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MacBook + XBox 360: Wireless help?

X

xboxer

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Dec 28, 2007
9
0
Hey,
I'm new to these forums, and definitely a 'noob' when it comes to complicated computer jargon; so laymen's terms would be great :)

Anyway, I recently bought an XBox 360 - which is great - but I'm having trouble connecting it up to my MacBook.

Obviously I have Airport built in and I connect wirelessly to the internet, but I can't seem to get my XBox to recognise/share that connection.

Basically, I've gone out and bought a Microsoft Wireless Adaptor for the XBox so (some day) I might play over XBox LIVE (when I'm good enough...), but the XBox won't even recognise that it's connected to my wireless internet..

When it comes to the "Network Settings" part in the XBox setup, it finds my network (my SSID..I think it's called...?) and recognises the plugged in USB Wireless thingy I bought, but when it comes to evaluating the IP it just says 'Failed'. I don't really know what to do.

Ultimately, I'd like to be able to do two things: Connect to XBox LIVE, and stream music from my computer to the XBox. I've downloaded Connect360 so I can sort out the streaming music isssue but that still requires the XBox and my Mac to be somehow connected!

I've trawled through the internet for literally hours and have found that I can "pass on" my Airport connection to the XBox by using Internet Sharing and the Ethernet cable, but the whole point of buying the special Microsoft Wireless Adaptor was to prevent any extra cabling! Plus, this way apparently doesn't give you access to XBox LIVE; something which I do ultimately want.

Anyway, I can't really explain it in anymore detail than that as I'm not familiar with internet/computer terminology at all. Any help to point me in the right direction (links etc...) would be greatly appreciated as it seems like such a waste to spend £40 on a Wireless Adaptor only to find it doesn't work and my only alternative requires both a wire and doesn't all me to connect to XBox LIVE.

If you need more details just ask. I'll be more than willing to help as it would be great to have this problem fixed as soon as it can be.

Thanks in advance :)
 
question

Where does your Macbook get its wireless connection from? A wireless router set up in your house?

You need to input manual settings to connect your xbox to the internet. There should be a ton of sites available via google.
 
Yep, a wireless router in the room above, so a very strong connection.

I've tried entering things manually as per various instructions on the 'net but I can't seem to get it right...the IP stage of the Network Settings still says 'Failed' every time.

I'm also not sure (maybe) which bits of information I'm putting in where. I mean, everything is just a string of numbers. I thought my IP was specific to my computer but then it turns out that there is a different one for the router and something called a 'Subnet Mask' or something...? I don't know what any of this stuff is! :confused:

I tried entering the data manually as logically as I could but I still couldn't get it to work. Plus, the XBox asks for the 'Gateway', and I could not find anything relating to this in the Network System Preferences of my Mac...

I'm more than willing to give info of my IP/Router/Gateway/Subnet thingy...whatever, if it means anyone could give me a step-by-step guide to getting this thing set up...

I just feel like I've tried everything (turning off the router, the XBox, my Mac, fiddling with setting etc...) and nothing will work.
 
MacRumorUser said:
Check the console games section

This thread

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/405802/

You get more response if you post in the right forum sub section ;):)
Click to expand...

Thanks, but I already read through and tried that. When I type in 'ifconfig en0' into the terminal I get this:


my-computer:~ me$ ifconfig en0
en0: flags=8863<UP,BROADCAST,SMART,RUNNING,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> mtu 1500
ether 00:17:f2:30:31:df
media: autoselect status: inactive
supported media: autoselect 10baseT/UTP <half-duplex> 10baseT/UTP <full-duplex> 10baseT/UTP <full-duplex,hw-loopback> 10baseT/UTP <full-duplex,flow-control> 100baseTX <half-duplex> 100baseTX <full-duplex> 100baseTX <full-duplex,hw-loopback> 100baseTX <full-duplex,flow-control> 1000baseT <full-duplex> 1000baseT <full-duplex,hw-loopback> 1000baseT <full-duplex,flow-control> none
my-computer:~ me$
​


I don't get any 'inet' followed by a number at all. So I'm basically stuck at square one...

EDIT - Also, doesn't that method still require using a cable of some sorts, rendering my Wireless Adaptor useless...? Or am I getting mixed up here?
 
"Gateway" is the same as "router" in the mac world.

Let's say you have a linksys router. An example setup could be:

IP: 192.168.1.99 (sometimes it's a 0 or a 15 in that third set, check your mac and use the same format it does, just be sure to have a different last three digits)

Subnet: 255.255.255.0

Gateway (router): 192.168.1.1

I used 208.67.220.220 and 208.67.222.222 as my DNS servers. The address is for open DNS, which seems to work well.

IN short...try copying everything from your mac, but changing the last number of the IP address to something like 99 or 134, something besides 100-109.

Make sense?
 
You need to go the other way around.

try ifconfig en1

because your sharing your airport wireless internet over airport and not over ethernet as in the guide.
 
If he can connect to a wireless router he doesn't have to share anything.
 
^ Just wait till he hits the NAT problems that can arise from sharing his internet connection ;)





But yeah his best bet is to just save himself the hassle and buy a airport express and use that as a basestation / router to distribute the internet (avoid the airport extreme as some 360 wireless adapters don't work with it) and let the airport express do all the leg work.

He can then leave his 360 on automatic and it should work perfectly with everything set at auto.

Don't you love technology ;):)
 
MacRumorUser said:
You need to go the other way around.

try ifconfig en1

because your sharing your airport wireless internet over airport and not over ethernet as in the guide.
Click to expand...

