Xbox Live new update on 29 Sep 08

On the 29th September 08, Xbox Live service will be temporarily unavailable for 24 hours starting 9am .
This will be due to the new important Xbox Live update that will change the way you enjoy Xbox 360 entertainment forever.
After the Live update your Xbox Live will be ready for the arrival of the New Xbox Experience later this year.

Xbox 360 will be a limitless world of home entertainment (you'll enjoy the best games, movies and TV shows live side by side with your personal pictures and music library).
Everything you enjoy about your Xbox 360 can be shared at any time with friends via Xbox Live using cool customisable animated Avatars.

Note: You won’t see the New Xbox Experience when LIVE comes back online, but you will be ready to receive it when it launches later this year.

Upgrade Xbox Live child account

Is your Xbox Live account a child account?
Did you create your account before the 18th?
Do you want to change it to an adult one?
Are you 18+ now?

Now Microsoft allows you to promote your child account to an adult account after you step in your 18th year.
This promotion removes the Family Settings and Xbox LIVE restrictions.
To promote your account, you must agree again to the Xbox LIVE Terms of Use and marketing opt-ins.

Here's how to promote your child account:

1- On the Xbox Dashboard, Select your gamer profile.
2- Choose Account management.
3- Choose Promote Child Account.
And follow the steps.

Note: If your parent's credit card was on your account, you must enter a new one to replace it.

ICS with Windows Vista

How to share internet connection on your Windows Vista PC with your Xbox 360 console

To set-up ICS on Vista follow these steps:-

• Connect to the internet normally on your PC.
• Connect your Xbox 360 to your PC using an Ethernet cable.
• Click Start then Network then the Sharing Center Button.
• Now click Manage Network Connections. Make sure you identify which of the connections is your internet connection. If you are using a USB modem to connect to the Internet it will be under the "Dial-up" section.
• If you have more that one Local Area Connection you must first know which one is the connection to your Xbox 360, try unplugging the Ethernet cable connected to your Xbox 360 from the PC side and observe which Local Area Connection have the unplugged sign on it (A red X will appear on the connection) so that's the connection to your Xbox 360, now reconnect the cable and right click on the connection to make sure the connection is enabled.
• Now you know which is your Internet connection and which is your Xbox to PC connection (Local Area Connection), right click on your Internet connectin and click Properties.
• Go to the Sharing tab.
• Then tick the "Allow other network users to connect through this computers Internet connection" and "Establish a dial-up connection whenever a computer on my network attempts to access the Internet" boxes.
• If you have more than one connection you'll have to choose the one you need to share the Internet connection to through a drop down list that will appear here, just select your Xbox to PC connection that we identified before, if you only have one Local Area connection there will be no drop down list so just go on with the next step normally.
• Click OK then right click on your Internet connection and select Disconnect then right click again and select Reconnect.
• Now the Dial-up connection will be Connected, Shared.
• Right click on your Xbox 360 to PC connection and select Status/Details.
• Go to IPv4 IP Address, it should be (192.168.0.1) If not, there is something wrong with the settings you've done so you'll have to start the steps again and follow it more carefully.
• Go on your Xbox 360 to "System" then "Network Settings", and make sure that all the settings are set to Automatic if not put it all to automatic

Now Connect to Xbox Live and Enjoyyy.....

ICS with AOL

Are you trying to connect to Xbox Live using Internet connection Sharing (ICS) and your internet service provider is AOL?

Is it not working?

If yes, you'll need to follow different connection sharing steps.

To make AOL work via your PC you have to create a separate connection to the internet and stop using the connection AOL installs using its own software.

Here is what you have to do:

• On your PC go to control panel then network connections.
• Select "Create a new connection" from the left side bar.
• The Wizard will welcome you and asks you to Click Next so, click next.
• Select "Connect to the Internet" then Next.
• Then select "Set up my connection manually" then Next.
• Select "Connect using a broadband connection that requires a user name or password" then Next.
• It will ask you for your ISP name so put it AOL.

Then your AOL user account for example something@aol.com (must be with the @aol.com) into the username field and your password into the 2 password fields then click Next.

If you have multiple AOL accounts make sure to use the "Master Account"

You are now on the "Completing the New Connection Wizard" screen, check the box "Add a shortcut to this connection to my desktop".

