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How to connect to Xbox live through a pc/laptop using wifi

mgsrocks

I thought I would write a step by step guide on how to connect to Xbox live through a pc/laptop since many people are having trouble with it. There are many advantages to using this method but my favourite is that I can connect to Xbox Live wirelessly using my laptop. No need to fork out €80 euro on a wireless adapter.

This method will be explained using windows vista and eircom broadband with a netopia router. If your are using XP this guide will still work however the layout for your internet connections will be different.

You will need: An Ethernet cable (like the one included with your Xbox), a pc/laptop connected to the internet via wifi, and of course an Xbox.

Your first step will be to set your firewall to low. This is simple and was already explained here by Timans.
http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055207579

Next is to enable ICS.

1. Click Start, click Control Panel, click Network and Internet, click Network and Sharing Centre and then, on the left, click Manage network connections.

2. Right-click on your wireless connection, and then click Properties.

3. Click the Sharing tab and enable the 'allow other network users to connect through this computer's internet connection' option. Click ok.

Now connect the Ethernet cable to your pc and to your Xbox. Give it a minute to connect and then on your Xbox go to the system tab and click network settings. Next click 'test Xbox live connection'. If everything worked as it should the test should finish ok except the NAT settings will be set to strict.

This is the point where most people get stuck. Strict means that your router is not letting certain information through. You can still connect to Xbox live and play some games but other features will not work (voice chat, ranked games ECT...)

The only way to set NAT to open is to open certain ports on your router so the information will be allowed through (this is called port forwarding), however port forwarding will not work when you are connected through this method. The only way it will work is to bridge your wireless connection and you Local Area Connection.

1. Click Start, click Control Panel, click Network and Internet, click Network and Sharing Centre and then, on the left, click Manage network connections.

2. Right-click on your wireless connection, and then click Properties.

3. Click the Sharing tab and DISABLE the 'allow other network users to connect through this computer's internet connection' option. Click ok.

A NETWORK BRIDGE WILL NOT WORK WITH ICS ENABLED.

4. Disconnect for your internet connection (or switch of wifi if your laptop has a switch for it). YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO BRIDE A CONNECTION IF YOU ARE CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET.

5. Highlight the Local Area Connection and the Wireless Network Connection, right click and either of them and select ‘bridge connection’. When complete you can reconnect to the internet.

6. Open any webpage just to make sure you can still connect to the internet.

Test your Xbox live connection again, just to make sure it is connecting. You NAT settings will still be set to strict, so now you must open the correct ports.

1. On your pc go to your router homepage (open internet explorer/firefox and go to 192.168.1.254).

2. Click custom services on the left and in the ‘service name’ dropdown box select ‘Xbox live games’. It will be near the bottom of the list. Click enable and in the ‘select host device’ dropdown box select the pc your Xbox is connected to. Click enable.

And you’re done. Test your Xbox live connection again just to be sure but your NAT settings should be set to open.

Let me know if your having any problems and ill try help.

Enjoy Xbox live!!!

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overexcitedaj

no matter what i try when i test my xbox live connection it wtill say failed at IP address and i cant find a solution anywhere

Sea Sharp

I got this to work. It's an unstable connection though, the internet connection on my laptop keeps crashing.

overexcitedaj, make sure u have divers on your laptop for your ehternet port.
I had that problem for a while.

You on a Dell?

overexcitedaj

nope an acer. Everything seems to be in order but i will always get that same failed message. Ah i will live without xbox live for another small while id say.

Silenceisbliss

i did this this a while ago, found the problem with the Ip address thing.

you just have to allow connections access to the internet. (ask me if you dont know how to do this, and ill tell ya)

and turn off yer firewall software. its actually quite easy

unklerosco

Did this last night on my original xbox... Had to do it a slightly different way and enable DHCP from the laptop but it worked a treat.

neostryfe

i got this all to work after an hour, but now my connection seems to be slowed down. Was down to 11mbps gone up to 36 now, but still not up to the usual 56

neostryfe

ok forget my last post. i did get this working, but i just enabled internet sharing on my wireless connection, it seem alot easier this way. is there any reason i should bridge intead?

mgsrocks

neostryfe wrote: »

ok forget my last post. i did get this working, but i just enabled internet sharing on my wireless connection, it seem alot easier this way. is there any reason i should bridge intead?

A bit late with the reply but you really should bridge. If you just play with ics enabled your NAT might be set to strict or moderate and you cannot change this to open.

Zonda999

Thanks, great guide.Worked a treat and i didnt even have to mess with firewall settings or NAT

DubLass

If anyone can give any advice Id be delighted. My 13 year old has just bought all the bits but Im not much help to him. Things seem to be failing at the IP address part and we are at a loss.

