A wireless architecture for getting an Xbox online.
[ Posted by Dan on September 16, 2003 | 1 Comments ]

Due to problems with the physical communications architecture in my community (fiber, not copper, so no DSL for me) and bad local government deals with cable monopolies (I hate you Adelphia) the only broadband option in my neighborhood is wireless. You have to have broadband to play your Xbox Live games, and being a fan of online games (I love you Tribes2) I wanted to get my Xbox online when I originally bought MechAssault (a long time ago in a Best Buy not so far away).

Also, due to the fact that my wife likes the house to be well apportioned and clean, cables laying along the baseboards will simply not be happening. I'd do it if i were alone, in an apartment, playing Quake all day long, but I'm a father, and I don't want my house to look like shit box. Therefore, wireless gear will have to come to the rescue.

So, taking the two points outlines above to heart, I laid out obscene amounts of cash to get all of the gear I need to virtually crush 16 year old boys into the virtual dirt (or the other way around, as the case may be). That gear includes all of the following...

1. A pizza box shaped wireless receiver
2. A Linksys BEFW11S4 router and wireless access point
3. A Linksys WET11 wireless bridge.
4. A 5 port SMC switch (so i can get my TiVo online too)
5. An Xbox and the Xbox Live kit

And connected it all in such a way as to make the diagram below factually accurate, but proportionally inaccurate like the London Underground maps... As noted in another post here at IMX, there are several issues that folks need to deal with when using an Xbox with wireless gear, most notably, Linksys gear. I found one particular point to not be an issue for me...

For all you people having problems with WET11 and not being able to connect 2 xbox's together using system link i have a solution (if you are using a LINKSYS wireless access point router and a LINKSYS WET11 bridge). All you need to do is download the latest version of the firmware for the BRIDGE (version 1.5.4) and install it. Once you have that downloaded and installed you need to download the latest setup wizard (version 1.06) in order to configured the BRIDGE, you cant configure it without it (unless you can figure out the ip address). Then use the setup wizard to set up the bridge (but remember the ip address of the bridge) then once the setup wizard is done and has you exit you need to open internet explorer and put the ip address in the address bar and go to it, both the username and password should be the same (admin). Then once you are in (able to configure the bridge) you NEED TO ENABLE MAC ADDRESS CLONING!!!

1. download firmware update for the bridge and install it
2. download the latest setup wizard, go through the setup
3. enable MAC ADDRESS CLONING on the bridge!!!

4. you can now play with 2 xbox's using system link!!!

Now to any of you who understand my instructions, have fun!

-Posted by laubsterboy on May 31, 2003 01:56 AM

I did not enable MAC cloning, but I do filter by MAC address, and was able to find the Xbox MAC address when I installed the Xbox Live software from the disk that came with the start up kit. Lucky for me, all of the gear I bought had all of the up-to-date firmware installed, so there was no upgrading annoyance involved, instead, I had to enter in all of my personal info into the Xbox using the controller instead of a keyboard. THAT SUCKED but the games I've played have been lag free so far.

 

		In my living room i have a portable PC with wireless(54 mbit) that is always hooked up. Can i run a crossed cable from my xbox into the ethernet port on the PC (port is free since wireless is pcmcia) and have that route the xbox signals? If so, how do I set it up? I have windows XP on the living room portable. -Posted by Bindi Ruma on November 25, 2003 07:15 AM

Comment posting has been turned off because I don't have enough time and will to deal with the constant comment spamming. I'm very sorry and will fix this sometime soon (soon = before 2004 ends).