Connect to xbox live - Xbox live gold cheap

How to connect to xbox live gold in a cheap way? Surely you jest?

This means that you can connect to xbox live gold without going broke in the process :D

If you check some of my adverts you will see some ebay offers for xbox live gold subscriptions. This is one potential source of cheap xbox live gold subscriptions.

One method I have used is to go to your local gaming store and check any clearance areas. You might find some xbox live gold memberships that are going to expire and get some good discount!

If you already have a subscription to xbox live gold then make sure you get a free xbox diamond card before your gold subscription expires! It will give you some discount on your new subscription!

Xbox live gold subscription action!

What are the benefits of connecting to xbox live gold over xbox live silver?

Xbox silver is essentially microsoft's freebie subscription. Its not bad and includes:

• The online reputation and achievement system (so your friends can see your amazing/crap gaming abilities)
• Your own custom avatar (you get to modify a toon's features and dress up)
• A friends list so you can chat and text.
• Access to the market place. You can get free demos, trailers, music videos etc.
• You can use the microsoft point system to buy game expansions, extra maps, arcade games and lots of other things.
  

When you connect to xbox live gold however, you get all of the above PLUS :

• The ability to play co-op or against your friends in multiplayer games (lets face it..this is why you connect to xbox live)
• Marketplace extras. You get exclusive downloads compared to xbox live silver.
• Apparently with xbox live gold you get a trueskill matched ranking. So basically they take your stats and find a guy with almost the same stats. Genius O.o

Hope this helps you make a decision!:) My other 'how to connect wirelessly to xbox live' guides can be selected from the left sidebar or here:

How to connect wirelessly to xbox live with a laptop

How to connect wirelessly to xbox live using a modified router

How to connect wirelessly to xbox live with open NAT

Now go connect to xbox live gold in a cheap way!

Connect wirelessly to xbox live - media center

To connect wirelessly to xbox live and media center can be tricky. For most people this process should be relatively easy. To avoid problems with wirelessly connecting to xbox live and media center it is recommended that you get rid of any third party firewalls (your router should have a firewall anyway!) like norton. In addition, use static IP addresses for ALL devices connected to your router. This avoids any possible conflicts with your xbox and other devices.

You need windows xp service pack 2 or 3 with media center, or vista home, premium or ultimate. Obviously to make this work you need an xbox 360 and have it connected to your network or directly to a pc via an ethernet cable. Lets do et!

So first step is to turn on your xbox 360, select the media blade and select the media center option. Press the green A button that you have mashed in many an xbox live game before. At this point the xbox 360 should wirelessly (or wired) search for your laptop/pc. After this process you should be given a code or key. Note this down on a piece of paper!:)

Connect wirelessly to xbox live and stream bad sitcoms to your xbox 360. Sweet!

Ok..now switch to your PC/laptop. You need to start the media center program. This program should inform you that it has found the windows media extender. When it prompts you to set the whole thing up click "yes" (:P). Click next and then insert that magic key you previously noted down. You'll then get pointless things come up like which you are going to accept anyway like firewall changes, so just click next. You want all your media folders on your extender (or not?) so click next. Click next again and voila! All should be ready to go. Hopefully you can now connect wirelessly to xbox live with a fully working media centre for streaming movies and such!


Important!!

You may need to go to the 'library' tab in windows media center on your pc, then click 'media sharing...' . Click the check box 'share my media to:'. Then select the xbox 360 symbol and click 'allow'. Click 'Apply' and then 'okay'. What you are doing here is telling media center that it is okay to share files with your xbox 360.

I have many guides on how to connect wirelessly to xbox live. These can be selected on the left side bar or here:

How to connect wirelessly to xbox live with a laptop

How to connect wirelessly to xbox live using a modified router

How to connect wirelessly to xbox live with open NAT

I hope by now you can connect wirelessly to xbox live and media center ^.^

How to connect wirelessly to xbox live with open NAT

How to connect wirelessly to xbox live with open NAT?

Ok..you have your xbox 360 on xbox live wirelessly. What is this NAT (network address translation) thing and why is it on moderate...why is xbox live nagging me about this? Network address translation is the "process of modifying network address information in datagram packet headers while in transit across a traffic routing device for the purpose of remapping a given address space into another" - Wikipedia

What does this mean to you in practical terms? It means with a moderate or strict NAT rating you can't chat or play games with some people when wirelessly connected to xbox live, which kind of limits the xbox live experience on your xbox 360. Wirelessly connected to xbox live suddenly doesn't mean anything >.<

NAT destroys a racing gamers dream of competing on xbox live. Stupid xbox 360! How she regrets learning how to connect wirelessly to xbox live! Luckily she found this guide on how to connect wirelessly to xbox live with open NAT.

