Connecting Xbox to your Computer! Simple Part (II)

Cont...

Here you've changed static ip back to yes and your gateway address should be the address of your router now. If your router is on a different subnet and by that I mean its ip is 192.168.1.1 and it is giving out dhcp address's of 192.168.1.x then you would make your evox.ini reflect those differences like this:

[Network]
SetupNetwork = Yes
StaticIP = Yes
Ip = 192.168.1.3
Subnetmask = 255.255.255.0
Defaultgateway = 192.168.1.1
DNS1 = 0.0.0.0
DNS2 = 0.0.0.0

MXM Dashboard

If you run MXM as your dash and want to use DHCP then the MXM.xml file's section should look like this:

True

255.255.255.0

Avalaunch Dashboard

If you run Avalaunch as your dash and want to use DHCP then make the section of the avalaunch.xml look like this.

192.168.0.180
255.255.255.0
192.168.0.1
195.159.0.100
195.159.0.200

8080

UnleashX Dashboard

For UnleashX, edit the config.xml file to look like this:

192.168.0.100
255.255.255.0
192.168.0.1
192.168.0.1
192.168.0.7
Yes

For all of the dash's configuration files, whenever you have them set to use DHCP, none of the other values you have defined below that are used. So if you have enabled DHCP then the IP address you see in the configuration file is NOT the one your Xbox will likely get. Also be careful if your router is giving out DHCP, and you want to give your Xbox a static IP so you know the IP address all the time then make sure whatever static IP you pick for your Xbox is not already an IP used by something else on your network given out by the router's DHCP range.

Xbox on the Internet

Do you want to…?

Access RSS news feeds on your Xbox
Successfully browse the internet with Linksboxs
Use a chat client from a dashboard
Anything else that requires the Xbox to get out to the internet
If these things aren’t working for you after setting up FTP to your Xbox following one of the above configurations then there could be a few reasons why. I’ll go over each configuration and describe what you MAY need to modify to get these working.

Configuration 1

With configuration 1a, you can NOT get out to the internet. You would need to either buy a router or another NIC for your PC. Once you’ve purchased one of those, your configuration will follow one of the others. With configuration 1b, you generally can NOT get out to the internet either. If you have this configuration and your PC can get out to the internet then it is probably getting a public IP address from your ISP. This assumes you have a hub or a switch and not a router. You can buy a router and then follow configuration 3, but if you don’t want any new hardware then you can probably only get your Xbox or computer on the internet one at a time. In other words when your computer has the IP from your service provider you can get on the internet. Then maybe you switch it to a private IP in order to FTP to the Xbox. Well to get your Xbox on the internet you’d have to get your Xbox that public IP from your service provider. Set your Xbox to use the same settings as your computer does to get that IP. If you aren’t using DHCP make sure you don’t forget to enter the DNS values otherwise addresses won’t resolve. Remember your computer should either have the private IP values or be turned off in order for your Xbox to successfully get the public IP from your service provider. Some ISPs will give you more than one public IP to use. If that is the case then your computer and Xbox can be on at the same time through the hub or switch.

Configuration 2

The last paragraph in configuration 2 from above describes using ICS to get your Xbox out to the internet. So this is the first step you would need to take. If you are using ICS and you have your Xbox set to use DHCP then it should be done. If, however, you have set your Xbox to a static IP and aren’t able to use linksboks or get the news feeds then chances are you are simply missing the DNS values. Go to a command prompt on your PC that can access the internet and run ‘ipconfig /all’ without the quotes. Look for the NIC that has the connection to the internet and look at the DNS values it has. Whatever they are, use those values in the static configuration of your dashboards network settings. So if you look at the examples I’ve given, most of the DNS values are either blank or set to 0.0.0.0. Just take the DNS IP’s from the ipconfig /all and replace the 0.0.0.0 in the Xbox configuration file with those new values. Save, reboot, and you should be all set.

Configuration 3

This configuration is very easy to get working as well. Again, if you are using DHCP on your Xbox then you shouldn’t be having any problems. If you are using a static IP in this configuration then, just like configuration 2, you are probably only missing the correct DNS values. Follow the same procedure as in configuration 2 to get the DNS values filled into your dash configuration file.

Other ways to Connect

There are a few other ways to connect to your Xbox without using an ftp client. I'd like to mention them here just to cover the 'networking' your Xbox topic but I'll link to the guides/tutorials that I think cover the connection the best. Also, all these other connections still use the ftp protocol, I'll cover telnet later.

You can map a network place on your computer to your Xbox so instead of needing to fire up an ftp app you could just go to windows explorer or a shortcut on your desktop to double-click and there is all your Xbox. Two tutorials have already been written that explain how to do this in Windows XP and Windows 2000.
For winxp: http://www.xbox-scene.com/articles/map-xp.php
For win2000: http://www.xbox-scene.com/articles/evoguide6.php - This guide uses webdrive to accomplish this on Windows 2000. Some other software I think would work as well is Internet Neighborhood Pro and FTP Desktop but I've tried none of them so can't recommend one over the other. If you find any freeware app that will provide this functionality let me know and I will try it out and add it here.

