Routing Guide for Your 360 and Full Network (Win XP)

[Balazorz]

Update 07/24/2009 I apologize once again for my absence but taking care of a one month old son takes up most of my time now.I would still like to help those of you who are still having trouble.Add me to MSN or email me at hexknot@hotmail.com if you need help and ill get to you as best I can. I was thinking for some of you who are having troubles maybe changing DNS servers will help some, if you can use other DNS servers besides your internet provider's DNS servers. I use open DNS you can learn more about it here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenDNS

Update 02/28/2009 I apologize for the long leave but I am back now and I will try to get caught up on helping everyone.

Update 01/04/2009:Added a few screen shots to better help readers find the pages to gather needed information,an example of how to log into a router,places where the DMZ page can possible be found in your router and a screen shot of where you need to enter the info to issue your computer a static IP. All image links posted under titles in Cyan color.


Please DO NOT message me over xbox live about this.Please feel free to message me on the forums or post here at any time. I am on here everyday.I like to help out,but I like to play too.Its hard to do that getting swamped with messages.Thank you for your consideration.

Primary Note:IF AFTER READING THIS YOU ARE STILL LOST PLEASE POST HERE WITH ANY QUESTIONS AND I WILL TRY TO HELP YOU THE BEST THAT I CAN.WHEN POSTING A QUESTION PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT PART YOU NEED HELP WITH SETTING UP A STATIC IP OR DMZ.IF YOU DO NOT KNOW HOW TO ACQUIRE YOUR NEEDED INFO JUST POST AND I WILL WALK YOU THROUGH IT.IF YOU HAVE ALL YOUR NEEDED INFO AND DO NOT KNOW HOW TO ENTER IT IN CORRECTLY PLEASE IM ME WITH THE FOLLOWING:YOUR DEFAULT GATEWAY,YOUR PRIMARY AND ALTERNATE DNS SERVERS. YOU DON'T WANT YOUR IP ADDRESS NUMBERS FLOATING AROUND IN PUBLIC AND I ASSURE YOU ANY INFORMATION YOU GIVE ME WILL BE FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF HELPING YOU AND NOTHING ELSE.

IF ANYONE HAS ANYTHING HELPFUL THEY THINK SHOULD BE ADDED TO THE GUIDE PLEASE SEND ME A MESSAGE


Here is a guide on how I set up my 360 for online play and got my NAT to be always open for the best connection hosting and playing alike.One way involves allowing DMZ on your 360 console and the other forwarding ports for better xbox live connectivity.

NOTE:I apologize if any information in this guide is different from vista as I do not own a computer with vista

NOTE:This guide in NO WAY involves any modification of your console's hardware in ANY way that will get you banned from Xbox live or cause any damage to your console.

Step 1:Gathering Info You Will Need

YOU WILL NEED YOUR DEFAULT GATEWAY,SUBNET MASK AND YOUR 2 DNS SERVERS IF YOU ALREADY HAVE THIS SKIP THIS STEP.

NOTE: If this is your first time hooking up your router you may need to call your internet provider to get your preferred and alternate DNS servers.

NOTE:If you are routing over a voice over IP router such as Vonage you will need to call vonage to get the proper dns server address to set up static ips.

First off if you do not know your routers ip (also called default gateway),subnet mask,or your 2 DNS servers, simply go down to your task bar,click start. When the start menu comes up find the shortcut to your run option and click it.When run comes up in the blank next to open type "command",without the quotes. A black DOS box should pop up.In the DOS box right where the cursor already is type "ipconfig/all" without the quotes and all together as one word.Some information should popup. In the information scroll down until you see where it says Default Gateway. Follow the dots over to make sure you get the right number for your default gateway. It should look something like 192.168.15.1. Write this number down. And Also write down the subnet mask and the 2 DNS servers. You will need the subnet mask and dns servers later.

