Xbox 360 Wireless Network Adapter A/B/G Networks Only Reviews

• Expensive, but worth it

  
  By AO3PKW6WDCY3Q on 2005-12-03
  Yes, I would have to agree with other reviewers here, this item is on the expensive side. But I believe it is worth the price because Xbox 360 Wireless Adapter is easy to install and easy to set up. In short, it works and I don't mind paying extra for something that works as intended with no hassels.
  
  To install, you simply insert the USB plug into the USB port on the backside of the Xbox 360. This Network adapter snaps into place so it never moves and the cable is just long enough preventing clutter. A very intelligent design.
  
  Software set up was a breeze. In my situation, it was automatic after a few menu selections. I did have a concern that there would be a problem because I am using an Apple Airport. But, no problems at all.
  
  Also, the range I receive is better than what others have mentioned here. I live in a two story house. My Airport (wireless hub) is located on the east side of the second floor, in a book case next to the outer wall. My Xbox 360 is located in an outer corner of the den on the first floor on the west side of the house. Basically, the signal is going from upstairs to downstairs and from one side of the house to the other. I was actually surprised that it worked without me having to rearrange either room.
  
  So, yes it is expensive, but it works without any problems for me. So many things I buy make you almost jump thru hoops to get them to simply do what they are suppose to.
  
  
  
  

• Easier than many alternatives

  
  By A3U41ZL33SS92P on 2006-10-17
  I was using a basic Linksys wireless game adapter with my 360, and it worked fine. However, it needed to be connected to a PC for firmware updates (making it impossible for Mac users), and was generally more difficult to set up than the "official" adapter from Microsoft.
  
  I ended up getting this adapter on sale, and setting it up was a snap. It gets decent throughput, and saves some energy over an external adapter, because it only uses power when you have the Xbox 360 on. It was also nice to see that this supports WPA networks.
  
  If your time is valuable to you, this is probably worth the extra few dollars over similar products. You just snap it on, enter your network's password, and you're off.
  
  

• Wireless is the way to go

  
  By ALO7C26NGWH9Y on 2006-11-21
  My television is in a completely different part of my house from my high speed internet connection, so while I wasn't thrilled to dish out extra money for this adapter, I have to say it was completely worth it. Since I figured out how to set up my home wireless network and coordinate that with the 360, I get a very strong connection and have had no problems staying connected.
  
  The only issue I had was that when I first set up the adapter I didn't known enough about wireless networks to have everything clicking together. At first the 360 would access Xbox Live, but was using other nearby wireless networks because I did not give the 360 the password ID to access my Linksys router. I live in center city Philadelphia, and by default the adapter was picking up and using whatever open wireless networks were available. The range must be good, because it would register about six or seven other networks of varying strengths.
  
  Once I figured out that my Linksys router had a password code (I think it is a WEP number) I was able to punch the router's ID into the 360 and the 360 then automatically connected to the secure wireless router in my home. I have never had a single issue since. I don't think this delay in the optimal setup was anyone's fault but my own, since I was pretty ignorant of how wireless networks are set up but I have a feeling it may happen to others.
  
  All in all, I think that having a secure wireless network at home is what will become standard in the next few years. This adapter works great, is small and disappears behind the console, reduces the clutter of wires, and allows you to keep your computer and high speed connection separate and distinct from your television area. It was definitely a worthy purchase.
  
  

• Preaching to the choir

  
  By A9L3XGK9UF9UX on 2006-09-18
  Well, I must say after purchasing the Linksys WGA11B Wireless-B Game Adapter that while yes this adapter is overpriced, it does work and considering that I only got the Linksys adapter to work once and then it shut down in the middle of an update I must say the price looked worth it.
  
  I can't vouch for your financial situations but after speading nearly 3 days trying to set up the Linksys when my wife finally said I should get this instead - this hooked up and connected instantly. No problems and I guess for the price it does look nice hooked in to the back of the Xbox. So you may not have as many problems as I do with the Linksys but if you have any questions or limited computer/networking ability this will be "worth" the price (only because nothing simplier does exist). So I would recommend this product if you want true plug-and-play which I don't believe the Linksys to be.
  
