- Staff
- #61
While I'm here, three things the new 360 owners club could do with knowing. Jumberto, FreMM and winston, listen up.
Most importantly, make sure your NAT is okay. When you connect to Xbox Live, go to the last tab (or "Blade"), go to Network Settings and run the first test in the list. This will do various things, but what's most important is the last bit. The NAT bit needs to say "Open" or you will encounter lots of disconnection problems when trying to play online.
The way to fix this is usually to open the router settings and make the Xbox Live ports open to your 360 (CLICK HERE FOR 360 PORT INFO), or if this doesn't work, to set your Xbox 360's IP as a DMZ (in other words, all traffic will be allowed in and out of the console without being interfered with). If you don't know how to do this on your router, don't ask, because there's a million different routers with a million different setups. Use PORTFORWARD.COM, find your router in that list, and hopefully the rest should be self-explanatory.
There are of course some other things that can cause a wonky NAT depending on your router (for example, I have to set manual DNS server addresses on my 360 but automatic IP addresses or otherwise my router restricts it's access - I have no idea why but I have a crappy router forced on me by my new ISP). But the above two fixes solve NAT issues 99% of the time.
Secondly, when you're asked what "gamerzone" to pick, if I were you, I wouldn't pick "Pro" or "Underground". This is what the kids pick, which means when you're online the pool of players you will be drawn against will include masses of 10-year-olds who like to shout "GAY" and demonstrate their knowledge of racist remarks. "Recreation," whilst the most boring-sounding of the lot, contains less kids. Unless you're jaygrim, that can only be a good thing.
Finally, if you want the best video quality, buy a HDMI cable. If you don't have a HDMI port, or you're using it for something else (mine is being used for the PS3), buy the official VGA cable - and I can't stress "official" enough, I bought two non-official ones and both produced ghosting, the official VGA cable produces a fantastic picture. The component cable, official or otherwise, provides a blurrier picture than you can get through the VGA cable. Massive difference on most TVs I've connected 360s up to (Toshibas and Samsungs mostly) - with the component cable everyone looks like they're made of fluff, with a blurry edge to them, but with the VGA cable it's pin-sharp. Even better than HDMI on some TVs.
"Better than HDMI? Jack Bauer you're a crazy fool, I pity you." No word of a lie, but it depends on the TV. If your TV can cope with a 1080p picture signal, then you're a lucky bastard and I hate you. HDMI will look great through that. But, I have a Samsung LE26R74BDX, which is less than two years old. Via HDMI it can only produce a 1080i picture, and having bought a newer-model 360 last year purely to use a HDMI cable, I was shocked to see that the picture quality was actually slightly worse via HDMI. With a VGA cable (the TV can produce a 1360x768 picture via VGA, some can produce higher), the picture is pin-sharp. Via HDMI, the picture is ever-so-slightly softer. It may not be common, but it is certainly the case with my Samsung.
See you online soon, don't forget to sign up to the FIFA league.
Most importantly, make sure your NAT is okay. When you connect to Xbox Live, go to the last tab (or "Blade"), go to Network Settings and run the first test in the list. This will do various things, but what's most important is the last bit. The NAT bit needs to say "Open" or you will encounter lots of disconnection problems when trying to play online.
The way to fix this is usually to open the router settings and make the Xbox Live ports open to your 360 (CLICK HERE FOR 360 PORT INFO), or if this doesn't work, to set your Xbox 360's IP as a DMZ (in other words, all traffic will be allowed in and out of the console without being interfered with). If you don't know how to do this on your router, don't ask, because there's a million different routers with a million different setups. Use PORTFORWARD.COM, find your router in that list, and hopefully the rest should be self-explanatory.
There are of course some other things that can cause a wonky NAT depending on your router (for example, I have to set manual DNS server addresses on my 360 but automatic IP addresses or otherwise my router restricts it's access - I have no idea why but I have a crappy router forced on me by my new ISP). But the above two fixes solve NAT issues 99% of the time.
Secondly, when you're asked what "gamerzone" to pick, if I were you, I wouldn't pick "Pro" or "Underground". This is what the kids pick, which means when you're online the pool of players you will be drawn against will include masses of 10-year-olds who like to shout "GAY" and demonstrate their knowledge of racist remarks. "Recreation," whilst the most boring-sounding of the lot, contains less kids. Unless you're jaygrim, that can only be a good thing.
Finally, if you want the best video quality, buy a HDMI cable. If you don't have a HDMI port, or you're using it for something else (mine is being used for the PS3), buy the official VGA cable - and I can't stress "official" enough, I bought two non-official ones and both produced ghosting, the official VGA cable produces a fantastic picture. The component cable, official or otherwise, provides a blurrier picture than you can get through the VGA cable. Massive difference on most TVs I've connected 360s up to (Toshibas and Samsungs mostly) - with the component cable everyone looks like they're made of fluff, with a blurry edge to them, but with the VGA cable it's pin-sharp. Even better than HDMI on some TVs.
"Better than HDMI? Jack Bauer you're a crazy fool, I pity you." No word of a lie, but it depends on the TV. If your TV can cope with a 1080p picture signal, then you're a lucky bastard and I hate you. HDMI will look great through that. But, I have a Samsung LE26R74BDX, which is less than two years old. Via HDMI it can only produce a 1080i picture, and having bought a newer-model 360 last year purely to use a HDMI cable, I was shocked to see that the picture quality was actually slightly worse via HDMI. With a VGA cable (the TV can produce a 1360x768 picture via VGA, some can produce higher), the picture is pin-sharp. Via HDMI, the picture is ever-so-slightly softer. It may not be common, but it is certainly the case with my Samsung.
See you online soon, don't forget to sign up to the FIFA league.
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Btw, how much do games usually cost on the 360?