Where To Find Run In The Start Menu:
http://www.imagecage.net/uploads/76246a5ac7.jpg

Command Prompt Highlighting What Info You Need:
http://www.imagecage.net/uploads/2d601737f8.jpg


NOTE:Be sure you write down the DNS servers IN ORDER the top one will be your preffered DNS server and the bottom will be the Alternate DNS server. Label them accordingly so you do not forget which one came first earlier.

Step2:Logging Into Your Router

IF YOU ALREADY KNOW HOW TO LOG INTO YOUR ROUTER YOU CAN SKIP THIS

Now that you have your default gateway number open up Internet Explorer and type it just how it was shown in the dos box. This should bring you to your router's login page. Your router page should ask you for a login and password.If you have never manually changed this a lot of times the log in will be either "router" or "admin" with no quotes. The password will also usually either be "router" or "admin" also with no quotes. If Neither combination works please google your router instruction manual if you do not have it handy. If you manually changed your password and forgot it you'll need to reset your router. PLEASE kids ask your folks first before you reset the router as it will undo all port forwarding etc.

How To Log In To Your Router:
http://www.imagecage.net/uploads/407e29d885.jpg


Step3:Giving Additional Computers Static IP Addresses

IF YOU HAVE ALREADY ISSUED STATIC IPS TO OTHER DEVICES ON YOUR NETWORK JUST TAKE REFERENCE OF THEIR IP NUMBERS SO YOU DON'T GIVE THE 360 THE SAME ONE. IF YOU DO NOT NEED TO KNOW HOW TO GIVE A COMPUTER A STATIC IP ADDRESS SKIP THIS STEP.

NOTE:Be Careful When Issuing Your Xbox360 A Static IP. Make Sure You Do Not Give It An IP Address Already In Use By Another Device On Your Network.

It Is Also Recommended All Of Your Computers Connected To Your Network Also Have A Static Ip To Avoid IP Conflicts. An Ip Conflict Happens When 2 Or More Devices On Your Network Have The Same IP Address Resulting In The Devices Not Being Able To Connect To The Internet At The Same Time. Please Refer To the Following Link To Set Up Static IPs On Your Connected Computers.

http://www.portforward.com/networking/staticip.htm

If You Are Unsure If Your Computers Have Static Ips Or Not Do The Following. Go to your control panel, click network connections. Right click on your local area connection and go to properties. In the list left click "Internet Protocol (TC/IP)"(be sure not to un check it when you click it) then click the properties box below to the right. if the option "use the following ip address is checked and information is entered and use the following dns servers is clicked and information is entered then your computer has a static ip address. if not you can quickly give it one by doing the following. Click use the following ip address. now type in your default gateway and change the last number for instance if your default gateway is "192.168.15.1" give the computer "192.168.15.2". The information you gathered earlier will make this a breeze. Grab your list where you wrote down your default gateway, your subnet mask and your 2 dns servers. The info should look like this when you have it all typed out in the option boxes. The following is an example you will need to use the numbers you acquired in the gathering information step to make this work for you. Please DO NOT use the numbers as they are just examples.

EXAMPLE:

Use The Following Ip Address Should Be Checked

IP Address: 192.168.15.2
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway: 192.168.15.1

Use The Following DNS Servers Should Be Checked

NOTE: Enter The DNS Servers In The Order They Appeared In The DOS IP Config Box.

Preferred DNS server: 216.115.31.190
Alternate DNS server: 216.115.24.260

After you have entered all the requested info click ok then click ok again on the next box. Repeat this step on any other computers you have connected to the network changing only the last number in the default gateway. For example if you had to do this on another computer the next static ip you would issue will be 192.168.15.3

How To Get To The Page To Configure A Static IP And What To Do (WIN XP):
http://www.imagecage.net/uploads/a0868b480d.jpg

Step4:Giving Your 360 A Static IP Address

NOTE:Remember to take reference of the static ips of other devices on your network before proceeding,Also have your gathered info ready.

