Xbox 360 Wireless Network Adapter 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.
  
  

• Overpriced, but it works.

  
  By A3T3C3B8POTJ8M on 2005-11-29
  Yes, it's overpriced, but it does what it needs to do. To clarify a previous review, the Xbox 360 has three USB ports - one on the back and two on the front. This adapter sits on the back of the console, plugged into a USB port.
  
  

• What a RIPOFF!

  
  By A1KSAGEJ6RJIO5 on 2006-11-29
  I'm sure this adapter works well, but Microsoft should be ashamed of themselves. Charging $90-$100 for something that should be included with the XBOX 360 Premium pack. Buy the Linksys WGA11B. It does the same thing and costs $70-$80 less. Don't Microsoft screw you out of your hard earned money. They have enough of it already.
  
  

• 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.
  
  
• 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.
  
  
• Priced for Failure
  By A1F92EK0MUNOVR on 2007-12-31
  I do not own this product and I never will because I found a much cheaper alternative. I mark it 1 star for the price. Instead I bought the Logitech "XBox Play Link" (also sold on Amazon) which is a wireless ethernet bridge adapter, currently costs less than half as much as this product and works great. There is no reason for anyone to buy this overpriced adapter.
  
  It's absurd that the XBox 360 Wireless Network Adapter costs over twice as much as any other namebrand wireless network adapter and it's even more absurd that this is the ONLY wireless adapter the 360 supports. I tried others, they don't work and the 360 website specifically states that this is the only supported adapter.
  
  Search for "wireless bridge adapter" and get one of those instead. Bridge adapaters are sold as pairs -- one plugs into your XBox ethernet, the other plugs into your router ethernet -- and they communicate wirelessly while the XBox thinks it's using ethernet.
  
  
  
• Works Well - Keeps Area Clear of Cables
  By A3V6Z4RCDGRC44 on 2005-11-27
  The XBox 360 comes with network capability built in, including a network plug socket. The wireless adapter lets you connect to XBox Live without a cable.
  
  This wireless adapter is custom made for the XBox 360, and works on the USB port. The XBox 360 only has 2 USB ports, so this means if you plug the wireless connector into one, you only have 1 free for wired connectors or other devices.
  
  This wireless adapter lets you connect to any existing wireless network in your home that uses either 5 GHz or 2.4 GHz Wireless A/B/G signals. Note that the wireless adapter merely sends signals to your existing wireless receiver. You have to already have a receiver running with a wireless network internet connection, to have this adapter "listen in" on.
  
  Also note that the XBox 360 comes with a regular network port in it. That means if you already have a wireless network bridge for your other gaming systems, you can easily plug your XBox 360 into that bridge with a cable. The bridge would sit right next to the XBox 360 and transmit the XBox Live signal over to your receiver. This would give you the same connectivity without using up one of your USB ports.
  
  You can get a bridge for similar or perhaps a bit more money - but because it's system independent, you could use it for your PS2 and your XBox as well.
  
  In the end, if the only game system you have in your home is the XBox 360, it might be just as easy to buy this item here specifically made for that unit, to use the USB port. If you have other online game systems, look into one of the bridge options that will work with them all.
  
  
• Great Product
  By on 2006-01-15
  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.
  
  
• Any Wireless Bridge Will Work
  By AV4KT04LVFE0M on 2006-11-26
  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).
  
  
• 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.
  
  
• Good stuff.
  By A22N4FISCSCVXI on 2006-11-25
  As far as wireless bridges go this item is expensive. Some can be had for 40-50$ at other sites. BUT those items are a seperate item with another plug and would require more space.
  
  This adapter is designed to work perfectly with the the 360 and does just that. It connects to the back of the console (and HD DVD drive if you purchase that) and use the power of the 360. It doesn't take up any extra space and has a strong connection.
  
  I would recommend it to anyone that has a wireless network in their home.
  
  
• It works, but you shouldn't need it
  By A138MQ3JWML2FX on 2007-05-19
  The 1 star rating isn't so much for the wireless adapter itself (it works pretty much flawlessly) as it is for the fact that you even need this. The fact of the matter is, the Xbox 360 should come standard with WiFi, like the Wii and PS3. But, MS wanting to milk every last penny they can from accessories, they force you to buy pricey add-ons for what should be standard equipment. Of course, they claim that "most consumers don't want/need built-in wireless networking." Bull.
  
  And of top if it, MS has the nerve to charge close to $100 for this? An adapter shouldn't go for 3 times what my router does, especially considering this thing can't cost MS more than $8 wholesale.
  
  
• Easy set up, works pretty well two floors away...
  By A2CXOA7DIW9CDO on 2006-11-22
  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.
  
  
  
• Garbage!!
  By A25WJCAP606YMP on 2007-08-21
  I am not sure that I have ever given an item 1 star, but I won't forget this one anytime soon. Truthfully, I would have expected to pay about $20 for the item if it didn't have the Xbox branding on it (and if it worked). The range is absolutely abissmal. I have several wireless devices that have no problem getting an excellent signal in different areas of my house but this thing would not budge from a weak signal no matter how much I played with the direction of the antenna. I would highly suggest that you consider a powerline adapter as an alternative to this. You'll get a lot more for your money.
  
  
• Soddingly Worthless
  By A1YNOA6WEMSH6O on 2005-12-02
  WARNING
  
  Please be advised before you buy this system that it will only work with two walls of distance between the user and the wireless router.
  