  I'm sure plently of people are happy with the Linksys, it just didn't work for me. So think first to avoid paying for both. I would go back and never buy the Linksys if I could.
  
  

• A good investment, but buyer beware.

  
  By A1ADDUQ3L6HN78 on 2007-11-23
  Buyer beware. The X-Box 360 wireless adapter CAN be a good investment, but be sure to do your homework first.
  
  I bought the adapter looking to download content from X-Box Live. After a three hour series of phone calls between X-Box and my ISP, it was discovered that the wireless adapter only works with a very narrow range of wireless routers and that, unless your router came from Microsoft, you may not be able to use the adapter at all.
  
  Be careful of Microsoft's website as well; my router was listed on the site as a 'compatible' one, but X-Box customer service confirmed over the phone that it wouldn't work.
  
  So, it's a good idea for a product. When it works.
  
  
• Get the Most from Your Wireless Adapter
  By A1LZYSYTXL37V5 on 2007-04-23
  A lot of people don't seem to understand this, and aren't setup correctly to get the most out of their xbox360 wireless adapter. Yes, it supports 802.11 a, b, and g. But the important part is that it supports DUAL MODE (i.e. bonded) A and G. That means that if you have a dual-mode a/g wireless access point, you are using 2 wireless bands, the 2.4GHz band (used by B and G), AND the 5GHz band (used by A). B and G both suffer lots of interference from microwave ovens, bluetooth, and lots of other things. A however does not suffer from such interference. A's theoretical rate is 54Mbps as is G's. In reality in a best case you might get 26ish mbps for each band. A decent HD video stream can take a steady 20mbps (assuming WMV or AVC/H.264/MPEG-4Part2, etc) or half that for MPEG-2. Dual band A/G allows the wireless network to bond the effective 26ish Mbps in each band for an actual realistic 50+Mbps assuming best case, and half this band isn't subject to local interference. If you are using a plain old 802.11g router and want to more than double your performance, get a dual-band a/g instead. Another nice part about the A channel is that not a lot of people use it, so you aren't probably competing w/ other local access points.
  
  Oh... BTW... If you are running 802.11g and you have even a single 802.11b device on your network, your whole network will suffer greatly, so get rid of it. 802.11b is obsolete and will bring your whole network speed down.
  
  Also, if you are using Windows Media Center and you have Windows Vista on the PC, that version of Media Center has a very simple Network Performance Monitor that allows you to adjust your network in realtime, and it will tell you using a graph whether you reach acceptable levels for SD and HD video streaming.
  
  
• Any Wireless Bridge Will Work
  By AV4KT04LVFE0M on 2006-11-25
  I thought it would be helpful to let people know that this unit is not the only way to get online wirelessly with 360. The reason you should buy this product is that it will be guaranteed to be compatible and easy to set up. If you have experience setting up wireless networks and want to go a cheaper route, you should buy a wireless bridge. Amazon has them for less than fifty bucks. I used a wireless bridge with my PS2 and just plugged it into my 360, no additional setup required (bridges store WEP data).
  
  
• Easy set up, works pretty well two floors away...
  By A2CXOA7DIW9CDO on 2006-11-21
  Overall, I am pretty happy with this unit. My only complaint is it is a little underpowered as far as grabbing my router signal. My laptop has 5 bars in the basement, but I can typically only get two on the Xbox 360 with this adapter. Because of this, it does drop its signal occasional with my Linksys WRT54GS Router. However, it is also about 50 ft. away (assuming a direct line) with two floors and several walls in the way. Still, using this unit was much better than figuring out how to hardwire my Xbox from two floors away.
  
  Setup was a breeze. I plugged it in (it snaps nicely into the back of the 360 and plugs into the nearby USB using a short cord), went to the network setting on the 360, selected the wireless slot, found my network, and typed in my WPA key for my router. Done. It took all of 5 minutes start to finish.
  
