Ok I dont usually check my guestbook on here, so if someone needs to ask my anything at all, could t...
Ok I dont usually check my guestbook on here, so if someone needs to ask my anything at all, could they please e-mail me, penypicker@gmail.com TY :-)
Member since:20.06.2006
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For those not interested in reading about my experience the device allows you to play on X box live without the need for wires. The range extends up at least 2 flights of stairs (estimated distance 15 metres directly and through 2 walls) and allows you to X box online. The device which should have come in built sadly needs buying at an extra for around £40 and then you also need to purchase an subscription to the X box Live service.
For those wanting to read my experience carry on.
To use Xbox live the easiest way with out spreading cables around your house is wireless and to do this you're almost certainly going to be buying this adaptor (though I have read it's possible to do it through a laptop this seemed like it was going to involve effort so I had to decline it). As the 360 has no built in adaptor to pick up wireless Internet (yes, Microsoft stung us here) despite the fact the Wii does we need to splash out on an external one. I'll admit I'm not particularly happy at needing to splash out extra to do something, even more so when you then need to pay for the subscription but it was pay day and I was feeling joyous.
Costing £35 for the device at the time (prices seem to range between £35-£50 though) and the same again for the subscription this was
almost off putting to the extent I was going to miss out yet again on the online evolution of gaming, but grinned and bared the monetary mickey taking in hope the device would finally let me see what the fuss was all about with X Box live. And even at £70 instantly it was going to be for a year anyway so that was less than £2 a week, so after arguing with my self I handed over the money, uninterested girlfriend in tow who couldn't understand the appeal.
Got home and shock horror it wouldn't connect to my wireless adaptor for some reason, fairly typical I though, another white elephant. I couldn't understand why it wouldn't connect but it wouldn't, it refused to do so, it just didn't seem to want to, it was acting like a temperamental child showing me up in front of my girl. Damnit, I had to do what I never do and act calm and cool, act as though I didn't want to take a hammer to the infuriating thing. It was definitely connected properly into the 360 in the back of the device I wasn't stupid enough to put it in wrong or anything and this made it worse, their seemed to be no reason and no rhyme to solve regarding it's problems with myself.
So a few days later the missus had headed to the opposite end of the country and the foul mouthed tirade at this little white thing could begin. A rant about wasting money and Microsoft being a bunch of this or that's had started as I vented the frustration of missing her and having a stupid thing that I couldn't work. In frustration I did something odd to our wireless router that had effectively reset everything on it and cut off the houses internet all together, oh yeah this was just getting better. No sex, no internet...and no sex on the internet...what the hell is a 21 year old guy meant to do on his own?
Well mum sorted out the internet resetting everything on the box whilst on the phone with the nice people at Orange and guess what. My X Box could suddenly find everything and connected straight away, we we're there baby. I kissed and made up with my X box, put the hammer away and made an agreement with myself never to mention that day again...until now. With the installation this time taking a matter of minutes and the connection to Live was on, my gamertag created I was ready to go, time to fight the best at Fight Night I though. Sadly as the wireless in the house is only 2GB and shared between a whole host of other things I swiftly realised I'd have to wait until everyone went to bed before I could actually play any games. But I managed to have a quick look around the marketplace making sure not to buy anything else.
The happy ending to the story is the device has been connected none stop since the internet went down with no problems at all. The little white box connected like an antenna onto the back of my 360 looks quite attractive in all honesty and the spat I had with it has been put down to tension of missing someone special. Though I can see the device breaking in some peoples hands it does seem quite sturdy overall (though heaven forbid, your an idiot and will pick up an xbox by the antenna, if so you deserve to break it).
At £70 for the adaptor and the 12 months subscription it is now looking like a value buy so don't be put off by the high up front costs, even though I do resent the fact my sisters Wii was free to connect and play online with the Wii online set up is no where as complete as X Box Live and anyone who thinks it is really needs to stop giving Mario love bites. X Box live is full of depth the friends contact list and Gamer Tags are far superior to Wii Friend Codes (which I still don't really understand the purpose of, part of online play is to make new friends after all).
Though I must question why I wasn't able to connect originally, I followed all the steps and the trouble shooting system and still seemed to just go around in circles, so this could, and should, be improved in the future. I'm not sure if it was just our router was being over exerted (1 PC, 2 Laptops and a Wii) or if there was a proper problem there, though no problems in 2 months would suggest all is good now.
Overall the daunting outlay of money up front is a bit worrying to some but when it works, it's a beaut allowing you access to the greatest online gaming experience out there, X Box Live. Though as previously said, why wasn't it in built? (Well other than Microsoft squeezing another £35 out of us). You WILL need either this, or wires to experience the best the 360 has to offer and what makes the machine the beast and the brilliant device it is, sadly fellow gamers, we've been done again. Though it's no worse than needing to by a DVD play back kit for the original X box or over priced memory cards for the PS2.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
You're better off using the wired network connector if at all possible as wireless can introduce extra lag and losses of connection. On the other hand if you can't, this isn't a bad solution.
CrazyJamie 02.09.2009 12:17
You can get these for a much more reasonable price nowadays. I agree that it should have come with the console in any event, but hey ho.
exceptional by (10%):
very helpful by (90%):
