Xbox Live is a vast network of gamers playing over the internet through servers provided by Microsoft. Although it has not yet been officially launched, the setup of the network is almost complete. Currently Xbox Live is being tested by a group of beta testers, and when they are done, it will launch on November 15th 2002, just a year after the Xbox itself was launched.

Getting Xbox Live is relatively simple, however you will need to have a good understanding of the basic setup of Xbox Live. I am going to go over what is required to play online when the service comes available this fall.

What You Will Need

First of all, you will need a Broadband Connection. No exceptions. Although there are people saying that a 56K modem will suffice, this is incorrect. You will need a DSL or Cable connection to access Xbox Live. An ADSL modem is pictured to the right. Broadband is a fairly new service, that transmits digital data much faster than the traditional analog dial-up services that are also available. All broadband connections, after the modem use an RJ-45 connection cable. RJ-45 resembles a telephone line, but it is close to double in size. It has 8 wires in side of it, and 4 in the case of a RJ-12. This cable is also called an Ethernet cable. (Pictured Below)

Ethernet Cable

There are two basic types of Ethernet Cable. The first is called a straight through cable, which makes each wire start at the same place in the plug, and end at the same place in the next plug. So, for example, the black wire farthest to the left, will connect to the black wire farthest to the left on the other end, and same with all the other wires in the cable. This type of hookup cable is commonly used for connecting computers AFTER it has passed through a hub. This is because in common connections, there is a Crossover cable between the modem and the hub. A crossover cable looks the same in appearance as a straight through, however the wires are switched around in a special order. You use crossover cables for a normal system link connection when using 2 Xbox's. However, when connecting 3 or more, when using a hub, straight through cables are used. Another way to hook up your Xbox to your connection is wireless. There are things you can now buy for a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) Apparently Linksys is making some wireless hardware specifically for the Xbox.

Hubs and Switches

A hub (also known as a switch) is a type of splitter, that splits a broadband connection up, allowing multiple computers to access the internet simultaneously. If you are passing your broadband connection through a hub, straight through cables should be used. However if you are connecting your Xbox DIRECTLY to your modem, then a crossover cable should be used instead.

Cable Vs. DSL

Although Cable and DSL share the same Ethernet connection, there is a lot of controversy over which connection is better. The answer to this is a matter of opinion, but it also depends on conditions. With DSL, you need to be within 4 km of the DSLAM. (Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexor) Not to confuse you, but this is where your NON-SHARED connection, connects to the internet. With cable on the other hand, it depends on how many people in your area have the service. If everyone in your neighborhood uses cable as well as you, then you should be ready for dial up speeds, especially at peak hours. Which ever connection you choose, either will work fine for your Online Gaming Experience.

Latency

One of the main fears of an online gamer is Latency. Also known as LAG, it can determine the outcome of any game. For example, in a First Person Shooter, if the connection is laggy, and both players shoot each other at the exact same time, person A's bullets may hit person B before person B's bullets hit person A. Another thing concerning Latency, is packet loss, which means some data is not even sent through at all. Data is sent from one players PC, or Xbox to the other, using small "Packets" of data that travel over the internet. Some people may believe that because they have a super fast connection, they will have no lag at all. This is not true. Your speed really depends on the conditions of the game. For example what about they people you are playing with? What if they don't have a super fast connection like you do? Another factor is distance. The farther the signal has to travel, the higher chance of packet loss, and loss of speed. There are ways to avoid these problems, which would include playing with people in the same connection class. With Xbox Live, this shouldn't be too much of a problem, since everyone will have broadband. Distance however, can be determined by PING. Ping is a representation of latency measured in milliseconds. Think of it as an echo. Your connection sends out a noise, and then measures the time that it takes for the other connection to respond. So, the lower pings, the better. There are other ways of lag, such as a busy connection such as someone else on another computer on the same LAN, or other programs open that use bandwidth. Another term used in Latency is Bandwidth. Think of this as a PIPE. The size of the pipe determines your download/upload speed.

What Else You Will Need

You will need an Xbox! Despite all the settings required for a PC to connect it properly for online gaming, Xbox needs none of this. Just plug it into your broadband connection and your off. The picture to the right shows a RJ-45 CAT5 Straight - Through Ethernet cable in the Ethernet port built into the Xbox. Another thing you will need is an Xbox Live enable game, such as NFL Fever 2003, shown here. You can tell Xbox Live games from normal games by the orange logo shown on the case above the picture, or the logo right on the disc, displaying: "Live Online Enabled"

Last, but definitely not least, you will need to subscribe to Xbox Live. The easiest way to do this is buy the Xbox Live Starter Pack, which retails for $49.95USD. This starter pack will be available for purchase on November 15th 2002. It will include the Xbox Communicator Headset, which allows you to talk in real time, to the people that you are playing with online. This peripheral connects directly into any Xbox Controller. Also included in the package is 12 Months, a DVD installer disc (which allows your Xbox to run on Live) and a game called Revolt.

Below I have included some basic Setup Diagrams.

If you have any questions about a more advanced setup, feel free to contact any of the Xbox Corp Staff. Look on the Staff page for contact information.