Help from anyone that knows anything about computers please.

[ScottyS]

Yeah, the router should be behind your cable/DSL modem and configured through a browser for security. Leaving it wide open is not a good idea.

[cody]

Your roomies (and possibly neighbors, as Scotty indicated) are sucking up all your throughput. Turn on WPA (or MAC filtering if you don't care about privacy and want more throughput) and tell the boys to throttle their torrent porn down. Did you ever check your wireless router to see if it does QoS (quality of service)?

Did you try unplugging the router and modem for a minute?

[Ezdno]

Try opening up the router ip address in your browser and under gaming security tab make sure that the port you want to use it opened up. Sometimes you actually have to assign a port for the xbox.

Your roomie should know the ip address and the un - pw to get you inside the router itself.

[cody]

Hey Other Dean!!!

[Ezdno]

Hola Cody,

Hows things?

Did he get his xbox to work right?

[JonnydaJibba]

Thanks for the tips! Um, so let's start with what I do know and have done.

Our network is secured. So that's a start. I know I'm on our network, I set it up (which in my case means followed the instructions included with the router). As for the port forwarding for the xbox, it doesn't matter, both comp and xbox are slow. It's not related to them downloading stuff because I only have one roommate who does, and then its just temp stuff like youtube. The connection sucks even when hes not doing shit.

Dean what do you mean about channels? And what is this 801.11b or whatever? I know I've seen that somewhere when messing with this shit.

Cody, I dunno how to turn on WPA? Maybe I do. Is that where I log into the router settings and select WPA as the security setting? Also I don't remember what QoS is... Also also, whenever I let the router and modem power cycle, I have to go into the Lyksis router set up and "repair" it. But regardless of doing that, these issues still happen.

Also, maybe this will help. Sometimes the connection seems like it can't stay connected. Like it will go back and forth from online to offline alternating like every minute. Also, sometimes I'll be browsing and then my connection will just quit. So then I right click on the little monitor with the red x showing no signal, and click "repair." Then after it disables my wireless card and renews ip and all that, I have a fine connection again. Until it decides to happen again. I'm really thinking that the issue is with my connection and what the router is doing with me.


The only reason the router is "attached" to my roomies comp is cuz they don't like wires and wanted wireless. Which I told them was stupid because my Xbox won't go online with this router without a cable. Fuckin idiots.

And 4) my roommates are cool, just fucking gay and ig'nant about certain shit. And even then it's not roommates so much as one of them.

Does this have anything to do with signal strength?

[Dean]

802.11b = slower <=11mbps, 802.11g = faster <=54mbps. Either is OK and likely faster than most Internet connections if you have a clean signal.

If it is secured, it is likely using WEP or WPA. WPA is more secure, but older wireless cards can't use it. WEP is fine for most people.

Go back into the router setup and change channels! It should be in the wireless setup. Every linksys in the universe defaults to the same channel, I think 11 and if there are others nearby, they get unhappy. Especially if you are in an apartment complex and your neighbor's router through the wall happens to be closer to your PC/X-Box than your router across the apartment.

If you fire up your PC and scan for networks, it should show you what channels they are on. Pick a channel # as far away from any other network you can see with your PC. Turn off your router first may help see others.

Did you say your X-box is hard wired and it still sucks? If so, it is not the wireless, it is your Internet connection or something in your router config.

The hard wired PC is fine?

The wiring should look something like this... Wall plug( DSL or Cable) ---> Modem ---> WAN port on Router. If it doesn't look like that, what does it look like?

Anything can be wired directly to the switch ports (likely 1-4) on the router. The hard wired devices can all be off, and wireless will still work if wired as above.

What is hard wired to the router ports?

[JonnydaJibba]

My Xbox is the only thing wired to the router.

We all have new wireless cards so we are on WPA(TSK or something?)

Like 90% of the routers around my house are Linksys, so I'll change channels.

The hardwired PC is always fine.

The routers settings may have been defaulted. So maybe port forwarding for the Box got Jewed. I'll check that.

Thanks for the help guys.

[ScottyS]

Originally Posted by JonnydaJibba

Like 90% of the routers around my house

You mean, neighbors, right?

[cody]

As a last ditch effort, you might also try checking to see if there is a new firmware update available for the router. Updating the firmware will most likely require you to reconfigure the router from scratch though.

[Dean]

Originally Posted by cody

As a last ditch effort, you might also try checking to see if there is a new firmware update available for the router. Updating the firmware will most likely require you to reconfigure the router from scratch though.

Good call. Though, you can often save the configuration to your PC and then restore it after the upgrade.

[ScottyS]

Or, you can flash the router with an open-source OS, bump the juice, and hook up an 18dBi Yagi. Like me.

