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Well,
Some weeks after my early questions into Xbox LIVE and i'm still finding myself slightly bemused by the whole thing.
I'm not CURRENTLY connected to Broadband, but I have placed an order with Freeola and have my start pack/modem etc. ready for when i'm connected in a few days.
Now... I have an external USB modem. What i've been led to beleive is that i'll have to go THROUGH the PC to use Xbox LIVE. This, i'm informed, is a fairly straightforward procedure with a relatively cheap network card (NIC?) and a few leads. However, this obviously means that I will have to be close to my PC whenever I want to use Xbox LIVE.
I've just noticed a DIFFERENT Broadband connection possibility though. In the ADSL section of the Special Reserve site as well as internal and external ASDL modems, a router/modem combination is listed.
If i'm understanding what i've seen in Xbox LIVE setup diagrams is true, with a router i'm basically able to plug both my PC and Xbox into the router, which is in turn plugged into my modem which leads into my broadband connection.
Now, in this instance I can't see the Xbox actually running THROUGH the PC. I just assume that they go through the same central box and are therefore not strictly connected.
Does this therefore mean that I don't have to have the PC on to play Xbox LIVE (which i'm presuming would be the case otherwise). By the same token, would that then mean I could theoretically run the router/modem without having to be near the PC? (may be a stupid question but I can see a certain logic to the idea)
If anyone can answer either of my above questions i'd be extremely grateful. I hope that if my assumptions are correct and a router would theoretically be a better way of linking up the Xbox, then I still have a chance to return my modem and change it for the router.
Cheers for your help ...
Some weeks after my early questions into Xbox LIVE and i'm still finding myself slightly bemused by the whole thing.
I'm not CURRENTLY connected to Broadband, but I have placed an order with Freeola and have my start pack/modem etc. ready for when i'm connected in a few days.
Now... I have an external USB modem. What i've been led to beleive is that i'll have to go THROUGH the PC to use Xbox LIVE. This, i'm informed, is a fairly straightforward procedure with a relatively cheap network card (NIC?) and a few leads. However, this obviously means that I will have to be close to my PC whenever I want to use Xbox LIVE.
I've just noticed a DIFFERENT Broadband connection possibility though. In the ADSL section of the Special Reserve site as well as internal and external ASDL modems, a router/modem combination is listed.
If i'm understanding what i've seen in Xbox LIVE setup diagrams is true, with a router i'm basically able to plug both my PC and Xbox into the router, which is in turn plugged into my modem which leads into my broadband connection.
Now, in this instance I can't see the Xbox actually running THROUGH the PC. I just assume that they go through the same central box and are therefore not strictly connected.
Does this therefore mean that I don't have to have the PC on to play Xbox LIVE (which i'm presuming would be the case otherwise). By the same token, would that then mean I could theoretically run the router/modem without having to be near the PC? (may be a stupid question but I can see a certain logic to the idea)
If anyone can answer either of my above questions i'd be extremely grateful. I hope that if my assumptions are correct and a router would theoretically be a better way of linking up the Xbox, then I still have a chance to return my modem and change it for the router.
Cheers for your help ...
Didn't realise that most ASDL modems, including freeola, are USB only, my bad.
Bonus wrote:
> The simplest option is even better however. If your cable modem has
> USB out and RJ45 out. Connect the PC to the USB, and connect the Xbox
> to the RJ45. The first system you turn on ,after powering down the
> cable modem and back on again, and connect to the internet will have
> exclusive access, this is a pain in the backside if people on the PC
> have to turn it off so that you can play the Xbox online however.
Yes but thats for cable and not ADSL, ADSL modems supplied are usually USB only.
In both scenerios you will need a NIC. You have your modem from Freeola and all you need to do is to plug that in and set up your ADSL. Once you do this you go back to your ADSL DUN(Where you set the user name etc) and set it to ICS(Internet Connection Sharing). Then you need to plug in a Crossover cable which is the RJ45 lead, into the NIC. If everything is ok your XBox should use your ADSL, depending on whether you have a Firewall blocking anything. This method means you do need you PC on but you can get a cable to run for 100 m so distance should be an issue.
A router replaces the modem, so as you have only just got the modem you have basically wasted the money already if you decide to swap it for a router. A router is more complicated to set up for a novice user who hasnt a clue on what should be set. A router is good if you are going to have a few PCs plug into it all the time all wanting to use the internet. A router keeps all your connection information in it so that you can use XBox Live without your PC. Again distance isnt a issue as you would keep your router next to the PC or anywhere and then plug in a RJ45 lead into the router to the XBox. The lead must NOT be a Crossover cable for a router to XBox connection. In turn the router would be connected to your PC via a NIC. The good thing about routers is that they do share internet connections between PCs and you can use your XBox without your PC being turned on. The downside is they are a little harder to set up and get working if your a complete novice, if you have a little computer knowledge and set up internet applications then a router would be easy to set up.