  Until buying this, I just dragged a 100' ethernet cable down the steps and through doorways anytime I wanted to connect to XBox Live. What a pain! This is not a perfect solution if you have a lot of space and stuff between your router and Xbox 360, but is fine for my needs, which mostly includes downloading from XBox Marketplace, and occasional online play. If you are an avid XBox Live player, and you setup is like mine, you might want to consider a hardwire solution. You may ocassionally lose your signal in the middle of a game.
  
  
  
• Great Product
  By on 2006-01-14
  Like everyone has said. This product is great, it works and its so simple to setup and along with that its fast to setup. Someone else mentioned it having a low range, this is not the case. I was able to detect 3 other wireless networks around my neighborhood. This device may be $99.99, but if you have tried other means to get a wireless network going and it nothing has worked this is your best bet. The adapter fits into the lone USB port in the back of your 360 console, where just above or to the left of the USB port (depending on how you set your console up) the rest of the network adapter snaps into place and thats it. From there all you have to do is turn on your 360 and go to the guide menu. Go to the media section and click network settings. Select the wireless network option all the way at the bottom. Your adpater will now attempt to locate any wireless networks in range. Once it has finished that it will display a list of networks in the area. Do not get worried if you don't see your network on the list. This happened in my case and all you have to do is click the specify unlisted network. There you just have to enter you SSID, enter if it has a WEP code, if it does you have to select the kind of WEP it is (128-BIT or another one that I can't remember right now). Then just enter the WEP code. If your network does appear on the list just select it and enter the WEP code if needed. Once all of that has been entered choose the test Xbox Live Connection and if everything was entered properly, it will say you have connection to Xbox Live. It may so complicated, but really it only takes up to 2 mins. to get it all setup and checked. I am sure most of you know this already as well, but if you need to find the information needed for the wireless connection it can be found on the computer where your wireless modem is hooked up. I hope this helps all those seeking to buy this product, the price is high, but if you want no hassle what so ever then this product is perfect for you.
  
  
• Don't hesitate - buy it! Installs easily, great signal strength
  By A26Q77WGSSS03N on 2006-12-14
  Chose this as an easy solution to internet my XBox 360.
  
  Bought retail in Hong Kong for less than the price listed here though...
  
  After plugging in the unit at the back and rebooting, the system hunted for wireless connections and quickly found my router. Then feeding in the router's security settings into the console & updating the console mac address into the router and Hey Presto :) I get 4/5 signal strength even though the signal has to pass through two reinforced concrete walls!
  
  From opening the pack to connecting to XBox Live in less than 5 minutes...
  
  A wonderful product which really deserves 6 stars!
  
  
  
  
• Extremely good product - but loses points for the ridiculous price
  By A8UOWM0ZFPSW4 on 2007-11-30
  After finding out that the 360 wasn't wifi ready post purchase (unlike the Wii), I was distraught to learn that the official adapter ran almost 100 bucks. Unfortunately due to my setup running an ethernet cable between my router and the 360 wasn't an option. So after doing some research into alternatives, I finally broke down and picked up the official wireless adapter. Fortunately, even though it needs to be a good 40 or 50 dollars cheaper, it has proven to be an extremely high end product. Aside from the obvious benefits from having access to X-Box live, the access to play videos streamed from my PC to my TV is something I've been wanting to setup for a very long time. Using a program called Tversity you can even get around the limitation to the microsoft WMV formats(as obviously DivX/Xvid is far more common).
  
  While I am still a bit irritated about the price point, particularly in light of the Wii already being wi-fi ready, anyone who wants to use wireless on their 360 should just suck it up and pick this up. There really aren't any more practical options unfortuantely.
  
  
• Good product... unless you have Verizon FIOS
  By AAISLAFTLSBFO on 2007-12-28
  Like many others, I purchased this wireless adapter because there is no hard-wire connection available where my console is located.
  
  Physically connecting this device to the XBOX console was fast and easy. Since it is specifcally an XBOX 360 accessory, it simply snaps on to the back of the console and will still allow you to stand the console up vertically if you chose.
  
  The next step involved going into the system setup to allow the console to recognize the device and locate my network. When I tried this, the device located my network but (despite all efforts) would not connect.
  
  Microsoft tech support was not very helpful despite their diligent efforts to help.
  