Your Xbox360 will need a static IP address for this to work. More information on how to set up a static ip for your 360 can be found here.Be sure you give it an ip address that is not being used by another device on your network.When you know what static IP you want to give your 360 write it down and click the link below. It will guide you through the entire process of giving your 360 a static ip address.

http://www.portforward.com/networkin...ip-xbox360.htm

With any luck the guide above now has you the proud owner of a 360 with a static IP. The guide explains it a lot more visually than I can.

Step4:Allowing DMZ On Your 360

IF DMZ MAKES YOU FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE OR PARANOID IN ANY WAY JUST SKIP THIS PART AND MOVE ON TO THE PORT FORWARDING STEP

Placing your xbox360's static IP in the DMZ option will allow all traffic to pass through as needed, incoming and outgoing. Giving you a better connection to Xbox Live and in a lot of cases making online play smoother for you and smoother for others playing when you host.

The DMZ trigger is commonly an option under your port forwarding page of your router. You should be able to select your 360's static ip address in the list and click enable DMZ.

Warning: Be sure you only allow DMZ for your Xbox360. Enabling DMZ on one of your computers leaves it wide open and is NOT recommended.As far as I know it should be perfectly safe on your xbox360,as far as I have read there's no way someone can hack your 360 and steal credit card numbers or accounts or anything to that nature but if this makes you uncomfortable then please SKIP THIS.

Possible Places To Find The DMZ Menu:
http://www.imagecage.net/uploads/4ad3420338.jpg

Enabling DMZ:
http://www.imagecage.net/uploads/44a287e37d.jpg

NOTE: The DMZ trigger might be on a different page depending on what router brand you are using.

Step5:Forwarding Ports For Better Xbox Live Connectivity

If you don't feel comfortable going with the DMZ option on your xbox360 then you can still possibly open it up enough via port forwarding to solve connection problems.

Here is a simple guide to get you on your way. You will also need a static ip on your 360 for this to work, please refer to the link above to learn how to set up a static ip on your 360 before you continue.

First off you will need to identify your router Brand and model number. The best way to do this is the user manual for your router. If you don't have it no problem. Grab your router and look for the name brand which should be clearly visible somewhere on the router. The model Number should be on there as well, don't get confused and mistake the mac address you may see stamped on the bottom for the model number. The model number is usually some letters and numbers,example:"VTT2442".

Once you have your brand,model number and your 360 now has a static ip click the following link.

http://www.portforward.com/english/r...outerindex.htm

Select your router Brand and model number from ones in the list. If yours is not in the list go with the one most similar as a lot of times the interface will be the same. After you have selected your router brand and model on the next page just scroll down the through the list of the many different apps and programs the guide will show you how to forward. Look for the X section and click on "Xbox Live 360". It will guide you step by step after you enter your 360 static ip address on what ports to forward etc.

END

I hope I didn't loose anyone too badly with this guide. I just wanted to make sure no one ends up with an IP conflict because they did not issue static IP address to their other devices as it happened to me when I first routed my 360. I really wanted to add pictures but since photoshack.us isn't around anymore I didn't know a site where i could link every individual picture from.I hope this guide helps with getting your 360 online experience running better.If there is anything I can explain better please let me know.

Thanks for reading and have a Merry Christmas

[Logik]

Awesome guide dude.

Kudos.

-Logik

[Balazorz]

thanks man

[Balazorz]

im thinking about posting this guide on other sites. If a few more people could read it and throw in some suggestions or input id appreciate it. Thanks

[MikeDZ33]

Great post. After setting up the port forwarding on my router matchmaking finds players 100x faster than before in gears 2. Also the lag is considerabally less than before.

[Balazorz]

Awesome! I am glad this is helping people! Hopefully more will try this and matchmaking will go a lot faster for everyone and thier will be less host lag.

[KoRuPT]

Thanks for the guide. One of my friends were always unable to connect to me when I hosted, and now it works fine.

[DMBC]

I have a question.

What if you don't have a default network? Alltel told my mom to get rid of mine.

