Help connecting to XBox Live

fletch3163

Hello everyone

I'm a poor, pathetic MUM! I don't know how modern day works. My 11 year old son wants X Box Live and I don't know how to do it.

I've had some help on one of the other threads here but thought I'd widen my patheticness:o

Someone at work this morning told me there's something I actually need to buy to get X Box live to work? I'm not sure.

I plugged in the wires to the laptop and the Xbox and it says it can't find the IP address. I've got a desk top and a laptop for son. I'm trying to connect the laptop. We're wireless too (D-Link?)

Any help would be much appreciated. Please note, however, that I understand VERY LITTLE about technology. I get the "is it plugged in" but that's as far as my expertise stretches.

Fonz_2

Are you connecting the XBOX directly to your router?

gaming_guy

to play online, you need an xbox live subscription (its the gold one i think).

if you are going to use the laptop as a bridge (or simply a wifi adaptor), then you need to set up bridging or internet connection sharing so that the xbox can get online. This method means that the laptop has to be switched on for the xbox to successfully connect to the net.

wakers23

Start from the beginning. Im 24 & have 2 xbox's, i will try to explain as easy as possible. When you first get an xbox, you need to set up a new account (which is like a username) and you get xbox live Silver membership as standard, but this does not allow you to play games online. When you set up a new account on his xbox you will get a 1 month FREE xbox live Gold membership, which allows you to play games online, after the 1 month you will need to buy a longer membership from a games shop, they come in 3 months or 12 months (+ 1 month free).
Now for the xbox.
You say that you have your computers connected wirelessly to your internet, you can either buy a wireless adapter for the xbox which plugs in to the back of the xbox and connect wirelessly the same way the laptop will. Or you can connect an ethernet cable from your xbox directly to your router, which will then connect to the internet. (These 2 methods should automatically detect the ip address). I would advise against connect the xbox to your laptop and "bridging" the connection as this can get quite technical but as you say you are not that great with technology then i would keep it simple. (Plus you will have to turn the laptop on everytime you wanted to play the xbox).

Hopefully this will help, any other questions just ask.

Awec

The absolute easiest way is to buy the wireless adaptor (about 50 quid I think) for the 360 and use that.

fletch3163

AHA, so Scottie (the guy in my work) was correct then? I am missing a bit. Wakers23 you might just have saved my poor, frazzled sanity, thank you, thank you, thank you.

I'm grateful to you all for your input, truly. All that chat about sharing and bridging and stuff is frightening the bejeezus out of me so that's a non starter.

I have got as far as having a user name (silver) on XBox Live and I thought the rest was going to be toffee. HAH!:o

So, am I right in saying that will not matter whether it's laptop, desktop or anything now, it's all about wireless? Och, am SO excited now. Who said youth was wasted on the young. Thank God for you I say!

DCFC79

Fletch it depends how far the router is from the 360 eg is 1 on a different floor of the house to the 360 or is the router and 360 in the same room or adjoining rooms, if any of the last 2 then id use an ethernet cable to connect the 360 and router/modem,

fletch3163

Hi DCFC79

They're both in the same room actually but at exact opposites in the room. I don't think a cable running across the room plugged into the cable and the XBox would work. In fact, I don't think the cables are long enough. Say I did though, would that not mean I couldn't use the computer whilst he was on XBox Live?

Am resolved to going halfers with him to get it but at £60 that's quite a stretch eh! Well done to everyone who gave him money at Christmas I say:T

DCFC79

fletch3163 wrote: »

Hi DCFC79

They're both in the same room actually but at exact opposites in the room. I don't think a cable running across the room plugged into the cable and the XBox would work. In fact, I don't think the cables are long enough. Say I did though, would that not mean I couldn't use the computer whilst he was on XBox Live?

Am resolved to going halfers with him to get it but at £60 that's quite a stretch eh! Well done to everyone who gave him money at Christmas I say:T

do you have a router with ethernet ports on the back, having a cable on the floor in the middle of the room isnt ideal but you could have the cable going along the skirting board, you can get a long enough ethernet cable for less the price of the wireless adapter,

fletch3163

The madness of this is I have a long narrow living room and to do this I'd have to go over the door. I'm now thinking if I can move the living room around to accommodate. DH is hating this idea now EEEEK!

gaming_guy

fletch3163 wrote: »

Say I did though, would that not mean I couldn't use the computer whilst he was on XBox Live?

yes, you should be able to use the computer/internet while he's on Live.