  I did some digging on the Internet and discoved that this adapter does not always work well with certain routers. In particular, the Actiontec MI424WR which is used by Verizon FIOS customers.
  
  After some further exploration and several calls to Verizon, I was able to download a firmware update for the router which allowed it to locate and connect to my network.
  
  Though I was fortunate, from what I have heard, this solution may not always work. Had I not already opened the package, I would have returned it considering the hefty price tag.
  
  Good Luck !
  
  
• Nice Accessory
  By A2UIH7H2653DFS on 2006-02-21
  This adapter works great. I have my xbox underneath my tv in an entertainment center...so I was afraid my reception might be blocked by not having my xbox out in the open. So far, I've been receiving a full 4 bars of reception - loud and clear.
  
  WARNING: Microsoft's troubleshooting is a joke. I had a problem connecting my adapter to my network, went through all the install instructions Microsoft recommended (took about 3 hours of research and troubleshooting). All I NEEDED to do was enter a different WEP code. Oops.
  
  Hopefully your install is flawless. If you hit any snags, you may be in trouble.
  
  
• Overpriced Garbage
  By A1H6CB55AR9B3K on 2008-01-28
  Save your Cash! This device is overpriced. I bought it under protest but read so many good reviews about the ease of use and functionality that I went forward with it...Well I should have known better this device does not work bottom line. I have used it for 3 weeks it reads 3 bars every where in my house including my bedroom not ten feet away from the router. Yet still kicks me off of xbox live every other time I go into matchmaking. There are cheaper alternatives, Whats the point of paying 100 dollars for something that doesn't function as well as any of my other wireless adaptors at half the price. I just bought a 100 ft cat5 cable for 18 dollars just so I wont have to deal with this rip off of a device. Unless you are right next to your router don't waste your money. Actually just buy something else its an inferior product to everything out there...thanks Microsoft. There is just no excuse for such a price on an item that cant work half as good as my laptop adaptors and is intended for gaming, you've been warned.
  
  
  
• Works great, empty wallet
  By A2ITGW4E6U909T on 2007-11-23
  Here's the deal: the xbox wireless adaptor is great performing wireless adaptor that simply works. The only con is the price is incredibly overpriced. The big issue is it is a "necessary" accessory for the 360 as the PS3 and Wii already include wi-fi so I don't see why Microsoft needs to gouge consumers on this item.
  
  I would rate this to be a great 5 star product at $65 pricepoint. I would deduct -2 stars simply for being too greedy.
  
  
• A little pricey but well worth it
  By AUG0C8J9KSXD5 on 2007-11-29
  When I was looking for a good price on one of these i was told that I should go with a cable instead of wireless especially for games like Halo. So needless to say I was a bit worried, but I shouldn't have been because I've been using this for several weeks now and it has worked great, very few lags and normally I have the best connection out of my group. A great buy, I suggest it.
  
  
• EXCELLENT PRODUCT
  By A38KTCVWQMOYGJ on 2007-11-13
  Absolutely excellent product.
  
  Sets up automatically and right away once you tell the Xbox to go into "wireless mode," and has no problems whatsoever.
  
  No online lag for Xbox 360, and I have mine connected a floor above and across the house from the wireless network router.
  
  I would absolutely reccommend this product, though it is admittedly very pricey.
  
  
• A little expensive...
  By AUH41731NDVNN on 2007-04-10
  but well worth it. Works as expected and delivers stable connectivity to Xbox Live, can't ask for much else. Intall is as simple as plugging it in, the biggest issue was getting it out of the packaging. If your router isn't near your T.V. this ones a no brainer.
  
  
• Works Great
  By ADKA2MJQQCMTO on 2007-04-07
  I was actually a little surprised at how well this piece preformed. In this case, you could also grab a third-party network adapter if you wanted to save a few bucks, admittedly, Microsoft's unit is a little bit expensive. However, for a difference of ten or twenty dollars, there's not a world of performance difference and you won't have another device taking up space in your entertainment setup.
  
  Installation was a snap and it was very easy to configure the adapter to pick up my network. It's ease of use was definitely a pleasant surprise! I'm a little curious as to why this wasn't maybe bundled with an xBox Live subscription? Oh well, recommended highly, a great accessory to a great console system!
  
