Photo taken at Gibson Ranch

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Update history

March 10, 2009:
Updated answers. Restructured list. Elaborated on 360 networking.

Dec 9, 2008:
Removed ads from side. Changed layout. Updated answers. Added social interaction

Nov 20, 2008:
Added work in progress note

Nov 12, 2008:
Updated answers - changed design

Aug 8, 2008:
Updated answers

Jul 25, 2008:
Edited Ad layout. Added recommended downloads link

Jul 24, 2008:
Added recommended downloads and services webpage.
Added new quicklinks

Below are the recent questions I have answered at yahoo.
Computer repair computer software xbox 360 antivirus antispam security troubleshooting crash failure

Xbox 360 Common Questions

Welcome to "The Wall". Here you can ask questions and try to troubleshoot problems you are having with your Xbox 360. Please view all the frequently asked questions below before asking, and if you DO ask, please be as detailed as possible. If you are getting an error message, what message? Networking problem? Please explain in detail how you are connecting the 360 to the internet. Anyone is welcome to ask and answer questions. I do recommend logging in with a google account just to make it easier to know who asked and replied with what however.

Reason for lack of updates and answers


Earlier this year, (Year being 2009), the mother of my children passed away abruptly due to a random blood clot. I have spent some time coming to terms with this sudden loss and consoling my two daughters. (Age 13 and 9) I had lost interest in many things that were once very important to me during this time. Since the incident my children and I have moved into a new house and I had spent some time away until we could recover emotionally. I apologize for the lack of updates, but this was a challenging time for all of us. I will still not be updating this page as often, as I have turned my focus towards game development for the Xbox 360 as an Indie Game Programmer. I will try and answer questions when I do check the page of course, but there may be some time between visits.

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360 Questions

I have answered many questions regarding the Xbox 360 in public forums, chat rooms, and 'answer' related websites. Many times I come across the same question that someone else answered, and the answer is completely wrong or very biased. These are the more common questions that I have answered, all put in one simple place.

Now, on to the questions!

"Can I hook my Xbox 360 to my laptop to get Xbox live?"
"Is there a cheap alternative to buying a wireless adapter?"
"I want to use my laptop as a portable router for my Xbox."
"Can I use the wireless connection on my computer to connect to Xbox Live?"

-=Updated=-
This is the most common question I am asked. The answer is yes. You can connect your Xbox or Xbox 360 to a computer or laptop that has a wireless connection to the internet. I used to explain how to use network bridging as an option, but too many people had issues so I only explain how to connect using Internet Connection Sharing. My method includes manual setting of IP addresses on the 360 to ensure a connection

Internet Connection Sharing

  1. Connect your Xbox360 to the ethernet port on the back of your computer.
  2. on your computer, hold the windows key and press R (The windows key is the key with a windows logo on it, typically found between the left ctrl and alt keys by the spacebar. On laptops the location can vary)
  3. A 'run prompt' will open. Type ncpa.cpl and press enter. This opens up a window called 'network connections'
  4. If you have a network bridge or sharing in place already, remove it.
  5. Right click on the wireless connection, click properties, then click the sharing tab on top.
  6. Check the box that says "Allow others to connect using this connection. Click ok.
  7. Windows will do it's thing for a few seconds and then inform you of your ethernet port's new IP address. (192.168.0.1)
  8. On your 360, go to network settings. set to manual. enter the following info.
    IP Address= 192.168.0.2
    Subnet Mask=255.255.255.0
    Gateway Address= 192.168.0.1
    DNS for first server put 192.168.0.1 Leave second blank.
    When you test your Xbox live connection after entering the first 3 IP numbers, your DNS may automatically set to the correct one. You can leave it auto in this case, or set it to manual to avoid any future issues.
Vista Update
This method will allow you to connect to live over Vista with no issue. If you are having a problem with media sharing to the 360 however, you need to change your LAN connection to a 'Private connection'. To do this, open the "Network and Sharing Center" on Vista. If the shared connection is listed as a 'public' connection then the computer is not easily discoverable by the 360. To change the network to a private connection, click the 'customize' link next to the network name and click 'private'. Now the 360 can easily media share videos and music. Unfortunately, on some networks (including mine) the 360 always shows up as an 'Unidentified network' which means it is set to public everytime the 360 is turned on. I haven't discovered a way to automatically change the network to private yet so constantly changing it manually on Vista is necessary for the time being.