[blu drgn5]

Ive tried to follow ur guide, but each time i try, neither my xbox or my computer will connect ot the internet anymore, ive had several different internet service providers in the past, could that be interfering with the info?

[Balazorz]

Blu Drgn5: be sure you don't put in the numbers I listed in the Guide they are jsut examples. make sure you read step 1 to obtain the numbers youll need for your network as they are different for everyone. Also if you are sure you entered all information correctly you may need to power down your router for about 2 minutes and then plug it back in, turning off all computers and your 360 before you power it down and not plugging them up again until your router is back up. Unplug the power to your modem first, then the power to your router. Wait about 2 - 4 minutes. Then plug the power chord to the modem back in, give the modem a minute or 2 to make sure its ran its start up test then reconnect power to your router, power on your 360 and see if that helps. And its of the upmost importance you get those primary and alternate DNS servers right. You may need to call your internet provider or visit there website to find these.

[Balazorz]

DMBC: I am not sure what you mean by default network. give me some more details I might be able to help.

[Shano937]

i have done this already when i got my xbox360 its good to know that people are helping out and you sould go to other sites and post it !!! good job

[Balazorz]

thanks Shano. I want to do my part in the community to get people having a better experience with this game. its a lot of fun if you get everything set up right and will be even more so after some fixes are applied.

[DMBC]

Sorry, I meant Default Gateway, not network. I have my DNS servers, and Subnet mask, but not the Default Gateway.

[Balazorz]

your connected on a router right DMBC? if so you should be able to go to your start menu on your pc. At the start menu click run. in the box that pops up after run type the word "command" without the quotes. as soon as the black DOS prompt box pops up,right where your typing cursor should already be just type "ipconfig/all" without the quotes, make sure the slash is the one on the same key as question mark on a U.S. keyboard.In the information that pops up scan down until you see where it says default gateway. the ip address listed directly across from the default gateway is your router's ip(default gateway). Is this what you were having trouble finding or were you asking what if you aren't on a router at all? Sorry if I misunderstood

[DMBC]

your connected on a router right DMBC? if so you should be able to go to your start menu on your pc. At the start menu click run. in the box that pops up after run type the word "command" without the quotes. as soon as the black DOS prompt box pops up,right where your typing cursor should already be just type "ipconfig/all" without the quotes, make sure the slash is the one on the same key as question mark on a U.S. keyboard.In the information that pops up scan down until you see where it says default gateway. the ip address listed directly across from the default gateway is your router's ip(default gateway). Is this what you were having trouble finding or were you asking what if you aren't on a router at all? Sorry if I misunderstood

I know how to get to it, but when I do, alls that's there are two colons.

[Balazorz]

weird..... i dunno what to do about that one. never heard of something like that. ill look into it and see what I can come up with. are you on a wireless router? whats the router brand and model number?

[BuddhaX]

thanks alot im definitely going to bookmark this thread

[Fanden]

Hi,

I've read all the posts here, and followed the guide posted. I still get the "Strict Firewall" warning in GoW2 Multiplayer, which means i never ever get to play online. Which suxx0rs bigtime, since horde is my primary reason for buying the game.


This is the system I am running:
- Router - Linksys WRT54G (15mb connection)
- Computer connected through wireless connection
- Xbox connected to Computer via a MAC Bridge Miniport and Ethernet Cable


I've assigned static ip-addresses to my computer and to my xbox, I've port forwarded and DMZ enabled the Xbox.

then i try to set up a horde game on public xbox live, it takes forever and then disconnects or i get tired of waiting. Any ideas?

[Balazorz]

At first I thought you meant you were using a Macintosh laptop to connect through lol. From what I have gathered from looking around is its a real pain in the ass to get this configured through connection sharing but I haven't given up yet. Although my misunderstanding of your post did lead me to finding a way to get a better connection if you are connection sharing through a MACbook or pc with a wireless net connection lol. I am Still researching should have something soon.

[Balazorz]

Internet Connection Sharing NAT Solution

I have not tested this myself yet so one of you guys having the problem please read up and give it a try. Let me know how this goes.

