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-------------------------------------------------------------- This story was printed from CNET Asia. --------------------------------------------------------------
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Xbox Live FAQ
By Alex Selth, CNET.com.au
10/03/2009 URL: http://asia.cnet.com/digitalliving/tips/0,3800004921,62052053,00.htm Why settle for beating your friends when you can take on the world?
With the huge variety of multiplayer games now available on the Xbox 360, as well as an extraordinary amount of game addons and Xbox Live Arcade games, you're missing out on hours of fun if you're not connected to Xbox Live and all the joy that it ensures. Luckily, we're here to help you with this handy guide to connecting and playing on Xbox Live.
What do I need to connect to Xbox Live?Before you even start thinking about playing online, make sure you have the following:So how do I start?The fastest method is simply connecting your Xbox 360 console to your router or modem via an Ethernet cable. Plug in the cable to the back of your console, and away you go. You'll need a high-speed broadband cable or DSL connection to connect to Xbox Live, so forget it if you're on a dial-up, ISDN or satellite Internet connection. Microsoft recommends a minimum 256Kbps connection. Check with your service provider to find out how fast your connection is.At the minimum speed, it should provide a fairly lag-free experience when gaming. But bear in mind that if you're planning on hosting games, other people will connect to your session, so you'll need a faster connection for smooth gaming. There's nothing worse than the host's connection failing just before a grand victory! Do I have to use a wired connection or can I go wireless?Don't feel that you're restricted to having cables running all over your room. Microsoft sells an Xbox 360 wireless network adapter which can tap on your home Wi-Fi network.There are, however, some minor issues. This proprietary adapter works in the 2.4GHz frequency range. Many other electronics, including wireless phones and microwave ovens, work at this frequency and interferences could ensue. Wireless connections are also generally slightly slower than wired ones, with higher instances of dropped signals. If you're a very competitive gamer, a wired connection is the way to go. Though for the vast majority of gamers, there's no appreciable difference in speed or signal strength. I've plugged my Xbox 360 into my router and nothing happens. Help!If you're having trouble with your network recognizing your console, or your Xbox simply isn't acting as if it's connected, try using the Xbox 360 connectivity wizard located in the Settings blade of the New Xbox Experience menu.By following the onscreen prompts, your Xbox will check your IP address, network adapter or wireless connection; Network Address Translation settings; and whether the issue is with Xbox Live itself, among other things, to see if it can detect a problem in your settings. It will then advise you what to do to correct the problem and get you playing online faster. I just connected and now my Xbox is downloading something. What did I do?Don't worry, it's just the New Xbox Experience, an update for the Xbox 360 operating system that enables you to play on Xbox Live. The download is about 128MB in size, which will take up a fairly hefty chunk out of your storage if you have only a 256MB Xbox memory card. One of the benefits of the New Xbox Experience is the ability to install games directly onto a hard drive, dramatically speeding up load time in-game. So we recommend buying an Xbox hard drive if you don't already have one.Newer "Jasper" series consoles have a limited amount of internal memory to fix this issue, so you may want to check what model you're buying as there is still a lot of older stock on store shelves. Why is my connection so slow?There are many reasons your Xbox Live connection may be slow. First, check that you haven't gone over your Internet subscription's download limit--this doesn't always stop you from connecting to Xbox Live or even playing online, but it can dramatically reduce your connection speed and increase lag.Another reason for a slow connection could be from other devices in your household that are connected to the Internet. If they're downloading something while you're trying to play, it could be the reason behind the lag. The fewer connections to the Internet you have while trying to play, the faster and smoother your Xbox gaming session will be. What is NAT and why am I having problems with it?When testing your Internet connection, you may be told you have a connection issue in the form of your NAT or Network Address Translation type.In a typical home situation, multiple Internet-enabled devices are connected to the Internet via a router. While those multiple devices all have Internet access to the outside world, all of these actually appear as one device, the router itself. When