.

If you have cable: [URL]http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?rb=3385556078&action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=52897[/URL] This allows you to do as above, but you won’t need the built in ADSL modem.

But that seems a lot of money just to play some games.
True it can be expensive. There is a cheaper way of getting Xbox Live, but it is a bit fiddly. It is called Internet Connection Sharing (ICS). It still requires broadband, and a network card in the PC, but will work with a USB modem. You must have Windows ME or above.

In Windows XP, go to start then the control panel. Click on Network Setup Wizard. Click next. It searches for networks and stuff. Then it gives you a few choices. Pick "This computer connects directly to the internet. The other computers on my network connect to the internet through this computer." Then click next. You'll then be given options. You have to work these out yourself, I don't know what they will be. The first one will ask for your internet connection, which will probably be USB ADSL or something like that. Then you just go through a few more boxes. All rather simple.

How does that work then?
How this works is that you have a single PC with broadband access, then you attach the Xbox to the PC and share the connection. The connection is shared by running a crossover Ethernet cable between the network card in the PC and the Xbox. You also have to run ICS in Windows to set it up. However, you must leave the PC on whilst you use Live, it will not work without it.

What cables am I going to need to connect everything up?
If you use a router then you will need an Ethernet cable. These can be bought in lengths of up to 100m. They may be called network cables, Cat 5 cables, UTP or STP cables or RJ45 cables. They are like this: [URL]http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=43771[/URL] and you can buy longer or shorter ones in different colours. You will need one from router to Xbox, and one from PC to router. They are all the same thing as long as they are NOT crossover cables.

What is a crossover cable then?
A crossover cable looks like a normal Ethernet cable. But inside the wires are turned round so things like PCs can talk to other PCs (or Xboxes) without a router. If you use the ICS method of connecting to Live then you will need one of these. [URL]http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=16484[/URL]

But I have a problem. The PC and Xbox are far apart.
Well you could just get very long cables. But that is not very neat. The better way of doing that is to use wireless. For that you will need to use a wireless router. If you use cable, then you only need a wireless router, it won't need a built in ADSL modem. This would work: [URL]http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?rb=3385767857&action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=60572[/URL] and you will also need a wireless adapter. If you have ADSL then the easy thing to do is to get a wireless router with built in ADSL modem, like this: [URL]http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?rb=3386564639&action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=62234[/URL] If you can put the router near the Xbox and use a cable then that makes it cheaper and simpler as then you can just use either this: [URL]http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?rb=720049507&action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=52898[/URL] or this [URL]http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=50840[/URL] or this [URL]http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?rb=720064993&action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=48444[/URL] depending on whether you are happy to fit a card, use a USB adapter or get a PCMCIA card.

What about having the Xbox wireless?
You can get an adapter for the Xbox to make it wireless: [URL]http://uk.special.reserve.co.uk/q_GG8812_linksys_wet11_11_m.html[/URL] but it is around £60 and so is the greater of the two evils price wise, although it is probably easier to set up.

Could I use wireless to connect a PC to the router and use ICS to connect the Xbox to that PC?
Yes.

OK, so I am all set. What games should I look at getting?
One of the most popular is the first person shooter Rainbow Six 3. It truly is a wonderful game. [URL]http://uk.special.reserve.co.uk/q_XV5744_tom_clancys_rainbo.html[/URL]
Also available is Counter Strike, the hugely popular PC shooter: [URL]http://uk.special.reserve.co.uk/q_XV1959_counter_strike_als.html[/URL]
Another very popular game at the moment is Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow [URL]http://uk.special.reserve.co.uk/q_XV4005_splinter_cell_2_pa.html[/URL]
Also playable on Live is the greatest ever racing game, Project Gotham Racing 2 [URL]http://uk.special.reserve.co.uk/q_XV4801_project_gotham_rac.html[/URL]
And the final two are personal favourites. Crimson Skies is a flying game set in 1930’s America where you play an air pirate. Great fun both on and offline. [URL]http://uk.special.reserve.co.uk/q_XV1981_crimson_skies_high.html[/URL]
Finally, ESPN NHL Hockey. Ice Hockey?! Yes, it is fantastic, read my review to be convinced: [URL]http://uk.special.reserve.co.uk/q_XV7308_espn_nhl_hockey.html[/URL] .

That concludes my brief guide to Xbox Live. I hope to add to this at some point, hopefully with pictures where need be. If you have any other questions, post them in here and I’ll try answer. Bear in mind that the networking hardware I linked to is not the only stuff that will work with Xbox Live, but is just stuff that will do the job. Sometimes it is the cheapest, sometimes not. Xbox Live is well worth the money, it brings a new dimension to games and has made online gaming more fun than ever before.

Screenshots please?

{Click the 'network set up' link. Press, next until you get to the screen asking you for the hardware you are using (a NIC (network card) or in your case it will be the Ethernet bridge and the appropiate local area connection)....}


Do you mean the one that says Network Setup Wizard? If you do, I did that but after I had clicked Next after and after, nothing actually came up asking me for the hardware I am using, it just says do you want to put the network setup disk in now? or something like that.

I'm going to do you a demonstration. I'll take little screenshots and little pictures swell. Because I have nothing to do.

