Connect via Cabel Modem, still detect HDD?

[Dr. Dastardly]

So I have an Xbox 360 but really do not want to shell out $100 for wifi dongle and would much rather get a cable modem since my TV has cable going directly to it. So I was thinking of getting a modem and a cable splitter and hooking the 360 directly up to the ethernet.

Then I was thinking about my Apple TV and thought about doing the same thing. My apple TV continuously looses connection with my airport express after a few days and its driving me nuts. I don't know if its because of a faulty router or because I live in a condo and have about 7 wifi networks being detected at one time so there is plenty of interference.

Hooking the Apple TV up to the modem will allow it to access the store but is there a way to connect to my external HDD connected to my computer so I don't have to rely on the wifi? Or will it pick up any networked drive automatically on the network.

 

[aristobrat]

So you currently have Internet, but you want to sign up for another Internet account (cable modem) just so your XBOX 360 can get on the Internet?

Where I live, the cheapest cable modem Internet service is $35 a month. I'm sure after 4 or 5 months of that, you would have paid more than it would have cost to just a wireless adapter for your XBOX to use your existing Internet, no?

In regards to your AppleTV losing connection to your Airport Express, you can try downloading a free program called iStumber. Run it on your Mac and it will show you which WiFi channel that those other networks are using. If your Airport Express is using the same channel as the others, you can change it.

If you plug your AppleTV into its own cable modem directly, and your computer and wireless HDD are running on your other Internet connection, they won't see each other.

 

[Dr. Dastardly]

I already have internet and have cable access in both the office and the living room. I would just buy another cable modem and install it in the living room with that cable.

I would have to sign up for another account if I just wanted to install another cable modem?

 

[Le Big Mac]

I already have internet and have cable access in both the office and the living room. I would just buy another cable modem and install it in the living room with that cable.

I would have to sign up for another account if I just wanted to install another cable modem?

I thought most cable cos. were set up to allow one cable modem per account/house. Home networking on cat5 beyond that was fine. I'm really not sure what would happen if you hooked up two cable modems. Probably conflicts over the line.

 

[TEG]

You really want to run an Ethernet cable to your XBox and AppleTV, or get an Airport Express to extend your Airport Network, then use it to boost your Network for your AppleTV and give an ethernet port for your XBox. This will be $49-$99, whereas the XBox wireless adapter is $39.

TEG

 

[aristobrat]

I would have to sign up for another account if I just wanted to install another cable modem?

Where I live, the cable company only allows one cable modem per account.

If they won't allow you to use another cable modem, the $100 wifi adapter for the XBOX 360 sounds about the cheapest way to get it online.

In regards to your AppleTV always losing connection to your Airport Express every few days, use that iStumbler program and see if everyone elses WiFi network is on the same channel your WiFi network is. If it is, use the Airport Utility program to connect to your Express and change yours to something a few channels away. (Channels 1, 6 and 11 are the best because they don't overlap. If most people are 6, try picking 1 or 11, whichever channel has the least networks on it. Picking channel 5 might seem like a great idea because probably nobody is using it, but remember that channel 5 overlaps with channel 6 somewhat).

Good luck!

 

[aristobrat]

or get an Airport Express to extend your Airport Network, then use it to boost your Network for your AppleTV and give an ethernet port for your XBox.

I thought about recommending that, but seeing as how his AppleTV doesn't maintain a constant WiFi connection back to current Express from where its at, I thought that using another Express (in the same general area that the AppleTV is struggling with WiFi) was a bit risky.

 

[Darth.Titan]

I already have internet and have cable access in both the office and the living room. I would just buy another cable modem and install it in the living room with that cable.

I would have to sign up for another account if I just wanted to install another cable modem?

As others have said I doubt your cable company is going to allow two modems without paying for two accounts.

If you currently have internet in two rooms you must have a router already. Sounds to me like you just need to run cat5 cable into the room for the XBox and AppleTV. That will be the cheapest solution.

 

[ftaok]

Personally, I would buy a full featured router. Connect the new router to the existing cable modem. Run ethernet from the router to the XBox. Use wireless for both the Express and aTV.

ft

 

[ftaok]

If you currently have internet in two rooms you must have a router already. Sounds to me like you just need to run cat5 cable into the room for the XBox and AppleTV. That will be the cheapest solution.

It sounds like he's using his Airport Express as the router, so there's no free ethernet port (since it's already connected to the modem). At least that's how I read it.

ft

 

[Dr. Dastardly]

I think I will try that iStumbler approach. If that works then I says its golden. I was getting just fed up with the wifi loosing connection and will try a different channel.

Where can you get a 360 wifi connector for $40?

 

[ftaok]

I think I will try that iStumbler approach. If that works then I says its golden. I was getting just fed up with the wifi loosing connection and will try a different channel.

Where can you get a 360 wifi connector for $40?

Kinda confused here ...

Are you using someone else's wifi connection? Because that's pretty much what iStumbler is used for ... to find wifi networks.

Since you already have a cable modem, a more reliable solution would be to create your own wifi network.

ft

 

[aristobrat]

Kinda confused here ...

Are you using someone else's wifi connection? Because that's pretty much what iStumbler is used for ... to find wifi networks.

Right. He's going to use iStumbler to find which channels the other wifi networks near him are using (to see if that's part of the wifi problem he's having).

My apple TV continuously looses connection with my airport express after a few days and its driving me nuts. I don't know if its because of a faulty router or because I live in a condo and have about 7 wifi networks being detected at one time so there is plenty of interference.

 

[ftaok]

Right. He's going to use iStumbler to find which channels the other wifi networks near him are using (to see if that's part of the wifi problem he's having).

OK, I got it. I totally missed that part of issue. It was just confusing to me ... and I hope Dr. Dastardly didn't take it to mean that I was accusing him of leaching off of someone's wifi, because I didn't mean it that way.

I guess that since I don't live in an apartment, I've never had to deal with networks that are so close.