UPNP method for wirelessly connecting to xbox live: This is the easiest method...make sure UPNP is ON and any dmz / portforwarding stuff is OFF. If you don't know how to do this then obtain your router's manual online. Essentially you are accessing your router's administrative software and changing settings (E.g. entering 192.168.0.1 in your web browser, pressing enter and then putting in the correct admin and password). After you have done this, saved the changes then turn off your router and turn it on again. Test the xbox live connection in the xbox dashboard. You should be able to connect wirelessly to xbox live with open nat. If this doesn't work to improve your xbox live NAT then read on.

DMZ method for wirelessly connecting to xbox live: "De militarized zone". Create a static IP address for your xbox 360 (reserve an address) on your router, then add this IP to the DMZ of your router. This should be an option in your router admin software (check your manual:) ) . Make sure there is no portforwarding or UPNP. Don't mix these modes! ^.^ You should hopefully now connect wirelessly to xbox live with an open NAT.

PORT FORWARDING for wirelessly connecting to xbox live: You need to assign a static IP address to the xbox 360 for this one (on your router). Then port forward that IP address. You can follow instructions for xbox live for your specific router here: Portforward . Let me stress again...don't mix modes! Make sure DMZ and UPnP are off.

This should hopefully improve your NAT so you can be the uberness on xbox live with your xbox 360. You should hopefully now wirelessly connect to xbox live with an open NAT :)

More articles on how to connect your xbox live wirelessly can be found here: How to connect wirelessly to xbox live with a laptop and How to connect wirelessly to xbox live using a modified router or you can navigate the 'Blog articles' on the left sidebar! :)

I have recently written a brief article : How to connect wirelessly to xbox live - wired vs wireless . Feel free to leave comments about this as I am interested in opinions related to wirelessly connecting to xbox live and whether it really affects the xbox live gaming experience. If you do connect wirelessly to xbox live and have previously been wired please jot down some lines about your xbox live gaming performance changes (if any).

You should hopefully now wirelessly connect to xbox live with an open NAT :)

How to connect wirelessly to xbox live - wired vs wireless

Connecting your xbox 360 to xbox live wirelessly or wired? There are many debates raging over the net with hardcore gaming purists advocating 10m long Ethernet cables as opposed to going wireless. Is there really that much of a difference? Personally, when I play a round or two of halo 3 after a long day at the grind, I don’t notice any lag playing wirelessly. I guess it depends on how much random junk you have sitting in between your shiny xbox 360 and wireless router potentially blocking the signal.

Some of the best comments for connecting wired to xbox live:

“Radio waves are bad for the body” (evidence based medicine???)

“Lower latency with a wired connection” (still doesn’t help if you have the dexterity of a fumbling elephant)

“Transfer rates are higher” (hmmmmm.......)

“Less disconnects”

Her husband just informed her that he will be needing to trail 10m of ethernet cable through her bedroom in order to gank people more efficiently on xbox live. He won't be getting fed this week. She would probably want to connect wirelessly to xbox live with his head as a receiver.

Some of the best comments FOR a wireless xbox live connection:

“Cables look messy” (cleaning OCD)

“There is no frigging difference”

“Yes, I don’t want to trail 10m of wire through my bathroom just to gain a fractional latency advantage” (wife owns his soul)


Here are the links to my how to connect wirelessly to xbox live guides. They are an excellent resource of knowledge for those of you who want to connect wirelessly to xbox live without the official adapter. You can also select them from the left sidebar:)

How to connect wirelessly to xbox live with a laptop

How to connect wirelessly to xbox live with a modified router

How to connect wirelessly to xbox live with open NAT

How to connect wirelessly to xbox live using a modified router.

How to connect wirelessly to xbox live using a modified router?

This is another cheap alternative to using Microsoft's xbox 360 wireless gaming network adaptor and should hopefully allow you to connect your xbox 360 to xbox live wirelessly.

Essentially this technique involves converting a router into a wireless receiver! How is this magic achieved you ask? FLASHING the router with new modified firmware. The administration software that is normally present on your router will be erased and replaced with a modified version.

Asian xbox 360 game girls unaware of the cheaper alternatives stand in line for the conventional adapter to enjoy the sweet taste of xbox live. If only they knew the supa secret methods of connecting an xbox 360 to xbox live wirelessly.

So! You need an xbox 360 (doh!) and an ethernet cable to connect your xbox to a COMPATIBLE router. What do I mean by compatible? Well the router has to be on the DD-WRT firmware list.