I cannot get your method to work!
There are certain circumstances that will not allow you to use ICS easily. If you are having issues, please click here to go through some troubleshooting steps. I'm putting the directions at the bottom of this list out of respect for other readers looking for a different question.

"I have a xbox 360. It wont turn on. The power botton turns red instead of green why?"
"I think I have the ring of death, now what?"
"There's something wrong with my Xbox 360"
"What do red lights mean on my Xbox 360?"

Red lights on the 360 are to tell you that there is a problem with your 360. The number of lights determines the problem
1 light = General hardware failure.
2 lights = Overheating console.
3 lights = Referred to as ring of death. Call xbox. (1-800-4MY-XBOX) You likely will have to send it in for repairs.
4 lights = the video cable is unplugged. (Or there is a problem with the video connection)

1 red light may not be a large cause for concern. It typically means that something didn't happen the way it should've and returned an error code. I typically get a single red light when turning on the Xbox, then ejecting and putting in a DVD or game before the 360 finishes its boot up sequence. Usually, just turn it off, wait a little bit and turn it on again. What is happening more often however is people are getting a E74 error with a single light. E74 is a serious error, and it's time to call 1-800-4MY-XBOX. I do not give advice on how to repair these issues. There are plenty others who are more than happy to give advice, but keep in mind each circumstance is different and the method one explains may not be the fix you need. Repair at your own risk.

2 red lights, turn it off and leave it off until it cools down. Make sure there is 'breathing room' behind the 360. The best test is to feel the wall or whatever is behind/under the 360, and see if it is hot. Warm is understandable, but if hot then there's not enough airflow. Move the 360 forward, raise it, or find somehow to increase the airflow around it.

3 red lights is a hardware failure that has been very popular in the news regarding the reliability of the Xbox 360. There are websites that can help you get into the system and fix the hardware issue, but it is best to call Xbox and have it replaced if it is under warranty. (You will send it back for repairs, but it's typically replaced with a working console and sent back.) The warranty for the 3 red flashing lights was extended to 3 years from the date of purchase. If you are uncertain of when you purchased the console, call Microsoft anyway because they have the date store in their database. (My purchase date was looked up within 30 seconds of asking)

4 red lights mean the 360 is not seeing the video pack connected to the back of the Xbox 360. Disconnect the video cable behind the 360, look for any debris in the way and plug it back in.

For more Xbox red light troubleshooting, check out the wikipedia entry on it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xbox_360_technical_problems

"Is there a way to connect an XBOX 360 wireless controller to my PC using the Play & Charge Kit?"

Unfortunately, no. Ironically, if you had the Wired controller, you could just plug it in the computer and it would work perfectly, but who goes and buys wired controllers? In order to use a wireless controller/controllers on your PC, you need to purchase a "Wireless receiver for Windows" (Basically $20)
http://www.xbox.com/en-US/hardware/x/xbox360wirelessgamingreceiver/default.htm
I have one, and it works great. Especially with MAME. ;)

"How can I SAVE media from my computer to my xbox 360?"
"I burned a mp3 cd and I can't save the songs to the 360?"
"Why won't the Xbox 360 let me rip my CD?"
"Can I copy files from my jumpdrive / flashdrive to my 360?"

The only way to save music to your hard drive, is to first burn it as an audio CD on your computer, then rip the audio tracks from the CD on the 360. Time consuming? Yes, but 360 doesn't allow transferring files.
If you burn the disc in an MP3 or 'file' or 'data' format, then you can play the songs off the cd/dvd you burned, but you will not be able to save the songs to the 360 hard drive.
The only way to save a picture to your hard drive, (that I know of) is to display a picture from a computer/flash drive/CD/DVD, and save it as your background. Even after you change your background back, the picture remains on hard drive and you can set it back as your background anytime. It's not practical, but that's how to get it there.