NOTE: Before you start your xbox 360 and the computer it is connected to must both have a static IP.Also be sure your 360 is no longer in the DMZ list as this could possibly create a security flaw for the computer the 360 has a shared connection with. Make sure that port 3074 (UDP and TCP) has been forwarded to your computer's static IP and your 360's IP.Also be sure that you have port 88 (TCP only) forwarded to both your computer and 360 IPs.Once that is done please continue.

Step 1: Settings Check

Take note of what your 360's IP address is in the 360 configuration menu while it is connected through the computer you are doing the connection sharing with.Write the ip down.Now hop on your computer and go to Control Panel/Network Connections. Right click on the adapter that is connected to the internet in the list and go to properties. Click Advanced located to the far right in the set of tabs at the very top of the box that just popped up.In the Internet Connection Sharing section of the Advanced tab you just clicked on make sure that both options "Allow other network users to connect through this computer's Internet Connection" and "Allow other network users to control or disable the Shared Internet Connection" are both checked. After you have enabled both options click the Settings button to the lower right of the Connection Sharing Section.

Step 2: Getting Connected

After clicking the Settings button a new box will appear with a load of checkable options. Ignore all of the checkable options and click the Add tab located in the lower left of the box.A new box called Service Settings will appear.In the Description of Service Box type Xbox Live. In The Name or IP Address tab type your xbox 360's IP. In both the External and Internal Port number boxes type 3074. Click the TCP option then click ok. Now click on Add again. Repeat the same steps again entering all the same exact information port 3074 and all except this time click UDP then click ok. Now click Add one more time. Enter the same In Description of Service and enter the same IP in the Name or IP Address field. This time in the Internal and External port boxes type 88. Be sure that the option for TCP is checked then click ok.When you get back to the advanced settings box with the add tab just click ok this time. Go to your xbox dashboard and run the connection test. Let me know how your NAT looks and if it passed all tests.In short this is pretty much how you forward ports when using connection sharing. Just remember that you have to enter everything twice if you need both TCP and UDP Protocols open for the port.

If your NAT is still not open then please refer to the link below.

http://www.portforward.com/english/r...outerindex.htm

With the link above you can open the necessary ports in your firewall to get your NAT open up on your 360 without putting your computer at risk.Select the firewall you are using from the list then scroll down to the X section and choose xbox live 360. Follow the steps shown. Be advised you have to do this on the firewall of the computer the 360 is connected through.

[Fanden]

Heh, i can see now how you could easily confuse my previous post with a macbook, so sorry about that Balazorz.

I will try the solution posted once i get home, and edit this post afterwords, but thanks for the post

[GilbsSkills]

Internet Connection Sharing NAT Solution

I have not tested this myself yet so one of you guys having the problem please read up and give it a try. Let me know how this goes.

NOTE: Before you start your xbox 360 and the computer it is connected to must both have a static IP.Also be sure your 360 is no longer in the DMZ list as this could possibly create a security flaw for the computer the 360 has a shared connection with. Make sure that port 3074 (UDP and TCP) has been forwarded to your computer's static IP and your 360's IP.Also be sure that you have port 88 (TCP only) forwarded to both your computer and 360 IPs.Once that is done please continue.

Step 1: Settings Check

Take note of what your 360's IP address is in the 360 configuration menu while it is connected through the computer you are doing the connection sharing with.Write the ip down.Now hop on your computer and go to Control Panel/Network Connections. Right click on the adapter that is connected to the internet in the list and go to properties. Click Advanced located to the far right in the set of tabs at the very top of the box that just popped up.In the Internet Connection Sharing section of the Advanced tab you just clicked on make sure that both options "Allow other network users to connect through this computer's Internet Connection" and "Allow other network users to control or disable the Shared Internet Connection" are both checked. After you have enabled both options click the Settings button to the lower right of the Connection Sharing Section.