• Now you'll need to disconnect from the Internet, and double click the new shortcut created on the desktop to connect to the Internet again using our new connection.
• Now make sure you can browse normally using the new connection shortcut. If you get any error telling you there is a problem with the username or password you entered or a domain problem, the details you have put in for sure are incorrect.
• Check your username and password and make sure to put the correct one as this must be set first before we move to the next step. If you are sure that your username and password are correct and that you are using the Master Account, try changing your password, especially if it is longer than 7 characters, try to make it 5 or 6 also try entering your details in lowercase.
• Now we'll allow ICS option normally to the new connection we just created, go to "Control Panel" then "Network connections" and right click the new connection.
• Select properties then go to the advanced tab and check "allow other network users to connect through this computers internet connection"
• If you have more than one network you'll get a dropdown box to select the network you want to share the connection to. If you just have one network you just click Ok.
• Finally connect the Ethernet cable to your Xbox 360 and PC.

Make sure you always connect using the new connection (shortcut on the desktop and forget about the original AOL icon)

And if you are already connected to the internet, disconnect and reconnect using the new icon. Your internet browser will not start automatically like it used to do. Just start it up manually after connecting with the new icon.

NOTE:

• You have to set everything in your Xbox network settings to AUTOMATIC.
• And NEVER Put YOUR AOL Username/Password into the PPPoE section of your Xbox Dashboard. As this will prevent you from accessing Xbox live. (This is for ICS)

Special Offer for Xbox UK gamers.

Get 3 months FREE Xbox Live Gold Membership and 2100 Marketplace points when you order BT total Broadband before 31st March 2008.

BT total Broadband, the UK's most complete Broadband service now includes:

1. Download speeds up to 8 MB
2. Free windows Home Hub
3. Best-ever security package
4. BT Vision digital recorder

And later this year, you’ll also be able to watch BT Vision through your Xbox 360!
Even if you already have broadband with another supplier, it is easy to switch to
BT and still qualify for this great offer.

Click here to Sign up for this offer and to read the terms and conditions.

Undertow gratis on Xbox Live

After many Xbox Live users spent their unhappy holidays battling a multitude of problems with logging into and using the online gaming service, Microsoft apologized for the gaff and said it would be offering a free Live Arcade game to all members as a make-good.

Today Microsoft detailed what the game will be and when gamers can actually get it. Beginning next Wednesday, January 23, at 2 a.m. and continuing through the following Sunday, January 27, Xbox Live users will be able to download Chair Entertainment Group's Undertow free of charge.

Ordinarily available for 800 Microsoft points ($10), Undertow is an action combat game with 15 single-player levels as well as multiplayer action where up to 16 gamers take on different classes and races in an attempt to assert dominance over the waves. Undertow is rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older.

Rumor Killer: Achievements Did Not Disappear, says Major Nelson

*According to recent rumors, gamers have been booting up their Xbox 360 only to find that the Achievements they worked so hard to get were gone. The rumor went on to claim that the Xbox Live outages over the holiday break were the cause of the missing achievements.

TGR had an opportunity to speak with Major Nelson at CES 2008 this past week. Major Nelson has stated that no Xbox 360 achievements were lost. He confirmed this with the Xbox Live Database staff who stated that there was no missing data from the database.

Also, TGR was able to get a little insight into the Xbox Live outages. According to Major Nelson, the outages were caused due to going beyond capacity, not a DDOS attack as other sources have rumored. This basically translates to: too many people on Xbox Live at one time. This makes sense considering there were undoubtedly thousands of new Xbox 360 owners who wanted to jump into Live and get started.

Major Nelson went on to say that they are working on fixing the issues which caused the Xbox Live outages and that they are making additions to ensure that it never happens again.

“We are creating solutions so it does not happen again. It was a small blip and they are learning from it. We always plan for capacity; however, over the holidays it was well above capacity on live.”

More information to come as it is released.

*Source

Microsoft offers freebies to address Xbox live issues

If you unwrapped a shiny new Xbox 360 this holiday season, you weren’t alone. And according to Microsoft, that influx of new users helped Xbox Live break a few records—the largest number of new users in the service’s five-year history and the single biggest day of simultaneous members online. Records weren’t the only thing that got broken, though. That flood of new users brought a host of problems for some users, including troubles signing into the service and a variety of performance issues.