DD-WRT is a third party developer of modified firmware that will transform your router into a receiver. Not all router's can accept this firmware so check this list first: Supported Devices

If your router is not compatible then try to pick up a linksys WRT54G router. They should be cheap (as they are old tech) and they work really really stinking well with DD-WRT firmware. You will likely have very little problems with this model of router allowing you to easily connect your xbox 360 to xbox live wirelessly.

For installation instructions it is best you refer to this site as there are SO many frigging different types of routers supported it would be difficult to cover them all here:

DD-WRT Installation

To set up the router you need to access your modified router by connecting it to a pc via an ethernet cable. Use a browser and type 192.168.1.1 and you will then be prompted for a username and password. The user name will be root and the password will be admin.

You then have access to the modified administration software and you need to change the router to wireless client mode.

So hopefully you will now be able to connect your xbox 360 to your modified router via ethernet cable and that router in turn communicates wirelessly with your primary router that is connected to the internet. You should now get xbox live on your xbox 360 wirelessly.

You will most likely have issues along the way and DD-WRT wiki is the best resource to iron out those tricky problems. Good luck! Modified routers usually give better reception then conventional xbox adaptors allowing your xbox 360 to connect to xbox live wirelessly with blazing speed :)

Now go connect wirelessly to xbox live using a modified router !

How to connect wirelessly to xbox live with a laptop

How to connect wirelessly to xbox live with a laptop?

The majority of people believe that it is only possible to connect an xbox 360 wirelessly to a router box and internet (to xbox live) using the standard microsoft xbox 360 wireless adaptor. There are alternatives in the land of xbox 360 live gaming!

You can connect your xbox 360 directly to a laptop (connected wirelessly to your router and thus internet via an ethernet cable. This should give you access to xbox live wirelessly! Yay! There are two different ways of achieving this:

The easy method (if it works for you) for xbox live wirelessly:

1) Plug the ethernet cable into the laptop ethernet socket and the xbox 360 ethernet socket.
2) On your laptop click 'Start' then right click on 'network' and click 'properties'.
3) Click 'manage network connections' and you will see several icons.
4) Right click on 'wireless network connection' then click 'properties'
5) Click on the 'sharing' tab and then check the box for 'Allow other users to connect through this computer's internet connection'


If this works for you and you didn't receive some crappy error message then great! Turn on your xbox 360, go to network settings and 'Test xbox live connection'. You should be able to connect your xbox 360 to xbox live wirelessly through your laptop!

I'm presuming you have vista. The same theory applies to xp though.

In addition, you can use this same method using a wireless enabled PC for wirelessly connecting your xbox 360 to xbox live.


NETWORK BRIDGED CONNECTION method for xbox live wirelessly:

Ok this method requires a little more work :S If the above method did not allow your xbox 360 to connect to xbox live wirelessly , then read on.... .

1) Get to the 'manage network connections' bit mentioned above (but don't plug in the ethernet cable yet!)
2) Hold down the 'ctrl' key and click on 'wireless connection' and then 'local area connection'.
3) Both of these icons should now be highlighted. Right click over one of these icons and select 'bridge connection'.
4) Ok..now wait 30 seconds. You should hopefully get a new icon 'network bridge'.
5) Your laptop internet should still be working and the 'local area connect' symbol should still be 'disconnected'. If not give it a few minutes, then right click on the 'wireless connection', click 'properties' and then click 'okay'. This should hopefully get everything working.
6) Plug the ethernet cable into your xbox 360 and laptop ethernet ports.
7) Turn your xbox on and leave it in dashboard. The xbox live connection may fail at this point. Try right clicking on the 'local area connection' then 'properties' then click 'okay'.
8) Xbox live should be working at this point. Try to sign into xbox live.

Hopefully at this point you should be able to connect your xbox 360 to xbox live wirelessly through your laptop.
Arg captain, my xbox 360 is connected wirelessly to xbox live now. Prepare my boarding stick!

Ok if it doesn't work at this point you may have to use the manual settings in your xbox 360. Assign an IP address manually to your xbox 360 for example 192.168.0.20 and fill in all the other bits like your subnet mask: 255.255.255.0 default gateway (e.g. 192.168.0.1). If you aren't sure about some of these values then use 'ipconfig' on the windows command line.

Again, similar to the easy method, you can also use a wireless enabled PC to connect your xbox 360 wirelessly to xbox live. So a laptop is not a prerequisite.

There is another ALTERNATIVE in another post of mine. You can connect your xbox 360 to xbox live via a modified router in order to wirelessly connect to xbox live: How to connect wirelessly to xbox live using a modified router


Hope this helps you connect wirelessly to xbox live with a laptop !:) If you still need help, I have just finished a new E-Book (see below) with even clearer instructions (including pictures) and how to connect with apple MAC. Its a handy all in one guide to have and at a very low price!:) ^.^