Step 2: Getting Connected

After clicking the Settings button a new box will appear with a load of checkable options. Ignore all of the checkable options and click the Add tab located in the lower left of the box.A new box called Service Settings will appear.In the Description of Service Box type Xbox Live. In The Name or IP Address tab type your xbox 360's IP. In both the External and Internal Port number boxes type 3074. Click the TCP option then click ok. Now click on Add again. Repeat the same steps again entering all the same exact information port 3074 and all except this time click UDP then click ok. Now click Add one more time. Enter the same In Description of Service and enter the same IP in the Name or IP Address field. This time in the Internal and External port boxes type 88. Be sure that the option for TCP is checked then click ok.When you get back to the advanced settings box with the add tab just click ok this time. Go to your xbox dashboard and run the connection test. Let me know how your NAT looks and if it passed all tests.In short this is pretty much how you forward ports when using connection sharing. Just remember that you have to enter everything twice if you need both TCP and UDP Protocols open for the port.

If your NAT is still not open then please refer to the link below.

http://www.portforward.com/english/r...outerindex.htm

With the link above you can open the necessary ports in your firewall to get your NAT open up on your 360 without putting your computer at risk.Select the firewall you are using from the list then scroll down to the X section and choose xbox live 360. Follow the steps shown. Be advised you have to do this on the firewall of the computer the 360 is connected through.

tried everything....still got a moderate NAT.

another problem, where you say to have your ports already open to your static IP adresses, my router says, port range already exists. thanks for the help though

G-S

EDIT 10 MINUTES LATER

FINALLY GOT IT TO WORK, but there was some tweaking you have to do, hopefully i can put up a guide today or sometime in the infinite future

EDIT TWO HOURS LATER

Back to square one, still connected, but on strict/moderate NAT.

[Balazorz]

man...results are so random with this connection sharing. I recall reading somewhere it said adding the 360s MAC address in some field of your router could help as well. From what I have gathered there might not be a universal solution for everyone. It seems like it is going to vary depending on what hardware a person is using.It seems like the wireless internet in the pc is usually where it gets tricky and where the most problems occur. It's no wonder people go the route of connection sharing though,100 bux is pretty steep for the wireless adapter. Trust me I know,I have chords galore from one end of my room to the next.

the way I would figure this connection sharing would work is the ports would have to be open on your router on both your 360 and the computer it connects through. That seems like the logical solution however in a connection sharing scenario its like you have 2 routers on 1 network or something. I think the settings are going to have to be altered in some way that points to your pc as if it were the router and then take care of all port/firewall problems on the pc. Of course I may be totally wrong but this just doesn't seem like its going to get done the old fashioned way.I have to figure out how to fix this lol or find a method that someone else uses that works. I have had so many people ask me about this and I feel like a moron not being able to figure this out. It feels like it should be something so simple but from what I have read in the other places its a huge pain in the ass. I'm gonna keep looking into this, anyone else have any ideas please share.

[Fanden]

I decided to make a new post instead of editing so people can see that i have posted.

I tried your guide, Balazorz, but i immediately encountered a problem

I cannot forward port 3074 and 88 to BOTH my computer and my xbox. I get an error message saying "Port overlap occurred! Please change your entry!" By the way, it should be port 88 UDP and not TCP according to microsoft.

That's the first problem, the second one is that I cannot access "Allow other network users to connect through this computer's Internet Connection" and "Allow other network users to control or disable the Shared Internet Connection"
This is because i am using a Bridged connection.
I tried deleting my bridge and followed your guide from there, and i did get these options then, but this caused additional problems connecting to Xbox live. Actually, i fail the "Test Xbox LIVE Connection"-test immediately with a shared connection.


And to clarify, you can make a bridged connection by going to network connections, activating both local connection (by cable from pc to xbox) and activating wireless connection, mark both of them, right click, and select Bridge Connections.

Now you can try it out for yourself too


And i did follow the steps in your link, so i have added port 3074 (udp and tcp) and port 88 (udp) as exceptions to my windows XP firewall...

