A little help please
 

Hi, i have been trying to get help with this problem for some time now and i just can't find anyone to help me, so any help would be appreciated

i am going to buy this PHILIPS X57 laptop.
http://www.pcworld.co.uk/martprd/sto...&category_oid=

i want to connect wireless to this using a router that that would be downsatirs so that i can use my laptop for internet. I currently have tiscali and it only has a modem. The same router i would like to connect to xbox360 live using a wire. however to avoid using a long 20m wire to upstairs, could i some how connect it through my laptop?

can you reccomend a router that would do this?

thanks very much

Rick

Re: A little help please
 

:welcome: to Cable Forum :tu:

You are going to end up with a very complex arrangement if you hope to use Internet Connection Sharing (or some sort of concoction of that) for a wired connection between your laptop and Xbox360, with wireless to your Tiscali modem. It also defeats the object of a laptop's portability if you need to wire it into the network.

Wireless can be great, but some people do find it's not as robust as wired connections. With something like xbox live that has a potential to be an issue. Wireless signals can be affected by walls / floors and other stuff that they have to get through, interference from other electrical appliances, and such like. Add the extra "hops" of your network traffic via the shared connection laptop, and you are getting into iffy territory.

You can get a wireless network adaptor for your xBox, allowing it to communicate direct with a wireless router. It might not be especially cheap, but it does remove the laptop dependence.

Router's for ADSL services such as Tiscali, can have an integral ADSL modem, so you wouldn't need the Tiscali supplied thing (if your modem is USB only you need to replace the modem), or alternatively you can have a separate DSL router ethernet connected to the ADSL modem. Stick to the major brands such as Linksys, Netgear, D-Link since all are well used and thus there are plenty of people who can offer support.

Only use at least the "g" speed wireless (your laptop's inbuilt wireless would run at that speed), or perhaps the faster "pre-n" speeds (your router would auto sense the slower laptop speed).

Another alternative is a network over your power socket wiring. There has been a lot of success with that recently.

Finally, where are your phone extensions located. With ADSL you can easily relocate the modem (and router), perhaps to a much closer extension. You just have to move around the little ADSL filter things.

Re: A little help please
 

thanks alot for your help so far :)

the problem is that i have two sockets for a phone line - both downstairs.

i want to play xbox360 live upstairs, but my mum and dad object to 20m of wire up the stairs...

i have heard that wireless adapters for the 360 are poor because they keep disconnecting which would ruin the experience and gameplay.

So with a router, are they easy to set up with a laptop, if the laptop has built in Wireless Enabled? and can i possibly connect an Ethernet wire to a wireless router temporarily when i want to play xbox360 live?

Re: A little help please
 

If you are concerned about the wireless adaptors for the xbox, then a wireless connection via a laptop is just as likely to be fraught with issues. In theory you might be able to use internet connection sharing with the internet connection side of the laptop using the wireless adaptor, and then a wired crossover ethernet connection between the laptop and Xbox. I wouldn't recommend it.

Have a look at Homeplug if you can't move the modem / router

Re: A little help please
 

How does Homeplug work? i don't understand? would my existing tiscali modem work with this? and then could i use both my laptop and xbox360? i'm really confused about how this will work, will i need a router too?

thanks for your help and time rob :D

Re: A little help please
 

Homeplug uses your homes electrical cables to send the signal around the house

Re: A little help please
 

I have a similar setup to you I think, but for different reasons. I have a linksys router downstairs connected to a Virgin Media broadband modem. All my computers are upstairs and are connected as follows:

1 computer is connected via a wireless network adaptor to the router. This computer also has a WIRED network adaptor. Let's call it computer A.

Another computer (computer B) with only a WIRED network adaptor is connected by network cable to computer A 's WIRED network adaptor.

On computer A I have a network bridge configured (this is done using Win XP software), so that computer B can communicate with computer A and if needed can also use its wireless adaptor to reach the router and then the internet.

I also have a laptop (computer C) upstairs with a wireless connection/

With this arrangement all 3 computers can communicate with each other and access the internet - A & C connect wirelessly and computer B by wire to A annd then wirelessly to C or the internet.

I hope you can follow this. From your post it seems to me that you could do something similar to achieve what you want.

I you wish I can tell you how to set up the network bridge with XP - it's not difficult.

Re: A little help please
 

Attached diagram may help

Re: A little help please
 

You would still need a wireless router as you want to use more than one device sharing the 'net connection.
The router would then be cabled to the downstairs homeplug. This uses the electricity wiring to carry the signal to a homeplug upstairs. When you plug your xbox into the upstairs homeplug you have in effect a wired connection straight to the router and 'net.

Re: A little help please
 

This idea seems feasible, which homeplug would i need to buy as there are a few different types available, at different prices...?

also could anyone advise me to a good router for my laptop, maybe from pcworld, currys, dixions, comet etc...?

thanks

Re: A little help please
 

I've no xbox experience I'm afraid, so we'll have to wait until one of the other hardcore gamers comes along..