In your case you have only just got the modem from Freeola so chucking that away and not using it will be a waste seeing as it will be a good £80 for a decent router if not more. A modem connection using ICS will be the best bet for you as with both connections you will need to run cable from the XBox to the PC/router. If you had the money and wanted to share the internet between a few PCs and a XBox then a router would be the best option. I use my ADSL modem as I have the one PC and only need to share the connection with my XBox on occasion. ICS is easy to set up and would be very cheap. A NIC is £10 if you havent got one already and the cable can be as little as £2 depending on length, I got a 10m Crossover cable for less than £4. Hope this helps everyone.
> The simplest option is even better however. If your cable modem has
> USB out and RJ45 out. Connect the PC to the USB, and connect the Xbox
> to the RJ45. The first system you turn on ,after powering down the
> cable modem and back on again, and connect to the internet will have
> exclusive access, this is a pain in the backside if people on the PC
> have to turn it off so that you can play the Xbox online however.
Yes but thats for cable and not ADSL, ADSL modems supplied are usually USB only.
In both scenerios you will need a NIC. You have your modem from Freeola and all you need to do is to plug that in and set up your ADSL. Once you do this you go back to your ADSL DUN(Where you set the user name etc) and set it to ICS(Internet Connection Sharing). Then you need to plug in a Crossover cable which is the RJ45 lead, into the NIC. If everything is ok your XBox should use your ADSL, depending on whether you have a Firewall blocking anything. This method means you do need you PC on but you can get a cable to run for 100 m so distance should be an issue.
A router replaces the modem, so as you have only just got the modem you have basically wasted the money already if you decide to swap it for a router. A router is more complicated to set up for a novice user who hasnt a clue on what should be set. A router is good if you are going to have a few PCs plug into it all the time all wanting to use the internet. A router keeps all your connection information in it so that you can use XBox Live without your PC. Again distance isnt a issue as you would keep your router next to the PC or anywhere and then plug in a RJ45 lead into the router to the XBox. The lead must NOT be a Crossover cable for a router to XBox connection. In turn the router would be connected to your PC via a NIC. The good thing about routers is that they do share internet connections between PCs and you can use your XBox without your PC being turned on. The downside is they are a little harder to set up and get working if your a complete novice, if you have a little computer knowledge and set up internet applications then a router would be easy to set up.
In your case you have only just got the modem from Freeola so chucking that away and not using it will be a waste seeing as it will be a good £80 for a decent router if not more. A modem connection using ICS will be the best bet for you as with both connections you will need to run cable from the XBox to the PC/router. If you had the money and wanted to share the internet between a few PCs and a XBox then a router would be the best option. I use my ADSL modem as I have the one PC and only need to share the connection with my XBox on occasion. ICS is easy to set up and would be very cheap. A NIC is £10 if you havent got one already and the cable can be as little as £2 depending on length, I got a 10m Crossover cable for less than £4. Hope this helps everyone.
Right, what you need to do is set up a home network if you want to have both the PC and the Xbox connected at the same time without having to switch cables every time you want to play on a different system, or want to connect both to the internet at the same time.
The way things work is that when your cable modem is turned on, it is assigned an address by your ISP, and this is what controls the data transfer between your modem and your ISPs server.
Most ISPs limit you to having only one IP address, and therefore only one piece of equipment can be connected to the internet at any one time, in your case either you PC or your Xbox. If you want to connect two devices at the same time, or have no way of connecting your Xbox directly to the modem through an RJ45 (standard network) cable, then you need to find a way for a network between the devices to share your IP between two devices.
With a router, the router itself is connected to the cable modem. All of the internet traffic is intercepted by the router and then passed to the correct device which the data is intended for. In this way both the PC and the Xbox can be connected to the internet at the same time, however remember that this shares the bandwidth between the systems, and reduces the overall speed of each connection in a more complicated way than simple dividing it equally.
Your other option is to install a network card in your PC and set up Internet Connection Sharing, which is simply a software version of a router, and sees your PC acting as a router itself.
The benefit of having a router is the fact that you can add more devices to your network, so when the PS2 and Gamecube go online, it will be a simple case of hooking them up to the router, not so simple with a PC software router.
Most hardware routers also come with built in Firewalls which protect your network from would be hackers and port scanners. As this is done by the hardwrae itself, all devices will be covered, and your PC will not have another added overhead of having to act as a safeguard server for all your precious hardware.
The simplest option is even better however. If your cable modem has USB out and RJ45 out. Connect the PC to the USB, and connect the Xbox to the RJ45. The first system you turn on ,after powering down the cable modem and back on again, and connect to the internet will have exclusive access, this is a pain in the backside if people on the PC have to turn it off so that you can play the Xbox online however.
The way things work is that when your cable modem is turned on, it is assigned an address by your ISP, and this is what controls the data transfer between your modem and your ISPs server.
Most ISPs limit you to having only one IP address, and therefore only one piece of equipment can be connected to the internet at any one time, in your case either you PC or your Xbox. If you want to connect two devices at the same time, or have no way of connecting your Xbox directly to the modem through an RJ45 (standard network) cable, then you need to find a way for a network between the devices to share your IP between two devices.