You can ftp to your Xbox direct from your web browser. Basically in your web browser instead of putting in http://www.website.com you would put in something like ftp://xbox:xbox@ and it should open right up to the contents of your Xbox folder structure. Nice and simple, no third party ftp client needed. A good guide for this can be found here: FTP using Internet Explorer and be sure to read the rest of the thread for some tips and answers to questions. There is also a tutorial on the tutorials page here: http://www.xbox-scene.com/articles/ftp-ie.php. Please keep in mind this functionality is not limited to Internet Explorer only. Most browsers support typing in ftp:// instead of http:// if you want to ftp. I use the Opera browser and can connect the same way. If you ever forget the format to use to send the username and password in the address bar you can also (at least with IE and Opera) connect just by typing ftp:// and then you should get a pop up box prompting you for the username and password.
Xbox to Xbox Transfers

If you have two Xbox's and want to transfer directly between them there are a few ways to do it. For any way your Xbox's still need network connectivity between each other. You could set them up just like configuration 1 from above or even hook them up to a router and use DHCP.

If you use Avalaunch as your dashboard then the easiest way for you would be to use the File Manager that is built in. When you launch the file manager click start and select switch to remote. Move over to the right side now (which is the remote side) and hit start again. Now select add FTP Server. Enter the IP address info of your other Xbox. Once this is setup you should then be able to switch back and forth between local and remote sides and transfer your files.

If you don't have Avalaunch as your dash you can run a program called XB-FTP. This program you would launch as an app from one Xbox and it your FTP Client. The other Xbox you would leave booted into whatever dash you run and it would be the FTP Server. There is another application you can run on your Xbox called xToolbox. You can use this app to transfer between two Xbox's as well just go into its file manager once it loads and it should be self explanatory for you. Just make sure you edit the host.ini file with the applicable IP address's for your local and remote Xbox.

You don't have to use XBMP, you can use any dash that supports PASV for this method.

Troubleshooting

First is to verify you are communicating with your Xbox. Run a command prompt and ping your Xbox IP address. In our example that would be 'ping 192.168.0.3'. Also, If you seem to have a connection that gets dropped every so often try to ping like this: 'ping -l 1024 -t 192.168.0.3', this will continuously ping your Xbox with 1024 bytes. Hit ctrl-c to end it. If you get any timed out then maybe you need a new Ethernet cable somewhere. If you can ping try a. and b. below, if you can't ping read that and the rest.

If you can ping but still have problems with FTP, make sure PASV is disabled in your FTP client if evox is your dash. Go to the help for your ftp client to figure out how to do it if you don't know how.

Make sure any firewall programs you run are turned off. Especially if you run Windows XP there is a default firewall that may be on. Its in the advanced properties of your NIC where you can uncheck the box for it to verify it isn't on. Also even if you think you disabled a firewall it could still be blocking ports. Crap Software firewall can behave this way. It does this to ensure no virus or rogue program can disable it. Instead of disabling Crap Software just add the IP address of your Xbox or even the entire subnet as Trusted. Then it will allow packets through.

If you can't ping make sure you check 1b, but also make sure you are using the correct Ethernet cables for your setup. Refer to the basics above about the crossover cable. Try pinging your local computer with these commands: 'ping 127.0.0.1' and 'ping localhost'. If you can ping these it's a good sign your TCP stack and driver for your NIC are loaded properly. If these do not ping correctly the first thing to try is to reload the driver for your NIC or search the manufacturer's website for an updated driver.

Try different ftp clients or make sure you are using the latest version of the client you have, especially if you are using the EvolutionX dashboard make sure you try FlashFXP if you are experiencing any problems.

Make sure you have the video cable plugged into the back of your Xbox (problem experienced by ndiguy). Note: the video cable doesn't have to be connected to your TV but does need to be connected to the back of the Xbox.

Run a sanity check if all else fails... make sure the settings you think are in your evox.ini are actually there. Run a command prompt on your pc and type 'ipconfig /all'. This will list all the settings all the NICs on your computer have. Verify they are all what you think they should be. When posting in the forums for more help try to include these two things in your post, it's a good first step.

If you get No Link! when you boot your Xbox make sure it is set to static ip. Verify the computer or whatever you have it connected to is booted up first and set up correctly. Then boot or reboot the Xbox. Make sure the cable and other hardware you are using is good. As a last resort, maybe your Xbox NIC is bad and needs replacing.

“I have two Xbox’s at home and two separate Xbox live accounts, but when they both try to play live at the same time one always gets booted or disconnected, what’s going on?” There could be a number of things but if you’ve checked everything else and think your network is all good, etc then whatever router you have these connected to could be handling PAT (port address translation) incorrectly. I know for a fact the current Linksys products will not handle this configuration properly. I also know that the Dlink DI-614 does handle this correctly and so would work with this configuration. If you have a different brand router and have this configuration let me know if it works or not for you so I can make a good list of who handles PAT correctly and who doesn’t.