Microsoft’s general manager of Xbox Live, Marc Whitten, has a few things to say to users about those problems, and is also extending a peace offering: “As a result of this massive increase in usage we know that some of you experienced intermittent Xbox LIVE issues over the holiday break. While the service was not completely offline at any given time, we are disappointed in our performance. I would like to take this moment to thank you each and every one of you for your patience and understanding as our team has worked around the clock to return the service to a stable state.

“At the same time we would like to offer a token of our appreciation to all of you in celebration of record success for the service. And as a thank you for your loyalty during this holiday period, we will be offering all of our Xbox LIVE members around the world access to a full Xbox LIVE Arcade game that will be available to download free of charge. In the coming weeks we will be sharing the specific details of this offer with you.”

Free is good, right? Let’s just hope it’s free and good.

Xbox Live Marketplace video store

Xbox LIVE Marketplace Video Store Opens Its Doors!

The glitz and the glamour of Hollywood is about to hit Xbox 360 when the Xbox LIVE Marketplace Video Store opens for business.

You’re now able to download the biggest movies from Marketplace direct to your Xbox 360 – bringing blockbuster entertainment to your living room without even having to get up from the sofa!

What’s more, you won’t need to compromise on choice or quality. With over 25 movies available at launch (December the 11th 2007) from studios like Warner Bros., you’ll have an all-star selection of flicks at your fingertips. There’s something for everyone too – from family entertainment like Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and Looney Tunes: Back in Action through to intense blockbusters such as 300, and hard-hitting dramas like The Perfect Storm.
And with the choice to download most movies in either standard or glorious high definition you’ll be guaranteed a first class experience that will take best advantage of your home entertainment setup. Standard definition movies are from 250 Microsoft Points, while HD movies are priced from 380 Microsoft Points.
So, are you ready for some brilliant movie entertainment downloaded directly to your Xbox 360? Just get on Xbox LIVE from December 11, head to the Marketplace blade, and discover the wonders of Xbox LIVE Marketplace Video Store! Here are a few launch day highlights to whet your appetites…

• 300


• Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone


• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets


• Zodiac


• The Matrix


• The Matrix Revolutions


• The Matrix Reloaded


• Ocean’s Eleven


• The Perfect Storm


• Swordfish


• Three Kings


• Training Day


• The Fugitive


• Risky Business


• Space Cowboys


• Eyes Wide Shut


• Analyze This


• Demolition Man


• Eraser


• Executive Decision


• Lethal Weapon 3


• Lethal Weapon 4


• Looney Tunes: Back in Action


• Mars Attacks!


• Clash of the titans


• Superman III


• Dead Calm

Microsoft begins Xbox live bans!

It appears that Microsoft is bringing out the ban hammer once again. According to a thread on an Xbox-Scene forum, users are having their Live wrists slapped left, right, and center due to "bad discs" (i.e., non 1:1 copies of games).

Initially, the problem seemed to be modified DVD firmware, but it now appears the cause is due to game data that isn't properly copied, or has been "touched" in some manner. Keep in mind, these are console bans, as opposed to Live account bans, which is a minor amount of good news.

The forums are abuzz with profane indictments of Microsoft and calls for heads on platters (okay, it's not that bad) -- but mostly everyone is just waiting to see where the next hit will come from. You've been warned, folks.

Major Nelson warns Xbox Live Cheaters

Larry Hryb, Director of Programming for Xbox Live and better known to gamers as Major Nelson, warned gamers about sharing account information and tampering with one's Gamerscore or Achievements.

In a blog post, Major Nelson warned that, aside from being a violation of the terms of service, sharing account information could result in a loss of that account.

He added that if players “employ some nefarious techniques to artificially increase [their] Gamerscore or obtain achievements by manipulating the Xbox software without playing the game,” their Gamerscore could be removed or their account and/or console might be banned from Xbox Live.

Xbox Live connection issues with Eircom and Netopia

Xbox Live connection issues with Eircom and Netopia

Do you face any issue with your Xbox Live connection?

Is your internet service provider Eircom?

Are you using a Netopia router or modem?

You might face some issues with Xbox Live connection when your internet service provider is Eircom and your router or modem is a Netopia one.
Actually this might happen to you because your router needs configuration.
So let's go through the steps to do this router's configuration and you'll find your Xbox Live connection fine after this.