"Can you use any webcam on the Xbox 360, or do you have to buy the Microsoft one?"
"I have a webcam on my computer, can I use it on my Xbox?"
"Will any USB webcam work on the Xbox 360?"

You have to buy the Xbox 360 camera. It's the only one the 360 sees. The 360 won't even recognize Microsofts own brand of webcams for the PC. (LifeCam) If you're going to buy a cam now, you may as well the game '"You're in the movies". You buy the camera at the same price, ($39.99) and you get the game free.

"Can you plug four WIRED controllers in to the xbox 360?"
"How many wired controllers can you plug into the Xbox 360?"

There are 3 USB ports on the Xbox360 that you can directly plug a wired controller into. (2 in the front, one in the back) So without any extra parts, you can only use 3 wired controllers max. However, You can use a USB hub to connect 4 wired controllers to a single port. If you try to connect a 5th, it won't connect, and if you try to connect a wireless it will stay in the 'searching' mode.. once you disconnect a wired controller the wireless will immediately take its place. Pretty smart setup they have. Would've helped to just have 4 usb ports to start with. At least with a hub you can free up ports for the Webcam, a USB keyboard, and the Wireless adapter

"Can I play original Xbox games on my 360 without Xbox Live?"
"How can I get updates to backwards compatibility games without Xbox live?"
"It says I need an update to play an original Xbox game on my 360, but it's not connected to the internet. Can I ever play it?"
Is there any way to update my Xbox 360 without connecting it to the internet?

You'll can download the Xbox 360 system updates from Xbox.com and burn them to a blank CD or DVD. Details, Instructions and the download can be found at the following page.
The Fall 2008 update is now available using this method.
http://www.xbox.com/en-US/support/systemuse/xbox360/console/systemupdates.htm

You can also download the backwards compatibility updates as well to allow you to play the most current list of backwards compatible Xbox games. You can get that update at a link in the page below.
http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/backwardscompatibility.htm

"Do you need an Xbox system link cable to connect two Xbox 360's together?"
"Can I use any ethernet cable to link to Xbox 360s together?"
"Do I need a crossover cable to play a system link game on 360?"

The Xbox 360 has auto sensing on its ethernet port, so it doesn't matter if you use a standard ethernet cable, or a System link cable (Which is a crossover cable). The Xbox 360 will 'sense' what cord you are using and adjust appropriately. The original Xbox did not have auto sensing, and needed a crossover/system link cable. This is the reason many people still ask this question. There is no official 360 system link cable for this reason.

"Xbox live MTU Fail?"
"How do I change my MTU setting?"
"My xbox fails the MTU test"

To have a better idea of how to fix the MTU, it's good to understand what it is and what it stands for. MTU stands for Maximum Transmission Unit. You likely understand that the internet consists of little 'packets' of information flowing everywhere, instantly. The MTU is a setting that says how 'big' one of those packets can be. The larger the number, the bigger the packet, and therefore the more bandwidth can be used in one packet. For Xbox live this setting has to be a minimum of "1364."

This setting is usually set in your routers' configuration screen. It will be in some sort of advanced configuration screen. This is where I say the typical 'see if your router lets you change this setting'.

Now, just because your router says it can be changed doesn't mean you're out of the clear. If you are in a dorm, or another sort of shared internet setup you are likely out of luck. The MTU is set for a smaller size for the entire connection and cannot be changed. If it was set to a large MTU, then there would be serious connection issues as some people hog the entire amount of bandwidth to download large files.

Also, some routers need a firmware upgrade to support the MTU setting and be able to connect to Xbox live. Check your routers homepage, look up the downloads for the router you have and see what the latest firmware driver is. You should be able to simply download and install it from there. Few ISP's have routers that simply will not support Xbox live and need to replaced. I've run into this problem especially with AOL Broadband customers who have been customers forever and have their early routers. Below is a link to a page at Xbox.com listing 'certified' compatible routers, but more importantly, it lists 'incompatible' routers.

You can find that list here.

Link updated after Xbox changed pages. Select list from dropdown box.

"My xbox still runs after I turn it off"
"Why can I still hear the Xbox after I turn it off?"

If you are using a play and charge cable, and the USB cable is plugged into the Xbox then the Xbox will continue to run to charge the batteries in the controller. See if the light on the controller portion of the play and charge cable has an orange light, signaling it is charging.