With a router, the router itself is connected to the cable modem. All of the internet traffic is intercepted by the router and then passed to the correct device which the data is intended for. In this way both the PC and the Xbox can be connected to the internet at the same time, however remember that this shares the bandwidth between the systems, and reduces the overall speed of each connection in a more complicated way than simple dividing it equally.
Your other option is to install a network card in your PC and set up Internet Connection Sharing, which is simply a software version of a router, and sees your PC acting as a router itself.
The benefit of having a router is the fact that you can add more devices to your network, so when the PS2 and Gamecube go online, it will be a simple case of hooking them up to the router, not so simple with a PC software router.
Most hardware routers also come with built in Firewalls which protect your network from would be hackers and port scanners. As this is done by the hardwrae itself, all devices will be covered, and your PC will not have another added overhead of having to act as a safeguard server for all your precious hardware.
The simplest option is even better however. If your cable modem has USB out and RJ45 out. Connect the PC to the USB, and connect the Xbox to the RJ45. The first system you turn on ,after powering down the cable modem and back on again, and connect to the internet will have exclusive access, this is a pain in the backside if people on the PC have to turn it off so that you can play the Xbox online however.
With your first option i.e. plugging your Xbox in to a network card (NIC) that would work fine. You will need to have your PC turned on and connected to your broadband provider, you can have your Xbox up to 100 meters away from your PC by getting a longer cable. Your second option would mean that you plug your Xbox in to a router and that’s it. Once the router is set up for the first time you could go back using your USB modem for your PC and the router for your Xbox. Hope that helps.
i dunno much about how it works but i thought it would be simple. eg: having a phone line run from your pc (downstairs) up the stairs and into your bedroom and into the back of your xbox
Well,
Some weeks after my early questions into Xbox LIVE and i'm still finding myself slightly bemused by the whole thing.
I'm not CURRENTLY connected to Broadband, but I have placed an order with Freeola and have my start pack/modem etc. ready for when i'm connected in a few days.
Now... I have an external USB modem. What i've been led to beleive is that i'll have to go THROUGH the PC to use Xbox LIVE. This, i'm informed, is a fairly straightforward procedure with a relatively cheap network card (NIC?) and a few leads. However, this obviously means that I will have to be close to my PC whenever I want to use Xbox LIVE.
I've just noticed a DIFFERENT Broadband connection possibility though. In the ADSL section of the Special Reserve site as well as internal and external ASDL modems, a router/modem combination is listed.
If i'm understanding what i've seen in Xbox LIVE setup diagrams is true, with a router i'm basically able to plug both my PC and Xbox into the router, which is in turn plugged into my modem which leads into my broadband connection.
Now, in this instance I can't see the Xbox actually running THROUGH the PC. I just assume that they go through the same central box and are therefore not strictly connected.
Does this therefore mean that I don't have to have the PC on to play Xbox LIVE (which i'm presuming would be the case otherwise). By the same token, would that then mean I could theoretically run the router/modem without having to be near the PC? (may be a stupid question but I can see a certain logic to the idea)
If anyone can answer either of my above questions i'd be extremely grateful. I hope that if my assumptions are correct and a router would theoretically be a better way of linking up the Xbox, then I still have a chance to return my modem and change it for the router.
Cheers for your help ...
Some weeks after my early questions into Xbox LIVE and i'm still finding myself slightly bemused by the whole thing.
I'm not CURRENTLY connected to Broadband, but I have placed an order with Freeola and have my start pack/modem etc. ready for when i'm connected in a few days.
Now... I have an external USB modem. What i've been led to beleive is that i'll have to go THROUGH the PC to use Xbox LIVE. This, i'm informed, is a fairly straightforward procedure with a relatively cheap network card (NIC?) and a few leads. However, this obviously means that I will have to be close to my PC whenever I want to use Xbox LIVE.
I've just noticed a DIFFERENT Broadband connection possibility though. In the ADSL section of the Special Reserve site as well as internal and external ASDL modems, a router/modem combination is listed.
If i'm understanding what i've seen in Xbox LIVE setup diagrams is true, with a router i'm basically able to plug both my PC and Xbox into the router, which is in turn plugged into my modem which leads into my broadband connection.
Now, in this instance I can't see the Xbox actually running THROUGH the PC. I just assume that they go through the same central box and are therefore not strictly connected.
Does this therefore mean that I don't have to have the PC on to play Xbox LIVE (which i'm presuming would be the case otherwise). By the same token, would that then mean I could theoretically run the router/modem without having to be near the PC? (may be a stupid question but I can see a certain logic to the idea)
If anyone can answer either of my above questions i'd be extremely grateful. I hope that if my assumptions are correct and a router would theoretically be a better way of linking up the Xbox, then I still have a chance to return my modem and change it for the router.
Cheers for your help ...