| | Guide to Home Networking
A brief introduction to quickly and easily setting up a home network.
The Basics
What's a home network?
A home network is a way to connect your Xbox and all the computers and printers in your house so that you can share files, share the printer, and many people can surf the Internet and play on Xbox Live at the same time. This eliminates all kinds of inconvenient and annoying situations, such as: having to save your file to a floppy and take it to the computer that's connected to the printer; waiting until someone is done sending an e-mail so you can surf the net; letting your flatmate finish researching his dissertation on the net while you wait to jump on Xbox Live! A home network saves you all that aggrevation.
Do I need to have a home network?
You don't need a home network to play on Xbox Live. You can connect your Xbox console right to your cable or DSL modem with an Ethernet cable. That's the direct connection. It's fast and simple to set up. But there are disadvantages to the direct connection: - Your PC cannot access the Internet if your Xbox console is using the connection.
- Unplugging the Ethernet cable from your Xbox console and back into the PC every time you need to use your PC can become a little trying.
- Unless your TV and Xbox are right next to your PC, you'll have lengths of cables underfoot. The second time you trip over them, you'll want to find another solution.
Why would I want a home network?
Setting up a home network isn't as intimidating as it sounds, and there are many advantages: - You don't have to unplug your computer from your cable or DSL modem and reconnect your Xbox console every time you want to play.
- You can play Xbox Live while someone else in your household is sending an e-mail or surfing, though this may cause some decrease in speed.
- You can hide unsightly cables and equipment.
- If you have a USB modem (as opposed to Ethernet), it's the only way you're going to be able to go Live.
What kind of home network should I use?
There are two kinds of home networks that XboxLive supports: The router connection and Internet Connection Sharing. Which one you use depends mainly on whether or not you have a USB modem as opposed to an Ethernet modem. If you don't have broadband Internet service yet, and you have a choice, you should definitely get an Ethernet modem and opt for a router connection. If you have a USB modem, you'll need to use a Internet Connection Sharing. TOP
Preparation
Getting ready to set upyour home network.
What do I need to do?- Make a Plan
You need to have a plan. Think about where in your house or flat each device lives. Do you play Xbox in the living room, but use your PC in the study? Sometimes it's helpful to draw a map of all the devices you want to be linked on your home network. You may want to move some stuff around, but one of the advantages of a home network is that your connected devices can all be in different areas of the house and still work together.
- Gather the Essentials
You probably have a PC—unless you're perusing this website at the library—but to set up your network you'll also need to acquire a little additional hardware.
If you don't already have a broadband Internet service provider, that should be first on your list of things to get!
- Put it All Together
Pick a lazy Saturday, stick the tunes on, and go to work. If you're going to be drilling holes to run cables through walls or floors, make sure you've got your tools handy. You should have all your hardware and instruction manuals nearby as well.
- Power Up and Play!
Once you've got it all hooked up, fire up your Xbox console, pop in your Starter Disk, and experience the world's premier online gaming arena!
What do I need to buy?
We're going to assume that you already have a PC, an Xbox console, an Xbox Live Starter Kit, andbroadband Internet service. So here's the rest of the stuff you'll need. If you're using a router connection, you'll need: - A router or hub
A hub is a little device that lets you plug a bunch of different Ethernet cables into it. Think of it as a kind of Ethernet extension cord.
A router (sometimes referred to as a residential gateway) is a hub with a brain. It can determine which device you want which signal to go to. For ease of use, routers are the way to go.
If your Xbox console is in the living room and your computer is inyour bedroom, you can run an Ethernet cable from your PC to the router (or hub), and then another Ethernet cable from the router (or hub) to your Xbox.
- ThreeEthernet cables
An Ethernet cable is used to transmit data at high speeds over a local area network (LAN). What's important here is that Ethernet cable is fast and accurate. Get long lengths of it if your Xbox console is far away from your computer. If you plan on hiding cables by running them behind walls or drilling through floors, you'll want to take careful measurements and do some planning beforehand.
If you're using Internet Connection Sharing, you'll need: - AnEthernet cable (see description above)
- AUSB cable
A USB cable is identifiable by its connectors. On one end is a somewhat square-shaped connector; on the other is a flattened, rectangular-shaped connector.
- Network Interface Card
If you've already gotbroadband Internet service, you've probably got a Network Interface Card (NIC) already installed on your computer. If your Internet service uses a USB modem instead of an Ethernet modem, you'll need to use a NIC with your shared PC connection.
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Step-by-Step
Putting together your home network.
- Make a Plan
The first thing you want to do when you create your home networking plan is make some important decisions nad ask some serious questions.
- How extensive will my network be?
Are you going to use this network just to share an Internet connection between your PC and your Xbox console, or are you going to link up other PCs or a printer?
- Where do the devices that I want to link together live?
If you live in a multi-story house with PCs and other devices in several different rooms, the network will obviously need to cover more area.
- How much Ethernet cable do I need?
You'll want to make careful measurements to determine exactly how much cable to buy. Remember, you'll probably want to run cable along the skirting board at the very least, so don't take measurements from PC to Xbox to router "as the crow flies."
- Cables – do I care enough to hide them?
The truth is you may not care at the moment—you want to get online and start playing. But in a few weeks, you or maybe someone else in your home will get sick of looking at and stepping over cables, and you'll want to make them a little less noticeable. If you have a small network and your PC and your Xbox console just live on opposite ends of the room, then the easiest thing to do is to use U-shaped staples to run your cables along the skirting board. If your networked devices live in a lot of different rooms, you'll want to run your cables through walls and floors.
- Where do I put the router?
Where to put the router is pretty important. Here are some things to consider:
- Your router should be near your cable or DSL modem.
- Your router needs to be near a power source.
- Your router shouldn't live in direct sunlight or too close to a heater.
- Your router shouldn't live next to radios or fluorescent lights.
- Your router needs air. Like your Xbox console, it will overheat if it's covered up.
- Gather the Essentials
Don't you hate it when you're right in the middle of a project and you realise that you don't have enough of something or you forgot something or you bought the wrong something? Everyone hates that. Make sure you've got everything you need before you begin. Make a detailed shopping list. Do some research before you hit the shops. Consult your plan.
- Ethernet cable: How much do you need? You took measurements, right?
- Router or hub: Buy one that works with XboxLive. Make sure it's not a wireless router.
- NIC: Do you need one? If so, make sure your computerdoesn't have one already.
- Put It All Together
- Followthe Router Connectioninstructions if you're setting up your home network with a router connection.
- Follow the Internet Connection Sharing instructions if you're setting up your home network with a Internet Connection Sharing.
- Power Up and Play!
You've done the dirty work, and now it's time for the sweet reward. You should now have everything you need:- BroadbandInternet service
- Your network configured to connect to yourbroadband Internet service
- Your Xbox Live Starter Kit
So turn on that Xbox (if you're using Internet Connection Sharing, turn on your PC as well), load your StarterPack disk, and enter the global gaming arena known as XboxLive! TOP
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