  
• Works Great!
  By A2CCZGFJ8S8HLJ on 2007-01-10
  I stressed myself out before buying this. Would it work with my "old" router which is not on the list of compatible routers? Would my wireless router have enough range? What about trying to get everything configured to work together. I tried reading the XBox 360 website, and found plenty of things to worry about.
  
  I bought this, snapped it onto the back of the console, plugged in the USB cord, and as soon as I turned on the console, I was hooked up. It was tougher coming up with a gamertag I could live with than it was installing this adapter.
  
  Not only does it work, it takes up very little space. It actually snaps onto the back of the console, so there's one less thing to have sitting on the console, or near it. Well worth the money.
  
  
• Microsoft Adapter better than the alternative
  By AE03GXC5GQ99G on 2006-05-18
  Ok, now I actually had an old Xbox b/g adapter and had been using that with my Xbox 360. The setup was a little bit of work, but I got it working in one evening. It worked alright, but my primary complaint about it was that whenever I would stream music from my computer to the Xbox 360, occasionally, there would be gaps where the Xbox was trying to reconnect with the signal. When it did reconnect, it would continue where it left off, but it was rather frustrating and I didnt want to have to deal with that problem while entertaining guests. So I decided to go ahead and spend the money and get this adapter AND an a/b/g wireless router. (I was already looking into getting a new wireless router since it wasn't compatible with the Nintendo DS WiFi.) Anyway, after going that route, not only did the music never skip, but it seems that my downloads go a little bit faster too. This might be because of less interference at the 5 GHz range, where 802.11a works, rather than the 2.4 GHz where 802.11b/g work. One other benefit to being faster and better (at streaming), it definitely cleared up some of the clutter in my entertainment center, since it just snaps on the back neatly. The only reason I dont give this product 5 stars is because it is on the pricey side. I can understand not selling it for $30, considering what other a/b/g cards are going for on the market, but they could have made it a little more price-friendly at around $60. Despite the price I am fully satisfied with their product.
  
  
• Not worth the money
  By A37I48H897IASI on 2007-06-18
  Yes, it works. Yes, it's easy to install. But the reality is that Microsoft is charging far too much for the functionality. It works so seamlessly because the hardware itself was already designed for WiFi. You're essentially spending $100 for an antenna--which is inexcusable considering WiFi PC cards cost $20. Even the Nintendo DS comes with WiFi, and that's $129 for the whole game system.
  
  In short, this is never worth buying new. If you just have to buy this thing new, get it from online auctions, where it usually costs $60. Otherwise steer clear from this transparent example of Microsoft greed.
  
  
• Buyer Beware
  By A1SORHCH7HI0Y on 2009-09-11
  If you have Verizon FIOS with an Actiontec MI424WR router, it probably won't work, my didn't. There are hundreds of simmlar experiences on-line. I should have done a Google search prior to buying. Forget about calling Verizon,X-Box or Actiontec support-They ultimately will tell you its not their fault,call the other guy.
  
  
• there is an AFTERMARKET product for 50 dollars less!
  By A2E6F0U3L51DGC on 2007-01-17
  Belkin brand wireless G gaming adapter! I went to walmart to get the Xbox brand wireless adapter and they were sold out. I was about to go to Best buy and saw this on the shelf. Its in a red and silver/grey box and works for the 360, Wii, PS2 and PS3! hooks right up to the USB ports and I was online and wireless 5 minutes after getting home. Its bigger than the Xbox brand, but you save $50, which is almost a new game. I haven't had any problems and its compatible with tons of wireless routers.
  
  
• Wireless Network Adaptor
  By AWPE3LFHLUF0D on 2008-08-30
  This is an excellent item that has further range than I dreamed of. I use four of these to system link 4 Xbox 360's to play Shadowrun here in Iraq with the boys, (and 1 high speed Gal). The furthest distance of one of the adaptors is about 75m, (225 feet) with full strength bars and the adaptors inside our Chu's, (sleeping quarters). $[...] brand new online
  
  

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