And i have upgraded the firmware on my router.

And i have enabled UPnP.



So... any suggestions?

Edit #15:
I waited 10 whole minutes for the "Searching for teammates" in GoW2 - Horde, and it suddenly connected me to other players. I almost peed my pants. The host selected a map, and then i got disconnected....

[Balazorz]

thanks for trying it at least. I wish it woulda worked for ya. the only other thing i remember seeing is about adding the 360s mac address to an exception list somewhere within your router. I am gonna try to find that post again and link it because he claims he had a bridged connection and thats how he did it. Ill post it as soon as I find it again if I can.

[Fanden]

I sent Xbox Customer Support a mail, this is the response:

Thank you for contacting Microsoft online support for XBOX.

We received your email and I understand that your NAT status is set to strict. I do apologize for the inconvenience you felt regarding this matter.

You may experience the following issues when you are having issues with NAT status set to moderate or strict:

. You cannot join certain game sessions.

. When you are playing a game with other people on Xbox Live, you may be unable to hear what they are saying.



These issues may occur for several reasons. These reasons include but are not limited to the following:

. You have connected to Xbox Live by using an incompatible device.

. The device that you used to connect is compatible. However, your device has unsupported firmware.

Note: You may experience the issues with the Network Status set to OPEN when you play against another user who has their Network Status set to MODERTE or to STRICT NAT. The host of the game will have to resolve the NAT issues accordingly.



Before you follow these steps, make sure that you power cycle all the devices on the network.



For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

944294 How to power cycle home networking devices

1. Test your connection to Xbox Live .

Note: You will not receive a result for this test if you cannot sign in to Xbox Live .

2. If your router or gateway is using a moderate or strict NAT, replace it with an Xbox Live -compatible device.

3. To make sure that you have a compatible device and supported firmware, visit the following Xbox Web site:

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/support/co.../equipment.htm

So my guess now, is that my setup isn't Xbox Compatible. Which makes sense, since i don't get anything but Strict NAT settings no matter what i do.

I am going to try 2 different approaches in the near future, 1 being to lend a Wireless Xbox Adapter from a friend, and after that, go for cables galore.



And i found this helpful page: http://support.xbox.com/support/en/u...Equipment.aspx
Since i have a linksys WRT54G ver.7, it is not present in the list, and should explain my difficulties.

I have a Netgear WRT614 v7 stashed away somewhere, and i will try setting it up after all the cabling is done.

[Glossia]

I have vista at home and a linksys router, i'll give this a shot when i get back from work, i don't think i'll encounter any problems -- very nice guide.

also you can type 'cmd' instead of 'command'

[hudsonlayner]

any reasons why? i have my computer hooked directly to my xbox without a router and i can never find games, and my NAT is open.. pleae help

[Fanden]

Seems weird that you cannot connect with an open NAT.

I would advise that you connect to your modem and simply have a look around. Maybe there's some tweaking to be done there.

Find its address by going Start -> Run -> type "CMD" -> type "ipconfig /all"
write down the DNS address, which can be for instance 10.0.0.1

No luck?

You can always call your ISP (internet service provider) and ask for assistance on the matter.


Wait, you have hooked your computer to your xbox?

Then how does the computer get online? wired or wireless?

Simply put, how does the signal from your modem travel to get to your xbox?





1 question to everyone:
Will i encounter any problems by this setup: Modem -> cable to router1 -> cable from router1 to router2 -> cable from router2 to xbox

You see, i have always been under the impression that cabling through routers will cause no problems like NAT settings and such. Wireless connections on the other hand, are what causes such problems. Is this so?

[Glossia]

I gave this a go last night, I'm pretty sure i followed the steps correctly.
Doesn't seem to of made a difference, i still get a moderate connection :\
I have a static IP on my 360 and I've forwarded the ports 88 (TCP) and 3074 (Both) to it.
Also i turned off the 'enable firewall' setting on my router to no avail. I'm connected through a Linksys WRT54SG router.

