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Xbox 360 - Wifi adapter

J

Jared Goodwin

Member
You know, I was thinking about the wireless networking adapter for the Xbox 360. Not to be spinning a bad idea (why not build it in?), but do you think part of the reason could be the fact that the 802.11n standard isn't too far in the future, and MS wants to sell a/b/g/n adapters at some point?
 
Speaking of... has there been any price specualtion on this thing? The main reason I don't play live too often is cause I don't want a cable running across my room, but I also don't want to spend so much money on the adapter. Will it be cheaper for the 360?
 
I don't care either way since I'm using cable. I've heard people say that gaming is better with the cable vs. wireless.
 
PhatSaqs said:
It's 11n compatible AFAIK.
Click to expand...

Well, it's n compatible insofar as all n networks will support a b or g device, at that device's lower speed.

I was thinking Microsoft might later release an adapter that actually takes advantage of n's higher speed.

dorio said:
I don't care either way since I'm using cable. I've heard people say that gaming is better with the cable vs. wireless.
Click to expand...

Part of that is the lower speed and sometimes greater latency of a wireless network. Supposedly, n will alleviate this somewhat.
 
As much as I love wireless you do occasionally drop your connection for short periods. With some applications it isnt such a big deal, but gaming makes it a hassle. That's why my main XBOX is wired and the other one is wireless.
 
Jared Goodwin said:
You know, I was thinking about the wireless networking adapter for the Xbox 360. Not to be spinning a bad idea (why not build it in?), but do you think part of the reason could be the fact that the 802.11n standard isn't too far in the future, and MS wants to sell a/b/g/n adapters at some point?
Click to expand...

Possibly but the N standard at the earliest won't be here til late next year. The group doesn't meet again until next July and there are still two competing formats.

My only concern is.... I don't think the N standard is going to do much for wireless online gaming in a home... sure you're going to get greater range... IIRC the N standard supports MIMO(?) but IMO that's going to be the only benefit... and considering new standard products tend to be pricey during their initial launch... well it's strange.

What I think is REALLY weird is that MS killed their wireless home network equipment earlier this year and here they go... having to make one more wireless product....
 
i think its a pretty simple answer... MS wants to sell 360 at the cheapest price possible and make profits off the accessories / games.
 
As much as I love wireless you do occasionally drop your connection for short periods. With some applications it isnt such a big deal, but gaming makes it a hassle. That's why my main XBOX is wired and the other one is wireless.
Click to expand...

My wireless never drops. Maybe you have a shitty router or something.
 
Razoric said:
i think its a pretty simple answer... MS wants to sell 360 at the cheapest price possible and make profits off the accessories / games.
Click to expand...

That's a given. I guess I'm more wondering if they'll later bring out an n adapter than whether it was the reason for the separate adapter.
 
TheDuce22 said:
My wireless never drops. Maybe you have a shitty router or something.
Click to expand...

If you're close enough for a flawless wireless connection, you're usually close enough for a cat5 cable, right?
 
G should be more than enough. I have a Linksys Wireless B for my Xbox and it does the job
 
If you're close enough for a flawless wireless connection, you're usually close enough for a cat5 cable, right?
Click to expand...

If I wanted to run a cable across my living room, up the stairs and into my bedroom then yes.
 
Why does everyone assume that you need to buy a Microsoft adapter?

I picked up this Linksys for under $20 after rebates... it will work just fine on my 360.

wusb54g.jpg
 
I'm too paranoid to use wireless for online gaming. It works great to browse the net on my powerbook, but there are the occasional drops etc. I'll just run some cable to the X360.
 
jedimike said:
Why does everyone assume that you need to buy a Microsoft adapter?

I picked up this Linksys for under $20 after rebates... it will work just fine on my 360.

wusb54g.jpg
Click to expand...

Well because we don't yet exactly know what type of USB support MS is building in to the XB360. It's perfectly plausible that MS may not give you the required drivers built in for certain devices. I am curious with both the XB360 and PS3 to see exactly how far the USB support extends.
 