Nothing seems to work for you? Post your problem on the Xbox-scene forums. In your post try giving as much info as needed. Describe how you have things physically connected. Post the network section of your dash’s configuration. Post an ipconfig /all from your computer (or just all IP information). Post any specific error messages you get, especially an FTP log if you can ping your Xbox but just can’t seem to login. Post what software you use on the Xbox and your PC. Finally, make a new thread for your problem, don’t post as a reply to someone else’s problem and don’t just PM someone you think will help.
FTP Speed Issues

Once people start using FTP the next problem they may have is the speed being too slow. The key to addressing this issue is to try everything! Change your configuration, change software, use every combination of my suggestions below. The more you do the better chance something will reveal itself as the culprit to your slow speeds. Here is a common list of things to check to help improve your speed:

Try the extended ping from number 1 in the troubleshooting section. If you get some replies and some timed outs during that ping this could slow down your speed. Replace your cable(s), update driver(s), try different NIC, etc.

In the advanced properties of your NIC you should be able to find the settings for the speed and duplex of your card. Change these settings and see if some combination gives you better speed than others. Start with speed of 100 and full duplex and cycle through 100/half, 10/full, 10/half.

Check how much free space you have on the PARTITION you are ftp'ing to. If you have an 80GB hard drive and it says you have 20GB left, that doesn't mean you have 20GB of free space left on that partition. That partition could have very little space left while another partition has 18GB left. There are some reports that with <2gb>

If you are using a wireless or usb NIC setup try going wired with standard Ethernet to see if that narrows down the problem for you. And if you were using DHCP try assigning a static IP to your Xbox instead. Also try changing the channel that your wireless is currently communicating on. There could be more interference slowing down your speeds on a certain channel. At least try channels 1, 6, and 11.

Try different software on both ends... experiment. All configurations will be different. Try different FTP clients, updating FTP clients and even try using a different ftp server on the Xbox. One post on the forums suggested that switches from Evox to nexgen increased ftp speeds to the F: drive. The Avalaunch dash seems to be a pretty stable and fast FTP Server as well.

Try different hardware... don't overlook this! For example, if you have a hub, try a new one or better yet get a switch.

If you are using FlashFXP (or maybe try this with any client), some forum posts have suggested that by changing the transfer packet size from 4096 to 2048 you could see a speed increase. Some people run fine at 4096 but I know of at least one instance where changing this value to 2048 has helped tremendously.

Suggestions from ILLusionsOfGrander member on xbox-scene:
Make sure the NIC on your PC is not just a 10 mbit NIC but a 10/100 mbit NIC. Using a 10/100 NIC as opposed to just a 10 can definitely increase transfer rates
If you go to the advanced settings of the NIC in your PC, some cards have a "Early TX Threshold" value. Upping this value from its default can also increase speeds. The example given was with a Dlink card and its default value was 8 and changed to 38. This increased the speed from 6500 kBps to 11000 kBps.
Wireless Xbox

I've noticed a few posts about how to get the Xbox on a wireless network so figured I'd touch on the subject here and give my thoughts on hardware to accomplish such a thing. First thing to consider is whether you want to use 802.11b or 802.11g. Discounting any other deciding factor you may have, and focusing solely on Xbox functionality, if you want to use your Xbox for ftp transfers and to play Xbox live then you'll be fine with 802.11b. If you think you'll want to stream movies or music to it and will want to do a lot of large (over 100mb) ftp transfers you'll want to go with 802.11g. With that...

There are two setups you can use to communicate with your Xbox wirelessly. The first and least common way would be in an ad-hoc fashion. This would be the exact same as using a crossover cable from the Xbox to your pc just without the actual cable. Basically your computer would have some sort of a wireless card whether USB, PCI, or if it's a laptop then a PCMCIA or mini-PCI. For your Xbox you would get a wireless to Ethernet bridge (I'll mention brands in the next paragraph) and basically just RTFM for how to set it up in ad-hoc mode to communicate to the wireless card in your computer. Again, this would be like using a crossover cable, only your computer and Xbox would communicate with each other.

The most popular way which most people would want to implement is with a wireless access point/router. From Linksys if you decided to go with 802.11b you could get model BEFW11S4, if you want 802.11g the WRT54G. From Dlink for 802.11b the DI-614+ is a good one and for 802.11g the DI-624. Now to get your Xbox to communicate wirelessly with one of these access point/routers you would need a wireless to Ethernet Bridge for it. From Linksys for 802.11b you could get a WET11 and for 802.11g the WET54G. From Dlink for 802.11b the DWL-810+ and for 802.11g the DWL-G810. From here it's really just a matter of reading the manual's (if you even need to) to get these bridges to associate to the SSID of your access point.

Now I'd like to say don't think these are the only products that work. There are many other companies with products that do the exact same thing. I just listed the most common of the ones I'd recommend using and if you look up the product you'll get an idea of what to look for from other companies. I'm also not a fan of the MS wireless Ethernet bridge devices. Currently, from what I've seen you need to configure it from the MS dash and with a modified Xbox this isn't always a good thing. However, obviously they will work just fine so feel free to check them out too.