• First we'll need to go on the PC.
• And open the internet Explorer and type 192.168.1.254 in the address bar. Now you've accessed Netopia's settings page.
• On the menu to the left you'll find Firewall, click on it and select Low then save the changes.
• On the menu to the left you'll find Expert Mode, click on it then Yes to enter Expert Mode.
• On the menu to the left click on Configure, then Advanced then NAT.
• Now you'll find Service Name so scroll down the menu until you find Xbox Live Games. Now click Enable then Enable again.
• On the menu to the left click on Configure then Connection.
• Then on the main page scroll down until you find UPnP and check that box.
• Then Save.
• And finally turn off the Netopia router then turn it back on again.

Now you'll go on Xbox Live and everything would be working fine.

I hope this helps you.

And Enjoy Xbox Live...!!!

New Update For Gears of War

To all Gears of War fans

There is a new update for Gears of War on the 14th of June. When you turn on your Xbox 360, sign in to Xbox Live, you'll be asked to download an update. Select Yes to accept this update, otherwise you won't be able to play multiplayer matches on Xbox Live.
Download the new update and enjoy playing your beloved Gears of War.

How to access your router settings through your PC

The way to access to your router settings differs from one router to another but basically it will always be through your PC most of them would be as follows:

1. Open an Internet explorer page on your PC.

2. On the address bar type 192.168.1.1 as for Netgear routers and 192.168.2.1 as for Belkin routers or 192.168.1.1 as linksys routers, if you have even any other brand you can try these three numbers I reckon one of them will work.

3. Then you click GO.

4. You'll get your router settings main page on the screen asking you for your Username & password usually by default the password will be even the same as the Username (Username: admin, Password: admin) OR it will be password (Password: password).

5. You can then look for whatever you want on the router settings, Bon a petit :)

If you failed to access to it please leave me a comment to check with you how to do so and leave me your router brand and model number

IP Address Failed on Xbox 360 Live Test

And the reason for this part to fail differs along with the difference of the type of connection you are using to connect your Xbox 360 console as follows:

a. Direct connection to modem:

1. Make sure first no other devices connected to the modem at the same time as some modems has an Ethernet port along with a USB port so, you might think you can use both at the same time & connect the PC through USB with the console through Ethernet & that's incorrect so, we need to disconnect the PC first.
2. Turn the modem off then turn it back on after couple of seconds (by turning the modem off I mean to unplug it from the wall outlet even if you have a power button for it), then go on the Dashboard of your Xbox 360 console to “System” area then “Network Settings” then "Restore to Factory Defaults" and when it ask you to Apply Settings select "Test Xbox Live".

3. If it's still not working we need to get the Physical Address of your PC to put it on the dashboard of your Xbox 360 console as some cable companies are preventing any unknown MAC Addresses from connecting, to get the Physical Address of you PC connect the PC only to the modem then follow these steps here, the physical address will look like this 00-E0-98-C1-88-C2.

4. Go on the dashboard of your Xbox 360 console to “System” area then “Network Settings” then “Edit Settings” then “Additional Settings” tab then select “Advanced settings” & put the Physical Address of your PC without the dashes on the “Alternate MAC Address” part and select "Done", when it asks you to Apply Settings choose “Test Xbox Live”.

b. Wired connection to router:

1. Go on the Dashboard of your Xbox 360 console to “System” area then “Network Settings” then “Restore To Factory Defaults", when it ask you to apply settings select "Test Xbox Live".
2. Turn the router off then turn it back on after couple of seconds, then go on the Dashboard of your Xbox 360 console to “System” area then “Network Settings” then "Test Xbox Live Connection".

c. Wireless connection to router:

1. Go on the Dashboard of your Xbox 360 console to “System” area then “Network Settings” then “Restore To Factory Defaults", when it ask you to apply settings select "Test Xbox Live"

2. Go on the Dashboard of your Xbox 360 console to the "system" area then "Network Settings" then "Edit Settings" then select your wireless settings part down there "Wireless Mode, Network Name,..." the console will automatically then search for your wireless network and when it find it and you select it, it will ask you to enter your wireless key which is called WEP or WPA key - you can find it written on your wireless router or then you need to contact your ISP (Internet Service Provider) to get it from them - when it ask you to apply settings select "Test Xbox Live". 3. Just a kind of higher security that some router may use than the WEP & WPA key, you have also to accept the Xbox 360 connection to your wireless network on the router settings, you have to access to your router settings as mentioned before to check on the wireless security part whether your router apply a MAC filtering option, which is an option that blocks any unknown MAC address (the ID of any device) from accessing to your wireless network, and if it applies that kind of security you’ll find your Xbox 360 MAC address on the list there so, allow the Xbox 360 to get connected to the network, or even you can just turn off the MAC access control option instead of that, then go on the Dashboard of your Xbox 360 console to “System” area then “Network Settings” then "Test Xbox Live Connection".

