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Xbox 360 Wireless Networking Adapter

The Xbox 360 Wireless Networking Adapter (sold separately) lets you wirelessly connect your Xbox 360 system to your home network for Xbox Live play or to another Xbox 360 system for head-to-head action. It is for use exclusively with the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system.

• Attach Your Adapter
• Set Up a Network
• Connect to a Wireless Network

Attach Your Adapter

Your wireless networking adapter is designed to attach directly to the back of your Xbox 360™ console.

To attach your adapter:

1. Press the tabs on the adapter into the two slots on the back of the console.
   
   
2. Disconnect any cable plugged into the Ethernet port and connect the USB connector to the USB port next to the adapter.
   
   
3. Flip up the antenna.

   Note

   The antenna is designed to swivel on only one axis. Do not swivel the antenna in any direction other than parallel with the adapter.

   
   
   

   Important

   Do not use the Xbox 360 Wireless Networking Adapter or its antenna to lift the console. It could break and the console could fall.

Set Up a Network

Home wireless networks are also called infrastructure networks. In an infrastructure network, a wireless access point, wireless gateway, or wireless router distributes your Internet connection to your wireless home computer and devices. With a wireless networking adapter, your console becomes one of the wireless devices on your home network.

If you don't have an existing home wireless network yet, you'll want to make a few decisions before you get started. Specifically, you'll need to decide on the wireless standard you'll use, the network hardware you'll need, and your network security.

Wireless Network Basics

Your wireless networking adapter communicates by radio transmission. Radio waves travel in all directions, and can be transmitted through walls and floors. The radio signal weakens rapidly as it travels through structures, especially masonry, such as stone and brick. Metal objects, such as refrigerators and mirrors, reflect radio signals, preventing straight path communication. The layout of your home can be a factor in what wireless network standard you choose.

Choose a Wireless Network Standard

The Xbox 360 Wireless Networking Adapter conforms to all three current wireless network standards (802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g), and so works with networking devices that support any of these standards. (802.11 is a series of radio communication standards developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) for wireless local area networks.)

The main features that distinguish these standards are connection speed and radio frequency.

When selecting your wireless network standard, keep the following guidelines in mind:

1. The 802.11a standard offers the same speed as 802.11g. A 5-GHz band (802.11a) is also less susceptible to interference from common devices, such as 2.4-GHz cordless telephones, cell phones, and microwave ovens. Further, in areas where neighboring wireless networks can be detected, interference can be a problem. Because of the limited number of channels and the popularity of 2.4-GHz networks, a 5-GHz network is likely to experience less interference from a neighboring wireless network than a 2.4-GHz network and provide a better overall wireless connection. Although a 5-GHz network offers many channels, 802.11a networks are not widely supported by other devices that you may also want to add to your network, such as laptop computers.
2. An 802.11g wireless network is compatible with both 802.11g and 802.11b devices. However, any 802.11b devices operating on your 802.11g network will slow it down. If you have a dual-band router (with both 802.11a and 802.11g bands), try using your Xbox 360 console and wireless network adapter on the 802.11a band and your other devices on the 802.11g and 802.11b bands. The Xbox 360 console in this configuration will have the maximum bandwidth while remaining networked with other devices on 802.11g or 802.11b.
3. If you use wireless controllers, you may get better performance using 802.11a (5-GHz band) for your network connection, since the wireless controllers operate on the 2.4-GHz band.

Choose Your Network Hardware

Consider the following guidelines when purchasing network hardware:

• Use a compatible access point or router (802.11 a+g recommended).
  
  For a list of Xbox Live Compatible hardware for Xbox 360, see Compatible Home Networking Equipment.
• Some compatible routers are dual-band a+g (dual-band 2.4-GHz/5-GHz, 802.11a + 802.11g/b). Using a dual-band router lets you configure your console to achieve maximum bandwidth and the best possible connection. This is particularly important if you are using Microsoft Windows Media Center or Windows Media Connect with your console for activities like watching TV.
  
  For more information, see Share Media from a PC.
• When using a dual a+g access point or router, make sure the 802.11a and 802.11g networks have unique network names (SSIDs).

Make Your Wireless Network Secure

Because wireless networks use radio signals, it's possible for other wireless network devices outside your immediate area to pick up the signals and either connect to your network or capture the network traffic. To help prevent unauthorized connections and reduce the possibility of eavesdroppers listening in on your network traffic:

• Position your router or access point as close as possible to the center of your home. This decreases the strength of the signal outside your home.
• Enable wireless security on your router or access point. Your wireless networking adapter supports WPA and WEP security. When you enable wireless security, you establish a key that "encrypts" the data being wirelessly transmitted so that it is decipherable only by computers with the same key. Furthermore, WPA automatically changes keys on a frequent basis, making your system more secure.

  Note

  Some copies of the instruction manual for the Xbox 360 Wireless Networking Adapter state that the adapter is compatible with the WPA2 security standard. At this time the adapter works only with WPA and WEP security.

Connect to a Wireless Network

Connecting your Xbox 360 console to a new or existing wireless network is easy as long as you know what your wireless network settings are. It's a good idea to write down these settings before you begin. (All computers and devices accessing the network with a wireless connection need to use the same wireless network settings.)

You can access most of your wireless network settings on the set-up screens for your router or wireless access point. Check your device documentation for instructions about how to reach the device set-up screen. If your network was set up by someone else, contact the installer for a user name and password to access the set-up screens of your wireless access point.

To connect your console to a wireless network:

1. Turn on your console and any wireless networking devices (such as a router or an access point).
2. Attach the wireless networking adapter to the back of your console as described above.
3. Go to the System area of the Xbox Dashboard to enter your network settings.
4. If all settings are correct, exit the System area. Your console should now be connected to your wireless network.

For More Info

If you encounter problems with your adapter, see Troubleshoot Your Wireless Networking Adapter.

To learn more about building a home network, see our primer on Home Networking.

To download a product manual, see our Index of Xbox 360 Instruction Manuals.