Ahah; trying this left me with:



my-computer:~ me$ ifconfig en1
en1: flags=8863<UP,BROADCAST,SMART,RUNNING,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> mtu 1500
inet6 fe80::217:f2ff:fe51:a19a%en1 prefixlen 64 scopeid 0x5
inet 192.168.1.100 netmask 0xffffff00 broadcast 192.168.1.255
ether 00:17:f2:51:a1:9a
media: autoselect status: active
supported media: autoselect
my-computer:~ me$​


So that leaves me with:

inet 192.168.1.100

and here's a screenshot of my Network System Preferences as I thought it might be of use:

​

Right, now, assist me some more! Step-by-step would be fantastic :p (seriously though, great fast responses! Really helpful!)
 
Try setting up on your 360 as

IP:192.168.1.110
subnet: 255.255.255.0
gateway:192.168.1.100

dns primary: 192.168.1.1
dns secondary: 192.168.1.2


fingers crossed.


You may have to change your airport settings to manual instead of DHCP and insert the exact same info that you have in the shot above.
Simply because DHCP is not fixed, meaning it could refresh and give a new ip address meaning the 360's will stop working.
 
Just use your macbook to connect to live. You don't need the Microsoft adapter. Just run Ethernet from your mackbook to the xbox360. This is how I connect to live with my macbook:

Connect xbox live from macbook


Mac OS X
1) System Preferences-->Network-->Built-in Ethernet-->TCP/IP
2) Set Configure IPv4: to Manually
- Set IP Address: to 10.0.0.1
- Set Subnet Mask: to 255.255.255.0
3) System Preferences-->Sharing-->Internet
4) Set Share your connection from: to Airport
- Set To computers using: to Built-in Ethernet
- Click Start and than Start

XBOX 360
1) While in the Dashboard, navigate to the System blade
2) Network Settings-->Edit Settings-->IP Settings-->Manual
3) Set IP Address to 10.0.0.2 ( The first three segments i.e. 10.0.0 will need to match what you set in step #2 of the Mac OS X section )
- Set Subnet Mask to 255.255.255.0
- Set Gateway to 10.0.0.1 ( What you set in step #2 under the Mac OS X section )
- Click Done
4) Go to DNS Settings
*** NOTE: I set the primary to my router and the secondary to my ISP's primary. You can find your router's IP by going to your MacBook and to System Preferences-->Network-->Airport-->TCP/IP
*** NOTE: You can usually find your ISP's DNS servers in your routers status page, see the manual that came with your router for more information
 
MacRumorUser said:
I think the point is he has already bought the expensive wireless adapter and therefore he would like to get it to work. :)
Click to expand...

Exactly :) And thanks for the help, I'm just gonna try it out now...fingers crossed.


Also, I've read - briefly - about NAT problems (whatever on earth they are, something to do with 'strict' and 'moderate' or something...:confused:) but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. Right, enough talk, I'm going to attend to the XBox; I'll report back in 5 mins or so...
 
Okay, well I made all those first changes and it didn't work. Again, it was fine up until it kindly gave me IP : 'Failed'.

So I changed my Network Setting accordingly to this:



but that didn't work either. And then, when I tried to come back to this site (or any other site), my internet was down... So I changed the settings back to how there were before.

Any idea what went wrong?
 
Yep! If it still is playing up, then just leave it on DHCP and see if those settings on the 360 side of things work anyway, otherwise we may be just creating more hassles without necessity :)
 
Right, well with my Network Preferences set to 'Manual' and with those settings as per the snapshot in the other post (but leaving the DNS Servers box blank) - I get no internet. When I click to Google Safari just tells me I'm not connected to the internet. So I had to change things back. Currently, my XBox setting are set to:

IP Setting: Manual
IP Address: 192.168.1.110
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
Gateway: 192.168.1.100

DNS Settings: Manual
Primary DNS Server: 192.168.1.1
Secondary DNS Server: 192.168.1.2

and my Network Preferences are set at:

​

And all to no avail. I still get 'Failed' returned when I test either my Media Settings or my XBox LIVE Settings... :( I've even restarted the XBox and I get the same result...

(I hope these snapshots are helpful; I know how annoying it can be when someone isn't explaining things correctly, and with my lack of computer terminology I thought this would be the best way)
 
MacRumorUser said:
I think the point is he has already bought the expensive wireless adapter and therefore he would like to get it to work. :)
Click to expand...
Yes, I was well aware of the expensive xbox360 adapter that MS charges $100 for. I was referring to Xboxer returning the adapter or selling it, as it's not needed. I read where he already had it. I guess I should have been more explicit.
 
This might already have been answered, but why can't you connect to the router directly via your Xbox's wifi?

edit: I see that's not working. Well, I'm fresh out of ideas. That's how the 360's connected over here...
 
1. What kind of router do you have?
2. Are you using some sort of security on your wireless connection (WEP, WPA, MAC Filtering etc)?


#2 is probably more important than #1. If you have a secured wireless connection you need to add the 360 to the list of allowed connections. From there DHCP should work just fine. If you have an open wireless network, then the 360 should have just got an IP address no problem (from your router), just like how your Mac does. But it sounds, to me, like you have some sort of filtering happening, which is why the 360 isn't working.
 
Right, got it working in the end; turned out I had the wrong WEP Key but the XBox was still accepting it, but only up to a point.

Anyway, now it keeps telling me that things might be slow because of my NAT settings or something...? What is this/how do I alter it?

Thanks.
 
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