I tried going wireless, but it's too flakey. It's perfect for my PC which is 8' away from the router, but my Xbox is farther away.
 
"If I wanted to run a cable across my living room, up the stairs and into my bedroom then yes."

Don't you have cable TV upstairs? I just got my cable company to run my road runner cable exactly where I needed it.
 
Its much eaiser to just get a wireless router. That way I dont have to call the cable company every time I want to move something. My connection never drops, wireless is just as good as regular cables as far as im concerned.
 
Is it true that two wireless routers will work just as well as a wireless bridge or USB adaptor? I would really much rather do it that way.
 
border said:
Is it true that two wireless routers will work just as well as a wireless bridge or USB adaptor? I would really much rather do it that way.
Click to expand...

Depends on the routers some can function that way, but some can't. Check the router's specs.
 
DarienA said:
Well because we don't yet exactly know what type of USB support MS is building in to the XB360. It's perfectly plausible that MS may not give you the required drivers built in for certain devices. I am curious with both the XB360 and PS3 to see exactly how far the USB support extends.
Click to expand...

They are standard USB 2.0 ports and the 360 is Wi-Fi ready... what else is there? I never had to use the standard MS adapter for the Xbox and I won't have to for the 360. The only plus about the MS 360 adapter is that it attaches to the unit and blends in.
 
jedimike said:
They are standard USB 2.0 ports and the 360 is Wi-Fi ready... what else is there? I never had to use the standard MS adapter for the Xbox and I won't have to for the 360. The only plus about the MS 360 adapter is that it attaches to the unit and blends in.
Click to expand...
what else is there?

Driver Support

that device is USB, it's not like those wireless Ethernet bridges, it needs to be supported by drivers

border said:
What should I be looking for in the specs?
Click to expand...
to see if it can function as a wireless bridge
 
Is there a site that might have a list of routers that I can use? I keep looking over specs and don't see anything about bridging.....why would they mention it if they're trying to sell their own wireless bridges as well?
 
jedimike said:
Why does everyone assume that you need to buy a Microsoft adapter?

I picked up this Linksys for under $20 after rebates... it will work just fine on my 360.

wusb54g.jpg
Click to expand...
That's what i have for my PCs :D

DCX
 
The Faceless Master said:
what else is there?

Driver Support

that device is USB, it's not like those wireless Ethernet bridges, it needs to be supported by drivers
Click to expand...

Yes, but the drivers are fairly generic... if it works with MS's adapter, it will most likely work with other adapters. That's what Wi-Fi ready means. Just like you don't need a specific driver for any USB storage devices. MS doesn't have a PSP driver, a Kodak camera driver, or a iPod driver... they all fall under general storage device.
 
jedimike said:
Yes, but the drivers are fairly generic... if it works with MS's adapter, it will most likely work with other adapters. That's what Wi-Fi ready means. Just like you don't need a specific driver for any USB storage devices.
Click to expand...
USB storage devices use a different general driver than USB Wifi devices. I've NEVER heard someone say Wifi ready means that... Wifi Ready means exactly what it says... that the device is capable of using an additional add-on to go wireless... MS hasn't told us exactly what that means... could it be a generic driver? Maybe.... Maybe not... the USB wifi adapter you used... you didn't have to install a driver on your PC for it? That's.. surprising. We have to USB thumb drive sized adapters.. one a Linksys.. the other a D-Link...they both required their own installs to work on my previous laptop.

JM I'm getting the opinion we're now talking about a topic you don't know much about.

MS doesn't have a PSP driver, a Kodak camera driver, or a iPod driver... they all fall under general storage device.
Click to expand...
Right because those are general USB storage devices.
 
DarienA said:
USB storage devices use a different general driver than USB Wifi devices.
Click to expand...