Any suggestions?

[Fanden]

Try this link http://support.microsoft.com/kb/908874

And open up:
- 88 UDP
- 80 TCP
- 53 Both
- 3074 Both

[Glossia]

Try this link http://support.microsoft.com/kb/908874

And open up:
- 88 UDP
- 80 TCP
- 53 Both
- 3074 Both

Ah I'll forward 80 and 53 when i get home and let you know the result.

Thanks for the help!


Edit - Opening these 2 has worked! my connection is now 'Open'

Brilliant, thanks

[NYCStyle84]

Balazorz, I followed the guide exactly. I am pretty savy with router/ip configuration and technical jargan. I might of did one step differently. I took the IP address my router uses for my xbox and entered that as the static IP for my xbox. I then went to port forwarding, DMZ and QOS. After configuring each of those settings, I find matches hella quick and I would say 90% of the time I am the host. (I can only assume it's because I have a better internet connection then most). But thanks for the information, greatly appreciated!!

[NYCStyle84]

I went and viewed posts through out this thread. Here is my two cents.

I have a LinkSys Router BEFSR41 version 4.0. This is a standard wired router. I have two computers and my xbox running through the router.

The first step I did was open up my routers administration page and find out which IP addresses were being assigned to each machine (the two pc's and the xbox). I then recorded the three IP addresses.

The next step I did was assign both my PC and my xbox a static IP address. I used the IP addresses assigned by the router. So at this point, I have a static IP address for my computer, and a static IP address for my xbox.

Now, I went back into my router settings and edited three separate sections. 1 - Port Range Forwarding, 2 - DMZ Settings, 3 - QOS settings.

For Port Range Forwarding, this just requires you to "open" ports. The ports that need to be opened are 80, 88, 3074 and 53. I only opened the ports up for my Xbox IP address.

For the DMZ setting, all you do is put the last 3 digits of your Xbox IP and click enable. DMZ allows for higher volume of traffic to pass through but enabling it might cause security problems so do so at your own risk.

The last part is the QOS. You enter the MAC address of your xbox and give it high priority. ( At least thats what I felt was correct after research) This is the only part where you need to enter a MAC address.

After taking about 10 minutes to do all of these modifications, I tested my Xbox live connection and it was working perfectly. My NAT was completely open.

After doing so, I then attempted to join xbox matches regardless the size of my party, 99% of the time I find matches quickly and 90% of the time my connection is host, but like my post above, I assume that is because I have an awesome ISP with great speeds.

[Balazorz]

my freakin xbox red ringed yesterday =/. looks like no playtime for me for at least a month

[Fanden]

Thank you NYCStyle84, for taking the time to write that post. You are the first person to tell us how to set up a mac address on a router, and i tried it. To no avail i am afraid.

Is it just me, or does it seem odd that Call of Duty (4 & 5), Grand theft Auto 4, Battlefield Bad Company and Guitar Hero lets me connect to other players instantly? I mean, da*n, it's so annoying that GoW2 is the ONLY game i have that won't let me play online....


I am at this point positive that it is the MAC bridge miniport that i have made, that is interfering with the NAT settings on the xbox. I wish i knew anyone with some knowledge about bridging connections, but it seems not many do bridge their connections...

If anyone has any hints or tips about this specific matter, please contact me, or post some possible solutions here. Thanks.

[Balazorz]

heres the post i seen a few days back. he claims his connection was bridged and this worked for him.

http://forum.teamxbox.com/showthread.php?t=584691

[GilbsSkills]

after doing all the stuff posted here, im STILL at a moderate/strict connection, tried going back to bridging the connections, and now ITS STILL at moderate/strict connection. what a stupid nightmare. need help, seriously

G-S

[GilbsSkills]

after doing all the stuff posted here, im STILL at a moderate/strict connection, tried going back to bridging the connections, and now ITS STILL at moderate/strict connection. what a stupid nightmare. need help, seriously

G-S