My question has to do with using non-XBox hardware to connect my 360 to our home wireless network.
I wouldn't say I'm against paying for the official XBox wireless adapter, but if I am able to get the desired functionality from a cheaper setup I wouldn't be against that either.
I am specifically trying to find out if the following are possible or practical, respectively:
1. Using a 2Wire 802.11G USB wireless adapter (provided by AT&T along with our 2Wire wireless router) to connect the 360 to our wireless network.
2. Using a wireless router and the available DD-WRT firmware option I have lightly read about to connect the 360 to our wireless network.
Ideally, I would use option 1. The adapter is just a wireless network adapter dongle, connected via USB. Two were included in our AT&T U-Verse startup kit - my wife is using the other. I have not had much success searching for this other than an answer from Yahoo Answers. I have attempted it and the light on the adapter does not even light up when connected to the XBox.
I have read about option 2 - reconfiguring a wireless router with firmware to make it act as a wireless receiver, which is (apparently) the primary function of the more expensive 360 wireless adapter. I do not know the depths of what I would be getting into on the DD-WRT firmware side of things and I'm wondering what input people with more experience have.
To summarize: Is it simpler to just go out and buy the 360 wireless adapter or attempt a workaround and create my own with other less-expensive hardware?
Haven't posted in quite a while - if this is a common repeat I apologize. I was not able to get results when searching for some reason - it kept asking me to log in, but that's another forum.
Thanks
Posts
So that brings us down to option 2. You need a router compatable with DD-WRT (there's a list on the site) and from there it's pretty easy. Try the forums there, though, they'll go into good detail.
(and remember option 3: buy like a hundred feet of good ol' Cat5e from Monoprice. It might be the easiest and cheapest way.)
I work in the electrical industry so I have access to plenty of that at no charge (unless copper skyrockets again). The fun part was telling the wife that I could do that and save us $100. She changed her stance on buying the adapter when she visualized cat 5 going down the stairs and through the living room.
Thanks for the feedback.
http://lifehacker.com/368094/wire-your-living-room-over-wi+fi-with-a-bridge - The concept of a wireless bridge
and
http://www.wi-fiplanet.com/tutorials/article.php/3639271 - Using a hacked Linksys WRT54G router as a wireless bridge
I did the very same thing last weekend that you are talking about in option 2. I had a spare Linksys WRT54G router sitting around, so I hacked it with the DD-WRT mod and turned it in to a wireless bridge. It works like a charm, I didn't have to buy an over-priced peripheral, and I don't have cables going everywhere. My only regret is that I didn't do this sooner.
B.net: Kusanku
Uh...you don't have to really "haxxor" it, the feature you're mentioning is a standard feature. It's designed to take an existing wireless signal and output it through the ethernet jack on the device.
Personally, I just have an ethernet cable running from the 360 to my Mac which has internet sharing turned on. So, from the wireless, out to the ethernet port on the mac and then out to the 360.
It's none too reliable and I still haven't figured out opening ports or static IPs, but it works so that's all I care about.
One day I'll be caving and purchasing the official adapter, god knows when though.
Switch: 6200-8149-0919 / Wii U: maximumzero / 3DS: 0860-3352-3335 / eBay Shop
I used my MacBook as a wireless bridge from my Linksys router and it works amazingly well. Well enough that I can use the 360 and play COD4 while still using the laptop to look at forums and chat on aim.
I have another friend that does the same thing. Its a solution that is only cheeper if you have a laptop laying around however that can do the job, and you don't mind setting a laptop on top of your TV