Well no shit... the point is that usb does not use specific drivers. A general wireless driver will encompass most wireless devices... a general storage driver will work for most storage devices.

MS is not going to force you into their device.


I would hope it works with the current XBox wireless adapter...
Click to expand...

yes, the adapter you have now will work.
 
jedimike said:
Well no shit... the point is that usb does not use specific drivers. A general wireless driver will encompass most wireless devices... a general storage driver will work for most storage devices.

MS is not going to force you into their device.
Click to expand...

No they won't force you... third parties will provide any necessary drivers for and 3rd party wifi products they sell.

JM can you point me to a site that has a generic USB wireless driver for download?

I've never heard of such a thing.

Now the reason storage devices work is because they all use drivers in the USB mass storage device class as a bit more background we can thank the USB Implementers Forum for that handy forward thinking.

I've never heard of such a classification for usb wireless devices.. but I'd love you to direct me to it.

Remember JM I do this for a living... you're talking in my field now.

Now there is the potential for WUSB(which is part the ultrawideband initiative IIRC)... but there are no WUSB devices yet. I'm not even sure if that spec has been finalized...


EDIT: Now don't get me wrong.. considering that the 360 runs on a modified Win OS it's very EASY for MS to transfer all the USB drivers including in full fledged OS' to the X360 OS... it's also pretty easy for them to include wireless USB devices for the major manufacturers USB wireless devices. But those are not the same drivers, and we don't know if that's what they are going to do.
 
i also would like to see these super awesome generic USB 802.11 drivers...

i know ther are generic mouse, keyboard and mass storage USB drivers, but not Wifi...
 
DarienA said:
JM can you point me to a site that has a generic USB wireless driver for download?

I've never heard of such a thing.

Now the reason storage devices work is because they all use drivers in the USB mass storage device class.

I've never heard of such a classification for usb wireless devices.. but I'd love you to direct me to it.
Click to expand...

Sure... TiVo series 2 does this very thing. The software has a generic driver.

One driver... works with several adapters
 
jedimike said:
Sure... TiVo series 2 does this very thing. The software has a generic driver.

One driver... works with several adapters
Click to expand...

You missed the top portion:

Some wireless adapters may require an updated version of TiVo software. Check to make sure you have the latest version of software for your DVR before connecting your DVR to your network.
Click to expand...

You know why they require the upgrade?

Because the newer version of the TIVO OS has more built in USB drivers than the previous ones.

There are no drivers on that page. That page is telling you which USB wireless devices the TIVO OS has built in support for.
 
DarienA said:
You know why they require the upgrade?

Because the newer version of the TIVO OS has more built in USB drivers than the previous ones.

There are no drivers on that page. That page is telling you which USB wireless devices the TIVO OS has built in support for.
Click to expand...

They required the upgrade because the first generic driver wasn't very good and only a few 802.11b devices were compatible. The firmware upgrade made the stack more robust. As you know, firmware space is a premium. No way can they have a driver for each and every compatible adapter.
 
jedimike said:
They required the upgrade because the first generic driver wasn't very good and only a few 802.11b devices were compatible. The firmware upgrade made the stack more robust. As you know, firmware space is a premium. No way can they have a driver for each and every compatible adapter.
Click to expand...

Eh USB wireless drivers JM aren't large. But ok... believe what you want. There is no such thing as a generic USB wireless device driver mike. That bird does not exist. What COULD exist are generic USB wireless drivers for certain devices that use the same chipset.

As you know, or should know many manufacturers do use the same chipsets and just customized the featureset.... and I'm done with this one.

BTW Here's an example of someone with a Mac hacking a driver because the device they were using had no driver but it shared a chipset with another device that had a driver for it.
 
TheDuce22 said:
My wireless never drops. Maybe you have a shitty router or something.
Click to expand...

Ever had someone use the Microwave? Wireless Phone? All of these have the potential to disrupt service momentarily. Im not talking about a long period of time. Just seconds really.
 
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