your router receives data from the Internet, NAT ensures that the information intended for, say, your Xbox 360, ends up at the Xbox like it's meant to, and not your PC. According to the Xbox 360, there are three NAT types that your router may be set to: Open, Moderate and Strict. If your NAT type is Open, your home network is set up to best support Xbox Live and other people should have no issues connecting to you. If your NAT type is Moderate, you might have problems connecting with other Moderate or Strict users. If your Xbox 360 identifies you as having Strict NAT, you'll likely be able to talk only to those who are on Open connections, and perhaps some Moderate, but they may have problems connecting to you. There are a few methods you can employ to improve your NAT rating. Firstly, see if your router supports Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) in its settings. If it does, make sure this option is turned on in the router's Web interface--this should simplify the implementation of your network and help with your NAT issue. If you're a bit more technically minded and you still have an issue, you might need to clear your router's firewall and set up port forwarding properly, sometimes called "virtual server". To do this, you'll need to know the IP of your Xbox 360, and you'll need to either open these ports in your firewall, or point them toward your Xbox 360's IP. Unfortunately, every router is different so you'll have to find the appropriate settings on your own. If technical stuff scares you and you're still pulling your hair out, as a last ditch option, you could try disconnecting or turning off any other devices that are also attached to your network such as laptops and other gaming devices. This may give priority to your Xbox and help address the problem. Finally, if you are in the market for a new router and don't wish to encounter this problem, try looking for one that is marked as being compatible with Xbox Live or Windows Vista--these models have been tested to work well with Xbox and other Microsoft systems. If you have this issue, we recommend going to Microsoft's support site for help. If your Xbox 360 is connected directly to your modem, you should not experience any NAT issues. Hey, it's working! So what can I play on Xbox Live?Most new Xbox games have at least some form of Xbox Live functionality, even if it is only the occasional game fix. More common is full multiplayer gameplay from Xbox giants such as Gears of War 2 and Halo 3, to the smaller titles like Xbox Live Arcade's FunTown Mahjong or Uno. Some games also allow friends to work together in cooperative gameplay modes, such as in Call of Duty: World at War's cooperative campaign and Nazi Zombie mode.Aside from the joy of outshooting, out-driving or out-thinking your friends and strangers alike online, many games also offer downloadable content which often takes the form of extra missions and storylines such as in Fallout 3's Operation Anchorage and Grand Theft Auto IV's Lost and the Damned. Other such downloads can be map packs, such as those on offer for Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and Gears of War 2, and new weapons and other items available in games such as Skate 2 and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Any game that has downloadable content or multiplayer action for the title will include an Xbox Live logo in the top right of the box, next to the Xbox 360 logo. So how do I pay for this pleasure?There are two ways to pay for your Xbox Live Gold membership. Firstly, one-, three- and 12-month subscription cards are available in most gaming and electronic stores forThe other way is to subscribe via credit card either through the "My Account" menu on the Xbox site or via your console with the same price structure. However, if you don't specifically cancel your subscription after 12 months, it will automatically renew and you'll be charged once more. When you buy a new Xbox 360 console, you should find a free one month Gold membership trial for Xbox Live in the box. Some games, usually ones made by Microsoft Game Studios, also come with a free trial, and if, heaven forbid, you experience a Red Ring of Death, Microsoft provides you with the same trial to soften the blow you were dealt. What's the difference between Gold and Silver membership?Xbox Live membership is divided into two types--Silver and Gold.Silver membership allows you to create an online gamer profile and manage your friends list, along with accessing the Xbox Live Marketplace to download game demos, addons, Xbox Original and Xbox Live Arcade games. It also allows you to create an Xbox avatar, which you can personalize and use in several Xbox Live Arcade games. Gold membership lets gamers play online against or with other Gold membership gamers, along with enhanced friends list management and matchmaking. Xbox sometimes holds "Gold Weekends", which offer Silver users free Gold membership for the weekend--look out for these events on