Thanks in advance.

first stumbling block is I cant find a "sharing tab"

[Deleted User]

The problem you might be having is on the Xbox side.

Go here for detailed information on how to set the IP address for your Xbox manually

mgsrocks

DubLass wrote: »

If anyone can give any advice Id be delighted. My 13 year old has just bought all the bits but Im not much help to him. Things seem to be failing at the IP address part and we are at a loss.

Thanks in advance.

first stumbling block is I cant find a "sharing tab"

Ok, instead of right clicking on the wireless connection, right click on the local area connection and click properties. There should be a sharing tab now, click it and UNCHECK internet connection sharing.

Next go back, right click on the wireless connection and click properties, there should be a sharing tab now

Lenny

If the enable ICS mode works, is there a need to bridge the connection too?
also also doing it this way will this lessen the security of access to the data on the laptop

mgsrocks

Lenny wrote: »

If the enable ICS mode works, is there a need to bridge the connection too?
also also doing it this way will this lessen the security of access to the data on the laptop

Bridging is explained in the the guide. Do a network test from the xbox and see if your NAT is set to open. If its on stict then the only way to fix this is to bridge the connection, just read the guide.

Dont know much about the security but iv never had a problem doing it this way.

paulie69

thats so annoying when conn drops i only want to throw my xbox out the window

paulie69

anyone know how to set ur xbox using ur laptop and a vodafone wireless modem

[Deleted User]

paulie69 wrote: »

anyone know how to set ur xbox using ur laptop and a vodafone wireless modem

Do you mean the modem that's similar to the 3broadband and O2? The post I had previously allowed me to get on xboxlive using my laptop with the 3 modem.

paulie69

yeah boney its pretty much the same as 3 and 02 modem,i will give it a go using my laptop.I put a game in i just bought last night on called blacksite and when it got to campaign menu the whole xbox shut down n wont turn at all now.I reckon te game may have screwed it up somehow

Ciaran2891

Deleted User wrote: »

Do you mean the modem that's similar to the 3broadband and O2? The post I had previously allowed me to get on xboxlive using my laptop with the 3 modem.

Hey eh where exactly can i find that post that you had? Im having problems with connecting my 3 modem with my Xbox and believe me, i've tryed everything!.. So where can i find this info u have?

Juwstin21

Hi i have an acer computer and i want to connect to xbox live with it but every time i try i fail the ip adress part and i cant figure out what to do if anyone can help the would be kewl because i have never played xbox live and i really want to

Thank you

Placebo

so do people play live via this? is it stable?
i used to use it for my old xbox

mgsrocks

Juwstin21 wrote: »

Hi i have an acer computer and i want to connect to xbox live with it but every time i try i fail the ip adress part and i cant figure out what to do if anyone can help the would be kewl because i have never played xbox live and i really want to

Thank you

Are you following the guide step by step. Most of the time 'ip address failed' is from not having internet connection sharing enabled.

so do people play live via this? is it stable?
i used to use it for my old xbox

Been using it for the past year. Just make sure your not downloading something on your laptop when playing.

Placebo

i was always paranoid about it, any one ever try an access point with ethernet connection?

NiSmO

This post has been deleted.

thudd

Hey. Ive followed these instructions and finally got my NAT from Strict to Open. My only question now is, by setting up this bridge am I eating into more bandwidth than i usually would be without it? ie Do the rest of the people in my house see the bridge and get affected by it, or is it just for my laptops connection?

Penn

does that mean that your Xbox has to be connected to the laptop with the ethernet cable whenever you want to play or is the 360 itself wireless?

Is there any model of 360 which comes with wireless installed?

Placebo

paddyirishman85 wrote: »

does that mean that your Xbox has to be connected to the laptop with the ethernet cable whenever you want to play or is the 360 itself wireless?

Is there any model of 360 which comes with wireless installed?

You connect XBOX 360 via ethernet to LAPTOP/PC which has a wireless. This wireless obviously uses wireless set up in the house.

Wireless yoke is like 70 euro, expensive, although has anyone tried using an access point ?

Adamcp898

I can't get this working at all. I'm at college and I don't have access to the router settings in the complex I'm in but I had this working last year. I don't know what I did differently.

Has anyone got any suggestions on what to do?

mgsrocks

Adamcp898 wrote: »

I can't get this working at all. I'm at college and I don't have access to the router settings in the complex I'm in but I had this working last year. I don't know what I did differently.

Has anyone got any suggestions on what to do?

Do an xbox live test and see where its failing first...

Adamcp898

mgsrocks wrote: »

Do an xbox live test and see where its failing first...

Whoops forgot to mention it's failing to assign an IP address to it