Seriously, it sounds like you either have a poor wireless connection to the XboX, wrong/suboptimal settings, or people taking bandwidth. How many concurrent wireless connections is said router supporting I wonder?

[Dean]

If the X-box is hard wired, it should fly! If not, check for gaming ports open and/or replace the cable. Then you say the hard wired PC is fine, but all the PCs have new wireless cards...

[Kunikos]

Originally Posted by JonnydaJibba

Like 90% of the routers around my house are Linksys, so I'll change channels.

Change the channel to something unused. Some wireless cards have a utility or driver that shows you all of the channels being used by routers that are nearby. Just switch between the unused channels until you find something better.

Also, try to position your router in a different spot. If it is near power bricks or cabling or metallic objects it can interfere with the signal strength.

[JonnydaJibba]

Dean, there are 3 computers on the network. Hardwired comp, roomies laptop and my computer. Then my Xbox is hardwired as well.

I'll try moving the router, it is close to the computers, maybe that's something.

No, I meant, 90% of the routers that people have in my neighborhood are Linksys. So maybe I did mean what you said, Scotty.

I will try the firmware update, but not until I switch channels, I haven't been home to do these things.

Also, does the length of my cable going from my Xbox to the router matter? I didn't think so because I could play online right off the bat, but every so often I get issues when playing. I.e. I'll be looking for a game for like 10 minutes and it will never find a game even tho people are playing. I will be joining a game and it will never join. I will be joining a game and it will say "you must be signed into Xbox Live to play online" when I am online then boot me back to the lobby.

I'm trying to be specific. I know how many things could cause all this crap so I'm trying to help you guys help me. Also, I regularly submit issues to our help-desk about our shitty ass $40,000,000 program, so I know the more facts I give, the better you are able to help me.

[tysonK]

I hear XboxLive kinda sucks sometimes. I don't know if that is part of your problem and you can't really help it, but I see dudes whining about their service all the time.

I firmware updated my router a while ago and it helped a lot.

[cody]

Ethernet can handle 100 meters of distance between hops so I don't believe cable length is an issue, however, trying a different cable should be your first troubleshooting step, in case the one you have went bad. I've had that problem with CAT 5/5e/6 cables here at work.

[JonnydaJibba]

I don't have any that are long enough except this 100ft one I've been using.

[100_Percent_Juice]

Originally Posted by tysonK

I hear XboxLive kinda sucks sometimes. I don't know if that is part of your problem and you can't really help it, but I see dudes whining about their service all the time.

I firmware updated my router a while ago and it helped a lot.

My 360 can download a gig just as fast if not faster than my computer.

[cody]

Originally Posted by JonnydaJibba

I don't have any that are long enough except this 100ft one I've been using.

Dean will lend you one.

Can you temporarily plug the cable that's currently going to one of the PC's into the X-Box? I imagine you'd have to temporarily relocate the X-Box and a TV, but then you don't have to buy a longer cable just to test it.

[Dean]

Doesn't the 360 have a browser?

From all machines when nothing else is happening on your network, test your Internet performance...

Find one that works on the X-box and then use it on the other machines.

http://performance.toast.net/
or
http://www.dslreports.com/stest

If the results are within 10-15% of each other, it isn't your wireless.

Once we get this resolved, if you don't want a 100' cable on your x-box, you can get a wireless adapter for the 360 or a stand alone wireless bridge may be an even better idea in case you get something else near your TV that needs a network connection.

I'd be happy to come check your network out if you want. It'll cost you dinner at a meet though...

[100_Percent_Juice]

I just got ATT U-Verse Internet and TV and you can connect to the internet via Ethernet port on the back of each receiver box. Pretty cool. The internet is crazy fast and the TV menu is way better than dish network which I liked better than all the others anyways. The only problem is that its new and most areas don't have it. Just an FYI

[JonnydaJibba]

The Box doesn't have a browser.

I know of DSL reports, haven't been there in a while.

Cody, yes my router does have QoS. I messed with it a bit, but then none of the comps would work but my box would work. I even just clicked "enable" and left all the settings at low or medium to each port, and still no connection. So I unenabled that. Power cycled and switched channels and got my connection back, but it still seems slow. Also sometimes my comp won't find my network.

Dean, you coming and checking everything out may be the best answer. I don't know what the hell I'm doing. I only half know and usually that makes shit worse. You guys know, I'm like King Fuckshitupguy.

[k-dogg39]

Originally Posted by JonnydaJibba

I'm like King Fuckshitupguy.

New title?

[Dean]

Originally Posted by JonnydaJibba

The Box doesn't have a browser.

I could have sworn the X-box had a browser... Or at least some way to test internet connection speed. Help X-box people???