4. If it's still not working, you can put the Xbox 360 console - as a trial - in a closer position to the router to see wither it's going to pick up an IP address or not.

5. If even after you turn off the MAC filtering option on your router settings your Xbox 360 can't still get connected to Xbox Live you need then to update your router firmware (The router software) and if you don't know how to do so then call your ISP (Internet Service Provider) to assist you with that, then go on the Dashboard of your Xbox 360 console to “System” area then “Network Settings” then "Test Xbox Live Connection".

d. ICS (Internet Connection Sharing):

1. Go on the Dashboard of your Xbox 360 console to “System” area then “Network Settings” then “Restore to Factory Default" when it asks you to Apply Settings choose “Test Xbox Live”.

2. Allow the ICS option on the PC as mentioned before, then test Xbox Live.

3. If it's still not working, set the IP Settings manually to be:

IP Address: 192.168.0.2

Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0

Gateway: 192.168.0.1

Then go on the Dashboard of your Xbox 360 console to “System” area then “Network Settings” then "Test Xbox Live Connection".

4. If it's still not working, you can get the IP address of your connection from the PC as mentioned before then set your IP manually on the Dashboard of your Xbox 360 console using this IP address, when it asks you to Apply Settings choose “Test Xbox Live”.

If you faced any other kind of troubles with this part failing even after you tried these steps please don't hesitate to leave a comment.

Xbox 360 screen freezes while you're playing your games

Sometimes while you are playing with your Xbox 360 console the screen freezes or pixelate and then the only option you get is to restart your Xbox 360 console so you'd be able to play again normally with your Xbox 360 games for a couple of minutes & after that again it would do the same and that happens with most of the games you actually got not only one of them.

First of all, we need to check wether that only happens online or also offline because there is a yawning gap between the two cases, if it just occurs online it's to do with your Xbox live connection or connection settings, but if it's offline too we have more than one thing that might be a reason for an issue like this to occur, It might be something related to your gamer profile, saved information on your Xbox 360 hard drive or even a hardware failure with your Xbox 360 console itself.

1. Xbox 360 console freeze online only:

That would be definitely something related to your Xbox 360 Live connection, it doesn't have to be not connected, I mean it might need some more configuration.
Well, usually that will happen with a router first go on your Xbox 360 console dashboard to the "System" area then "Network settings" then "Test Xbox Live connection" and if any part in the test fails (that rarely happen in a case like this) you'll find a link on the "Xbox Live main issues" here to assist you on how to resolve it, and most proper you'll find the NAT option not open so check also on the "Xbox Live main issues".
If you are using a router we need to lower the firewall on your router settings, if you don't know how to do so please contact your ISP (Internet Service Provider) or router manufacturer to tell you how to do it.

2. Xbox 360 console freeze in all cases (online or offline):

a. Check your display settings (system area, console settings then display) and make sure you set it to PAL60.
b. Remove your Xbox 360 hard drive and try playing once more without it.
c. If it works fine without the HDD, seems at the first sight to be an issue with your HDD, but also it might be something related to any corrupted saved games on your Xbox 360 hard drive, and if we consider it to be an issue with the hard drive it will be replaced anyway so we can try and give a shoot to delete all saved information related to this gamertag (go on your Xbox 360 dashboard to the system area, memory, hard drive then games) and after that if you still have the same issue that will define the fault to be with the HDD for sure, contact Xbox 360 customer support to get an exchange for it.
d. If it doesn't work even without the HDD that's a fault with your Xbox 360 console, so contact Xbox 360 customer support to repair or replace your Xbox 360 console.