I am explaining how I set it up when I had a USB MODEM

1. I am using Windows XPHome edition. Right click on toolbar at the bottom of the screen and go to properties. Then to 'Start menu' tab. Then select 'Start menu' option. Click OK. [URL]http://groups.msn.com/colsgroup/xboxtutuorial.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=98[/URL]

2. Go to 'start' menu, go to 'connect to', click 'show all connections'. I do not use ICS anymore, so ignore the red cross's on mine. [URL]http://groups.msn.com/colsgroup/xboxtutuorial.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=99[/URL]

3. Right click on the one you use to connect to the Internet, karoo being mine, and set it as default connection. Right click again and go to properties. Click 'advanced' tab. Make sure 'Internet connection firewall' is disabled. Allow other people to connect through. DO NOT CLICK OK yet. [URL]http://groups.msn.com/colsgroup/xboxtutuorial.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=100[/URL]

4. .....continuing on. Click the 'network set up' link. Press, next until you get to the screen asking you for the hardware you are using (a NIC (network card) or in your case it will be the Ethernet bridge and the appropiate local area connection)....

For example, when I used ICS my Internet connection was Karoo and my NIC was Local area connection 2. I would therefore click Local area connection 2 on my screen.

..... on the next screen you should have 3 options. Tick the first one, 'connects directly to the internet'. [URL]http://groups.msn.com/colsgroup/xboxtutuorial.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=101[/URL]

Click next, you should get asked what you use to connect to the Internet. I would select Karoo in my case. Click next, let it 'determine the appropriate connections for me'. Just name it your Internet connection, e.g. Karoo. name the organisation your last name, e.g. THE_MORTIMERS. These may already be filled in anyway. [URL]http://groups.msn.com/colsgroup/xboxtutuorial.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=102[/URL] Click next.

Leave it as normal, e.g. mine is automatically MSHOME. Click next and you should get a quick summary, run through and make sure it's OK. Click next and you should get something like this, [URL]http://groups.msn.com/colsgroup/xboxtutuorial.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=103[/URL] Wait for it to finish and you should get a new screen. Click the bottom one, 'Just finish the wizard....'

Click next and then finish.

5. Go back to network connections so you can view all your connections and you should have something like this, [URL]http://groups.msn.com/colsgroup/xboxtutuorial.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=104[/URL]

6 You should now restart your PC, and make sure you can still connect to he Internet. If so, ALL GOOD SO FAR.

7. Turn on your xbox. BAH, where's my camera gone? 'goes searching'. 'found it', new batteries needed though. 'searched for batteries' . Bad news, my cameras broke, so no pictures. Plus, I am not running up and down the stairs for minor details, so if minor details are needed they will be from my memory.

8. Do you have a starter kit? Yes, just go to dashboard, xbox live, and set-up. No?, insert a game and then set-up a new account from the game, which will take you to my next sentence. If all goes well, it will connect first attempt with no problems. If not you will be going to network troubleshooting. YEY, this is the fun part.

9. Make sure everything is set to automatic. Try again.

10. Go to IP addresses menu. You should need your IP, subnet and gateway if my memory serves me rightly. Find these things out go to 'start', all programs, accessories and finally, command prompt. Type in ipconfig which should give you the details. [URL]http://groups.msn.com/colsgroup/xboxtutuorial.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=105[/URL] I would enter my IP as 10.0.0.10 as this is my IP that I use to connect to the Internet, my subnet mask as 255.0.0.0 and my default gateway as 10.0.0.2 try to connect again.

11. Go to PPope (something along those lines), where you should enter your user name and password that you use to connect to the Internet, e.g. I used karoo and my username was random-name and password was random-pass. Try again.

12. If your still failing, try the second one down I believe, but I can't remember nay of the fields. Could be gateway or some crap like that. If you don't know, ring up your ISP (internet service provider), e.g. I would ring Karoo. Get the details filled in. Try again.

Note , if one menu you filled in doesn't work, i.e. just IP addresses, try two at the same time, e.g. Ip addresses and Ppope settings.

Note 2, there is another setting in trouble shooting which I believe has Mac address settings, I think this is only relevant for Blueyonder customers, but I aren't entirely sure.

13. If you can not connect, unlucky and buy a ADSL modem/router from the Live FAQ, I recommend the £30 ebuyer.co.uk one as I have it and it works great. To set that up, refer to the FAQ (as you need at least 1 more cable) and Manuel when you receive it.

I have set up the cable, don't have a LAN though

I know exactly how to do it.

SET UP ICS!

Once it's setup, you have a LAN.

So no one knows how to setup a LAN or LAC connection, any other ways of getting on it?

Considering I had approximately ZERO experience with LAN, LAC, Networking in general and anything else that required more effort than plugging in a USB Modem, I really feel sorry for you guys hitting brick walls.

I set my network up instantly. The only problem I encountered was during setup of the Wireless Bridge...

I phoned Xbox, they said that I needed a Local Area Connection and told me to phone Microsoft, so I did, then they put the phone down on me

Your being worse than Strid here... Uch.

C Col wrote:
> A local area connection?
>
> I really can't be ased to explain to be honest.
>
> You could search for it.
>
> [URL]http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;306126[/URL]
>
> There, follow the instructions. Tweak it fi you need to.

It doesn't say anything about creating a LAN connection