Netflix, Xbox 360, and wireless.

xzzy

Trying to get my xbox set up with wireless, due to the new apartment putting the TV on the opposite side of my dsl modem. I can game okay with this setup, and testing with my laptop the wireless signal is decently strong. However, I am unable to get more than "1 bar" with netflix.

I've tried different wireless channels to no avail.

Running an ethernet cable across the house and into the 360, I get 4 bars every time with Netflix. So it doesn't appear to be a problem with the dsl itself. My laptop gets a steady 400KB-500KB transfer rate from the intertubes when it's sitting right next to the xbox, so I'm not sure bandwidth is the issue.

Anyone have any experience using netflix with wireless? Are there some routers that work better, or is this a lost cause? I know SOME people get 4 bars with wireless, so I guess what I'm after is understanding the requirements for this to work.

My modem is a 2wire 1000HW, if it matters. It's a pretty old model but it supports 802.11g just fine, which should be okay with the xbox.

Synthesis

I have a similar problem with my D-Link Wireless router. It's one of the reasons I've never liked wifi, though I guess I should count myself lucky by having 3 bars on Netflix.

Honestly, I don't think there's any way to really improve it.

Dark Shroud

Video streaming will kill wireless, especially if its only g. If you guys want high quality netflix your best bet is to run wired. Even then you're limited buy the 360's 10/100 nic.

DHS Odium

Replacing the router might work. I was a skeptic, but after moving in to a new apartment, all my computers connected through wifi of my D-Link router were really slow. Video streaming on Hulu was unwatchable, took forever to load pages. I went out and bought a Belkin router, set it up the exact same way - everything is now fast and works perfectly.

SiliconStew

Well it sounds like you've eliminated your problem down to the wireless bridge on the 360 side. Everything else seems to be running ok. You didn't say what you were using on that end. Could be that its specific location (in cabinet/behind tv/etc) could cause a weak signal. Or perhaps it is only running in .11b mode (any .11b device that connects to the .11g AP will cause all AP connections to revert to .11b). Or perhaps the hardware sucks and can't support those transfer/decryption rates.

Unless you're in Japan or have a uncompressed HD video source, the 10/100 NIC is not a limitation. Normal HD tv is 36 Mbps. That would max out a .11g link, but not the streaming he is doing.

xzzy

The xbox states it's using 11g.

I think I'm okay on bandwidth. The transfer rate I was getting on my laptop with a connection tester gives me about 3600 kilobit/sec over wireless, and from what I can tell netflix bitrates peak out at around 1500 kilobit/sec. Googling I've done today suggests netflix lowballs your connection by 40% to allow for fluctuations, which should be leaving me enough headroom for 3 or 4 bars.

I didn't think about the encryption angle. I'll do a test tonight with WEP disabled and see if I get improvement, though for obvious reasons I won't be able to leave it like that. It is an interesting test though. I'm going to try moving the dsl modem closer to the xbox as another test, to isolate signal problems.

Googling suggests that some people have "zero problems" using the 360 wireless bridge and netflix, others have problems like me, and still others can't stream at all. It's proving pretty hard to figure out what the core failure is. But I will figure it out! Mostly because I'm really not looking forward to snaking an ethernet connection through the walls.

xzzy

Well, turning off WEP and putting the wireless modem 1 foot away from the xbox didn't help at all.

But I think I found the problem.. I noticed the xbox was claiming it was running at 802.11g while the modem said it was at 802.11b. After a little digging, I discovered my model of modem only supports 802.11b.. that is, effectively I am maxing out at 5 megabit, which is technically enough to stream netflix at 4 bars, but when you factor in the 40% headroom Netflix enforces, I am way too low.

So.. next question. What's a good DSL modem that does PPPoE and offers 802.11g?

Dark Shroud

Just buy a wireless router and plug it into the modem. Disable the modem's wireless afterwards. This will be the cheapest and more efficient solution for you.

xzzy

Yeah but I hate the clutter it produces.

I got a netgear modem/wireless combo and everything's working awesome now. Four bars on netflix, 2 bars for netflix hd (which is basically dvd quality).

Amazing how things work out when you start verifying the capabilities of your hardware!

DHS Odium

So you did just need a different wireless router? Same thing here, as I mentioned above. When I read about it online, I figured it was bullshit, how would going from one G network to another, on the same connection, do anything. But it did..

xzzy

Sort of.. netflix now streams at four bars, but xbox live games are unplayable. Voice chat is choppy, 2-3 second lag, etc.

So it's a work in progress.

I didn't do any testing tonight, I just wanted to play the new Halo maps, so I drug an ethernet cable across the house for the evening. I'll figure out what's wrong with the wireless tomorrow.

Synthesis

Wow...in retrospect, I should be gland my D-Link let's me watch Netflix (at medium quality), but gives a really good Xbox Live connection otherwise.

xzzy

I think part of it is there's something like 20 wireless networks within range of my living room. My guess is there's just so much traffic flying around, it's hurting performance.

I filtered through the various channels trying to find a decent spot to hide in, but nothing has worked so far. I don't think it's a distance problem, despite the fact that two walls separate my access point from the xbox. I'm suspicious of the antenna on the 360 wireless bridge.. it's powered by usb, and I'm not convinced the antenna has enough gain.