How to share your internet connection on your PC with your Xbox 360 Console

Internet connection Sharing (ICS) is an option on your PC that allows you to share your Internet connection with other devices, and to do so follow these steps:

1. Go on PC to “Start”
2. Then “Control Panel”

3. Go to “Network Connections”
4. You’ll find 2 main categories “Dial up” & “LAN or High–speed Internet”.

5. If you have more than one "Local Area Network" you must first know which of them is the connection to your Xbox 360 console, so unplug the cable that connects the PC to the console from the back of the PC and look which of them on the screen will turn to be unplugged, so that's the connection to the console, now reconnect the cable.
6. Under “Dial up” you’ll find your broadband connection, so right click on it & go to properties.
7. Then click on the advanced tab, you’ll find there the ICS option, all what you need to do is to enable the check box “Allow other network users to connect through this computer’s Internet connection” and only this check box, then if you have more than one "Local Area Network" you'll get a list of them here to select the one that you want to share your broadband connection with, for sure select the Xbox 360 connection.
8. Then click “OK”.
9. This new settings may not apply unless you disconnect & reconnect again from the Internet.

If you faced any other kind of troubles with this part even after you try these steps please don't hesitate to leave a comment.

Continue: Some important terms when you connect to Xbox 360 Live

8. MAC Spoofing:
If you are using a cable connection (specially with NTL or Telewest) with a modem, the ISP might have the connection linked to one device mostly would be your PC, So if you want to connect your console to the modem in that case MAC spoofing must be done which means to deceive the modem to think that the Xbox 360 is the PC by changing the MAC address of the Xbox 360 & putting the physical address of the PC instead, And that’s done as follows:
- On the PC click start
- Then Run & type there “cmd”
- You will get a black screen appeared so type there “ipconfig /all”
- You will get some information about your connection appeared on the screen, among these information you’ll find all the connection information including: Physical address, IP address, Gateway, DNS addresses.
- Write the Physical address on a piece of paper. - Go on the dashboard of the Xbox360 to:
System – Network settings – Edit settings – Additional settings – Alternate MAC address, & put the physical address of the PC here without any dashes in between.

9. Modem:
A modem is a device that enables a computer to transmit data over telephone or cable lines. Computer information is stored digitally, whereas information transmitted over telephone lines is transmitted in the form of analog waves, A modem converts between these two forms.
Some modems has only Ethernet port on it, some others has only USB & some ones has USB port along with the Ethernet port & you can’t use both ports of the modem at the same time, So you can only connect one device to the modem on a time.

10. Router:
It’s a device that contains integrated software that can spread the connection among more than one device, old routers had one port so you’d connect the router to a switch to be connected to all devices but now routers have more than one port so you’d be able to directly connect all your devices to the router, as if it’s a combination between a one port router & a switch.

11. Switch:
A switch connects devices to form a Local area network (LAN) so if more than one device are connected to a switch the connection will be spread on all devices connected to the switch & they all got connected at the same time through the same connection & that’s the main target of using that piece of equipment.

12. Firmware:
It is a software that is embedded in a hardware device like a router for instance.

Some important terms when you connect to Xbox 360 Live

When we try to connect to live we'll face some terms that may confuse some of us, that's why I added this page to illustrate the main terminologies that may be new to any one.

1. IP Address:
An Internet Protocol Address is a unique address that certain electronic devices use in order to identify and communicate with each other on a computer network in simpler terms, it’s the device address online.

2. DNS:
The Domain Name System stores and associates many types of information with domain names; most importantly, it translates domain names (Like: xbox360liveblog.blogspot.com) to IP addresses (192.168.0.1).

3. MTU:
Which is the Maximum Transmission Unit refers to the size (in bytes) of the largest packet that the router can pass onwards at the same time. The maximum MTU is 1500.
However large packets can block up a slow interface for sometime, increasing the lag on other packets so it’s better to be set to the lowest possible MTU.

4. ICMP:
The Internet Control Message Protocol is chiefly used by networked computers & operating systems to send error messages indicating, for instance, that a requested service is not available or that a host or router could not be reached.

5. NAT:
The process of Network Address Translation involves re-writing the source addresses of IP packets as they pass through a router or firewall. Most systems using NAT do so in order to enable multiple hosts on a private network to access the Internet using a single public IP address, Like when you have more than one device at home connected to a router, so the router using the NAT process will generate an internal IP address that differs from the original public IP address it got from the original connection. Nonetheless, NAT can introduce complications in communication between hosts.