Also, if you are downloading a demo or movie when you turn off the Xbox, the Xbox will still continue to download even when turned off. (At a slower rate) You can turn off this feature by going to the following location on your Xbox 360 dashboard.
System blade / Console settings / Shutdown.

"Can I use an Original Xbox controller on my Xbox 360?"
"Can I connect an Xbox controller to my 360?"
"Is it possible to use my old Xbox controller on my Xbox 360?"

I've tried to research this as well. They have Xbox to USB converters so you can use your Xbox controller on a PC, so would that work on the 360? The controller hardware setup is similar to the original Xbox, except the white/black are now the L1 and R1 buttons. After much searching, I have not seen anyone who has tried, or has at least posted about trying it. The people who sell the adapters never list the 360 as a possible use for the converter and they would be the first to announce such capability as it means more sales for them.

Then I figured the following. The original Xbox supports 4 players but each port on the Xbox is 'set' to be player 1, 2, etc by which port you plug it into. The 360 controllers and accessories all have the green gem (guide button) and 'talk' to the Xbox 360 to become player 1, 2, etc. Since the original controllers do not have this extra capability then it is highly likely that they will never 'sync' and the 360 will not allow them to connect. I'm sure the drivers on the 360 are also very specific about what to allow to be used. After realizing this, I stopped looking for ways to use an original Xbox controller on a 360. It may be possible with a modded Xbox 360 with custom controller drivers, but I'm not going to mod my 360.

"Is RefurbishedXbox360s.com for real?"
"Can I really buy an Xbox360 for $34.99?"

Many of these sites are gone now. I am going to consolidate the info since it is no longer an issue.

I investigated this site after I heard about it. Sounded too good to be true. After looking into it, I found it has to be a scam.

First off, they have the same layout and almost exact words as two other sites also registered by same company. cheapestwii.com and 1cheapps3.com. All sites claim their console is "fully loaded. It's the unsurpassed gaming and entertainment experience right out of the box delivering the Ultimate gaming and entertainment experience for the best value.". I already would not trust it at that point.
Second, the 'Hackersafe' scanalert logo image is hosted on each website, which means that it is fake. You should be able to click on the hackersafe logo and go to the scanalert.com homepage that has details about the scan.
Third, there IS NO scanalert 'Hackersafe' anymore. Scanalert was bought by Mcafee last year. Any Scanalert logo is a fake now.
-edit-
Many of the sites have already been taken down. Too bad many of the sites have already claimed countless credit cards due to the number of peoples complaints on public forums and at ripoffreport.com. Now some misleadingly sell a guide as to how to get a console for free. Be sure to read all the fine print. Here are the sites that I know of.

Xbox 360
RefurbishedXbox360s.com, RefurbishedXbox360.com, 360sforcheap.com

PS3
35dollarplaystation3.com, 1cheapps3.com, cheapestplaystation3.com

Wii
30dollarwii.com, Cheapestwii.com, wiisforless.com

I wouldn't doubt that the ones with broken transactions will arise again with a new payment system such as paypal or the like. Buyer beware

Troubleshooting ICS
Troubleshooting IP Address issues
Media Sharing Issues
Media Center Issues

These guides are going to take me while to type and arrange in such a way that the correct steps are taken in order for each situation. Check back in a few days, or explain your particular issue in "The Wall" above. A number of problems and resolutions have already been entered there, and some of the answers are going to end up as mostly a 'cut-n-paste' in this section.

About My Answers...

A few have accused me of copying other peoples' solutions, especially regarding network sharing. I will flatly deny such accusations. I am a Microsoft Certified System Engineer with CompTIA Network+ and Security+ certifications. All words on these pages are my own. I do try in great length to explain each answer thoroughly so readers not only get an answer, but also understand the answer and how/why it works. I make all these questions and answers available to you 'Ad Free' because I am a fellow game enthusiast, and I hope that I may bring a smile or sense of satisfaction to someone else in need. If you DO wish to contribute anything as a token of thanks, I will happily accept it here of course. =)

To date, there has been $0.00 in contributions made.