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Originally Posted by al76slc
This looks like a plan to me.
I already have the wired router and the XBOX wireless adapter. So if I get the Linksys WAP54G (the one you pointed to) and connect to my wired router, it would pick up the XBOX wireless adapter? (That's a question.)
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Yes. Just set up the WEP key on the Access point, note the WEP key number you used, and then there should be something in the XBOX documentation that tells you how to connect to your Access point and enter the WEP key on the XBOX side to complete the secured connection.
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I have 3 computers already connected to the existing Linksys wired router, which can connect up to 4 devices.
I'm much more concerned about the speed of the connections and security on the 3 computers than my son's XBOX, and besides, it will be very difficult to run a wire to the spot where the XBOX is located. Hence that's where I need the wireless connection. If/when I get a chance, I'd like to hardwire it for security reasons, but I don't think my kid is willing to wait that long. (He'll probably be out of the house by then anyhow.)
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As said above, the wireless connection should be plenty fast for gaming, why bother?
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BTW - if I password protect the wireless connection, will I have to do anything new on the wired connection?
BTW2 - if I want to connect a computer where the XBOX is located, do I just get a wireless adapter for the computer? And the computer and the XBOX would share the wireless access point?
Thanks for the help.
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Linksys offers add-in cards for desktop computers if you want them to be wireless. Laptops are already set up for wireless.
There is no conceivable limit to the numbers of computers that can be run over a typical wireless connection, however as each computer connects, your wireless speed takes a hit because it has to divide up the available bandwidth between all the computers connected. XBOX is ok with this, because the bandwidth hog, the game itself, is pulled in so it runs on the local machine, which means in layman's terms that Internet wires only have to carry the pulse signals from the user's joystick consoles, so the XBOX can run great at low bandwidths, it's part of the design parameters of the system because some of these games allow a number of participants to play together.
The system you have, a mix of wired and wireless, is considered the creme 'd la creme of home Internet setups, keep it the way you have it and dedicate the wires to your own PCs as much as possible in order to reserve the faster wired bandwidth for downloads and work applications, and provide the slower wireless bandwidth for gaming devices and for your guest's laptops. You really don't want gaming wired up anyway - your kid's friends can come over with their XBOX's, connect to your wireless, and then blow each other's virtual brains out, that's why they are all pretty much set up wireless anyway, it gives the gaming platforms more flexibility. XBOX has an entire module dedicated to managing multiple wireless connections just for this purpose, otherwise you'll have a bunch of kids smart enough to jack into your hub doing just that when you aren't around, running wires all over your house so they can shoot each other. And I'm talking from experience here!
As stated above, you need a WEP key on both ends of the connection, that is what secures it. It is a good idea to change it on a regular basis, I change mine every 6 months, but every 60 days is better, that way if it does get loose, it won't be out there that long. Use this web site to manage that:
http://www.andrewscompanies.com/tools/wep.asp
If security really becomes a major issue, you can segregate the wireless connection from the rest of your network, but that's a subject for a whole nother thread