• Guide to Home Networking
  How to set up your own home network quickly and painlessly.
• Routers and Xbox Live
  Everything you need to know about routers on Xbox Live.
• Diagnosing Xbox Live Connections
  Use the Xbox Dashboard to solveICMP, MTU, and NAT issues.
• Lose the Lag
  We've got a few pointers to help you avoid laggy games and host lag-free ones

Routers 101

What the heck is a router, what does it do, and why should I care?

A router is a device that connects two computer networks together so that they can talk to each other. A router allows your Xbox and one or more PCs—your "home network"—to connect to the Internet at the same time.

When you first start playing on Xbox Live, you can simply unplug the Ethernet cable from your PC, plug it into your Xbox, and start playing the game. But swapping the cable back and forth between your Xbox and your PC gets old real fast. A router is the solution to this dilemma.

Different manufacturers have different names for these devices, including home gateway, cable/DSL router, broadband router, broadband base station, and more. These are generally different names for the same thing—all provide the same basic features you need to share a connection.

Routers come in a variety of shapes and sizes. This is one very popular model from Linksys (showing front and back panels):

Notice that on the Linksys device, there's a port labeled WAN (Wide Area Network). On other devices, this port might be labeled To Modem or Internet. They all mean the same thing: "Plug your cable or DSL modem into this one!"

Sounds easy, doesn't it? You just plug your modem into one port, your Xbox and PC into the others, and you're off! Well, sometimes it's that simple. But not always.

Remember when you signed up for your cable or DSL service? There was probably a step in the process in which you configured your PC to connect to that high-speed Internet service. Maybe you configured a PPPoE username and password or entered information on a special Web site. Maybe a technician came and installed some software and settings on your computer. In any case, whatever was done to connect your PC to the Internet may need to be done to the router, too.

Never fear! Your router manufacturer probably has a slick built-in Web page or special configuration software to help you do this. Check the manual that came with your router to see exactly how to do it for your device. If you've misplaced your manual, check your manufacturer's Web site. Most of them have the documentation available online.

Once your router and PC are connected and configured, you'll want to make it all work with your Xbox, right? The Xbox Live Web site includes detailed instructions about how to connect your Xbox console to high-speed Internet service using a router. Depending on your ISP, there may be instructions specifically for your ISP.

If you're in the market for a router, a smart thing to do would be to buy one that the Xbox Live team has already tested and knows works with Xbox Live.

Unfortunately, some routers connect to Xbox Live and still cause issues that are only seen during actual gameplay. The Xbox Live team has tested a number of routers and identified workarounds for some of these problems. You should check to see if your router has any known issues related to connecting to Xbox Live.

Note If your DSL or cable provider has supplied a modem to you that does not have an Ethernet port, you cannot use a home router as discussed in this section. You'll either need to ask your provider to exchange or upgrade your modem to one with an Ethernet port, or use Windows Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) to connect to Xbox Live.