Networking your Xbox 360
What do I need?
What you need depends on the connection method you choose. To connect to Xbox Live, you will need your Xbox 360 and Xbox Live starter kit, which contains your starter disk and 12-month subscription, plus AOL Broadband.
If you choose to connect your Xbox 360 to the internet using a home networking solution, you will need a modem router from the range of AOL supported modem routers, plus a straight Ethernet cable to connect your Xbox 360 to the router. If you choose to connect your console using Internet Connection Sharing (ICS), you do not need a modem router, but will need a special ethernet crossover cable.
In all cases, you'll need a PC with the following:
-- A Network Interface Card (NIC), which provides a free ethernet port on your computer
-- Windows Vista, XP or 2000 (ICS requires Windows XP)
-- AOL 8.0 or above
Subscription fees apply for Xbox Live. AOL Parental Controls are unable to restrict web access through external browsers where a computer is linked for network gaming.
Which solution should I choose?
There are currently four solutions supported by AOL to connect your Xbox 360 to your AOL DSL broadband connection.
- Internet Connection Sharing (ICS)
This solution uses Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) to connect your Xbox 360 to your existing AOL Broadband-enabled computer. You will need to use a special ethernet cable (known as crossover cable), plugging it into a spare ethernet port on your computer and sharing the connection using ICS. Your computer acts as a gateway and must be powered on at all times while playing online. Note: Currently, this works with AOL 8.0 and above only. Your computer must have Windows XP.
- Direct modem connection
This solution uses an ethernet modem such as a BT Voyager 190 for the connection. You will need to connect your console directly to your modem with a standard ethernet cable. The ethernet modem is not connected to your PC when used with a gaming console. You will not be able to connect your PC to the internet while your Xbox 360 is online when using a direct connection.
- Wired modem router connection
This solution uses an AOL-supported modem router for the connection to the internet. With this solution, your computer does not have to be switched on to allow you to play online. This solution also brings you the further benefits of a home network, allowing you to share your AOL DSL broadband connection between your games console, your computer and other devices. Once you have set up your home network and connected your Xbox 360, you are ready to play Xbox Live at any time.
- Wireless modem router connection
This solution uses an AOL-supported modem router for the connection to the internet as with the wired modem router solution above, but without any wires.
Note: This solution is unsupported on Windows Vista.