Xbox.com. What do I need to create an Xbox Live account?An Internet connection and a computer! You don't need to connect your Xbox 360 console to create either a Silver or Gold account. Simply head to the Xbox site to begin your account creation. From there, you'll need to enter basic information to create a Silver account, but an address and credit card information will be required to create a Gold account, even if you'll be paying with subscription cards bought from stores. You won't be charged, but Microsoft still requires a card for validation purposes.What are Microsoft Points?Microsoft Points are the online currency used to buy game addons, Xbox Original games and Xbox Live Arcade games on the Xbox Live. A typical Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA) game will cost 800 Microsoft Points, or aboutAdditional songs for music games such as Rock Band, Guitar Hero World Tour and Lips cost about 160 points a song, depending on the title. Track Packs are available for Guitar Hero and Rock Band games for 440 points, and usually include three titles, although larger ones are available. Recently, entire albums, such as Red Hot Chilli Peppers' Blood Sugar Sex Magik, Pixies' Doolittle and Foo Fighters' Colour and the Shape have become available for download, with many more titles on the way. How do I buy Microsoft Points?Microsoft points are available for purchase either online through the "My Account" page on Xbox.com or your Xbox console, or from stores in the shape of cards similar to iTunes gift cards (they're also a great gift idea). It's probably simpler to buy points online rather than through your Xbox as you'll have to choose to buy an item before you can buy points--you won't have to buy the item itself, but the method itself is fairly obtuse.I really need to download something, but I'm at work away from my Xbox! What can I do?If you can't access your Xbox console and have a burning need to download that Call of Duty map pack right away, you can purchase the item on your computer, and your Xbox will automatically begin downloading it when you next connect to Xbox Live. So you'll always be able to download stuff from Xbox Live, even when you're away from your 360. Thanks, Microsoft!Speaking of which, how much data does Live use up?Each download from Xbox Live tells you how large the item is, and the range is huge--individual songs on Guitar Hero games can be as small as 14MB with albums going all the way up to 1GB for Metallica's Death Magnetic. Large mission packs, like Oblivion's Shivering Isles expansion or Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Jedi Temple Mission pack are of a similar size, with Xbox Live Arcade games being very small in size, at around 20 to 50MB.Multiplayer gaming on Xbox Live uses up a variable amount of data per hour, depending on the game--killing zombies with a friend in Call of Duty: World at War will use a lot less bandwidth than a 16-player Halo 3 death match, for example. Each game will use up a different amount, so there is no real way to say how much data you'll utilized, but it would be a good idea not to play online if you're approaching your download limit. Be very careful when playing online and downloading Xbox content because you can easily push yourself over your download limit without realizing it--downloading three demos on a whim one afternoon could set you back over 6GB. When is the best time to play online?Most people jump onto Live in the evenings and on weekends, so that's probably the best time to get onboard as there will be more people online whom you can play with. One way to quickly secure a game is to make extensive use of the Friends List feature. By adding friends and those you enjoyed playing with, you can quickly create a list of gamers who (hopefully) share a similar taste in games as you, giving you more of a chance to play your favorite game online.I happen to have a modded console. Will this effect my Xbox Live experience?Unfortunately for you, yes. If you connect to Xbox Live with a console which has been modded, your console will be locked out of Xbox Live permanently. This is not done by your gamer tag--this is done by Microsoft communicating with your console to see if you have valid firmware and other software. If you don't, you're out of luck--your console will be banned by the Xbox system.What is a gamer tag, and how do I access mine from another console?A gamer tag is the Xbox equivalent of a forum handle, username or nom de plume. It allows you to gain achievements, personalize your console and create a Friends List, as well as having other people add you to theirs.If you want to access your gamer tag from another console, simply select "Retrieve amertag" after pressing the Xbox Guide button (the large circular button in the middle of your controller) when not signed in. This should allow you to enter your gamer tag, and Xbox will download the relevant information from Xbox Live. |
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