  And mind you... these have to be very thin walls indeed. We're talking a little bit of frame, siding, and plaster at the very most. If you expect to be able to receive a signal... AT ALL from a distance of more than two rooms... or two rooms which have metal heating tubes in them... you will be sorely disapointed and disgusted at the fact of spending over $100 dollars on a peice of equipment which does not work.
  
  
• A good investment, but buyer beware.
  By A1ADDUQ3L6HN78 on 2007-11-24
  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.
  
  
• Expensive but well worth it
  By A1CUEF92OPM6WO on 2005-12-29
  My 360 is in my room. Our Router is in our basement, so the signal has to travel 100ft and through 2 floors. The signal comes in almost 100%, much better than even the one for my computer. Amazing, but too overpriced. Microsoft is trying to make money on the loss producing the 360's. I read in a magazine it costs about $544 dollars to make the $400 xbox.
  
  
• Previous xbox adapter works on 360
  By A1QVWTHDTGDOM3 on 2006-03-29
  I bought the wireless adapter for xbox last year and it worked great. Recently got a 360 and plugged it into the ethernet port and it worked perfectly. It must be the only thing from xbox that can be used on a 360. Don't buy the 360 adapter if you have the previous one, the only thing is the new one supports wireless a signals but g works great anyway. Yes, the new one looks better but not for $100.
  
  
• Great addition despite the cost
  By A2W3JMA1P62IXL on 2006-09-12
  I purchased this Wireless Adapter from Amazon and installed it within minutes. Xbox live was a whole other matter, but the Adapter was easy, painless and worked perfectly.
  
  The speed surprised me as well since it's wireless, I expected the downloading of demos from Live to take quite a while, but I was able to download 2 GB worth of demos in about an hour.
  
  Signal strength and performance with online games has been excellent!
  
  One word of caution, if you have an xbox only profile that you wish to convert to live rename it to the name you want prior to signing up for xbox live. I made the mistake of expecting the live registration to rename my existing profile once I found a live account and this wasn't the case, so I had 2 profiles. I personally prefer 1 so I don't have to switch based on playing local and online.
  
  
• 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!
  
  
  
  
• 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!
  
  
• Get the Most from Your Wireless Adapter
  By A1LZYSYTXL37V5 on 2007-04-24
  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.
  
  
• Horribly Overpriced
  By A1IKGA09IG36MU on 2005-11-29
  This is a regular wireless A/B/G usb adapter. Although it works well, an adapter like this should not cost more than half of its current price. I understand that Microsoft wants to get back the money they are losing on selling the consoles, but I think the games already make up enough of those losses.
  
  
• A little trouble to set up but overall brings a great experience.
  By A22AD8M2SSOFHJ on 2006-11-02
  I enjoy having wireless...especially with broadband. I have my router over 20 ft from the adapter yet my signal stays strong. Set up is easy for most. Although if you have a Linksys router WRT 54G ver. 2 get ready for some work. It took me four calls before someone gave me the right advice. Since then I have not had any problems. A little expensive but worth it in the long run.
  
  
• Beware of compatiblity issues
  By AGRT6ABAJ888B on 2007-01-08
  I have a D-Link DI-524 revision E 5.1 Firmware. For some reason or another, the wireless adapter refuses to connect to the DI-524 E. I don't see any entries on the router. It seems that the Wireless Adapter can easily find the network, but I cannot successfully connect. I've tried using WPA and WEP, but with no success. I ended up giving up and returning the adapter. The DI-524 is on the compatibility list, but only for certain firmwares [which means, certain revision]. The latest revision of the DI-524 doesn't seem to be compatible with the XBOX 360 Wireless Adapter. I even have a Zonet wireless adapter for my laptop, and it connected to the router fine. I would suggest reading the fine print carefully about what routers are compatible to the wireless adapter. Having a newer firmware doesn't necessarily guarantee compatibility.
  
  
• 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.
  
  
• Non-Secure over Wireless
  By A16H0MIIIBI7VN on 2007-05-26
  Microsoft admits this will not work with WPA2
  It rarely works with WPA (cannot even see my router's SSID)
  Anything less than that (WEP or no encryption) is absurdly risky unless there is no other traffic on your router. Do not disable your encryption to play games, kids. It's not worth it.
  Mom and Dad: if your kid is using this device, they have probably compromised your wireless network security.
  
  
  
• Microsoft Loves to Rip on Customers
  By A2I9X8S5VWEGCZ on 2007-10-21
  This is a ridiculous price for this item (just like 180$ is rediculous for the 160gb hard drive). This item should be around thirty dollars as that is how much they cost when they aren't branded in a 360 Logo. The PS3 includes wireless for free pretty much. WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO CATCH UP MS (even though you launched a year earlier).
  
  
• Works Perfect but is basically a complete ripoff!
  By A399KITDMH22K0 on 2008-05-09
  This works perfectly as expected. The problem is that $100 is an insane amount to pay for a wireless adapter. Take the Wii for example. Its costs $250 and has wifi built in. This device is 40% the price of the wii.
  
  For the first few weeks, just to spite microsoft, I built a $800 wireless adapter with a amd 64x2 3800+ and a terabyte raid array, lol. I eventual gave in a purchased this to minimize the complexity of my previous solution.
  
  Ok so as far as functionality this deserves 5 stars, but pricewise, it deserves negative 5 stars.
  
  

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