- If the NAT on Xbox Live test is strict that indicates that you most probably won’t be able to access to Xbox Live.
- If the NAT on Xbox Live test is moderate you will be able to access to live but will not be able to join certain game sessions or to hear what other players are saying & that’s an important piece of info as it’s not always the headset faulty so check the NAT first before you troubleshoot the headset.

6. DHCP:
The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol is a set of rules used by a communications device such as a computer, router or network adapter to allow the device to request and obtain an IP address from a server which has a list of addresses available for assignment.

7. MAC Address:
The Media Access Control address is a unique identifier attached to most network adapters. It is a number that acts like a name for a particular network adapter.

In some devices like PC’s it’s called Physical address.

Continue to other terms

DNS Failed on Xbox 360 Live Test

And the reason for this part to fail differs along with the difference of the type of connection you are using as follows:

a. Direct connection to modem:

1. Using a modem you can't connect more than one device so make sure that the only device connected to the modem is the Xbox 360 console.
2. Go on the Dashboard of your Xbox 360 console to “System” area then “Network Settings” then “Restore To Factory Defaults" and when it ask you to apply settings select "test Xbox Live"

3. Turn the modem off then turn it back on after couple of seconds, then go on the Dashboard of your Xbox 360 console to “System” area then “Network Settings” then "Test Xbox Live Connection".
4. If it still not working, try to get the DNS addresses (primary & secondary) from your PC as mentioned before and set them manually on the dashboard of your Xbox 360 console, then go on the Dashboard of your Xbox 360 console to “System” area then “Network Settings” then "Test Xbox Live Connection".

b. Wired or Wireless connection to router:

1. Go on the Dashboard of your Xbox 360 console to “System” area then “Network Settings” then “Restore To Factory Defaults" and when it ask you to apply settings select "test Xbox Live"
2. Turn the router off then turn it back on after couple of seconds, by that I mean to unplug it from the wall socket then reconnect it back.
3. If you are using a Wireless connection go on the Dashboard of your Xbox 360 console to the "system" area then "Network Settings" then "Edit Settings" then select your wireless settings part down there "Wireless Mode, Network Name,..." the console will automatically then search for your wireless network and when it find it and you select it, it will ask you to enter your wireless key which is called WEP or WPA key - you can find it written on your wireless router or then you need to contact your ISP (Internet Service Provider) to get it from them - when it ask you to apply settings select "Test Xbox Live".
If it's a Wired connection Just try once more to "Test Xbox Live Connection"4. If it's still not working, set the DNS (primary & secondary) with the same number of the Gateway on the IP settings, then go on the Dashboard of your Xbox 360 console to “System” area then “Network Settings” then "Edit Settings" you'll find the gatway on the IP settings put it the same on the Primary & secondary DNS.
5. If it's not working still, then you have to go to your PC and get the DNS Server Address from there as mentioned before, and set it manually on the Dashboard.
6. If it's still not working, you have to contact your ISP or router manufacturer to open or forward the 3 Xbox live ports which are:

• UDP 88
• UDP 3074
• TCP 3074

Or you can check it on www.portforward.com, then go on the Dashboard of your Xbox 360 console to “System” area then “Network Settings” then "Test Xbox Live Connection".

c. ICS:

1. Go on the Dashboard of your Xbox 360 console to “System” area then “Network Settings” then “Restore To Factory Defaults".
2. Allow the ICS option on the PC as mentioned before and make sure the the "Local Area Connection" then is showing connected.
3. If it's still not working, turn any firewall on your PC off.
4. If it's still not working, try to get the DNS addresses (primary and secondary) from your PC as mentioned before and set them manually on the dashboard of your Xbox 360 console, then go on the Dashboard of your Xbox 360 console to “System” area then “Network Settings” then "Test Xbox Live Connection".
5. If it's still not working, you have to contact your ISP or router manufacturer to open or forward the 3 Xbox live ports which are:

• UDP 88
• UDP 3074
• TCP 3074

Or you can check it on www.portforward.com, then go on the Dashboard of your Xbox 360 console to “System” area then “Network Settings” then "Test Xbox Live Connection".

If you still facing any issues with this part even after you tried these steps, leave me a comment and I'll get back to you with it's solution within couple of hours.