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[Slomar]

Anyone have an xbox 360 slim connected via the internal wireless card?  For some reason mine only gets 11Mbps.

I doubt many folks use the Windows Media Center extender as I do, but streaming hi-def requires a fair amount of bandwidth.  I have a DLINK DIR-827 capable of 300Mbps on both the 2.4 and 5 Ghz spectrum.  It reports actual Mbps connection rate and signal strength through it's browser interface.  It shows 11 Mbps and 96% on the 2.4 Ghz band for the xbox internal card.  To validate these numbers, I used the network tuner in windows media center and pegged the graph at about the 3rd line up.  There are 11 lines.

First off, this is a pretty technical question, but I have a feeling I already know the sad answer.  I've been searching for the hardware specifications of the internal Xbox 360 S Wireless card.  The best I can find is wikipedia which says only that it is "Wireless N" and operates only on the 2.4Ghz band.  Calling up tech support doesn't give any more info.

Hypothesis:  Microsoft elected to fabricate the cheapest internal wireless N card they could find and strapped a wireless n radio onto a cheap 11Mbps chip.

Wishful Thinking: I'm hoping the cap is actually higher and that my router is just dumbing down the connection due to a configuration mismatch.  I've tried open security, changing channels and moving the xbox 2 feet away from the router.  There are significant "advanced" settings I can use and the Firmware is still new so there may be a  few bugs left.  (1.02).  Anyone have any connection ideas?  I know the easy answer is to buy an external card or hard wire.

[FurryNutz]

The new gen xbox slims only do about 65Mb. I had a roommate with one and we could only get 65Mb out of it on a DIR-657 Wireless on single mode N using AES only for security. From what I know, the slims max out about there. I don't think I've seen on at 130Mb. There maybe some.

I personally use the MS xbox 5Ghz WiFi adapter they put out years ago for my old gen 360 and I connect at 300Mb on my DGL-4500 in AP mode. Another option for you to consider would be to get you a DAP-1533, or 1525 and run it in bridge mode. Wire connect the LAN cable from the DAP to the xbox slim. I would use the 5Ghz single mode N on the 857. This in effect upgrades the wireless connection on the slim to a 5Ghz wireless using the DAP as the bridge and wireless connection.

Preferred method for most gaming is just wired LAN between the router and xbox.

Let us know what you think.

[Slomar]

Awesome.  Thanks for the quick reply.  I've actually been running the old 360 with a linksys WET 610 and I get 300 with that little guy too.  Interesting that you got 65 with the slim.  I literally can't get it to go over 11... 2 feet away.  It's locked in for some reason.  The media center "network tuner" gives you a real time graph so you could see it bounce around if there was interference like a phone call or the microwave, but this sucker is pegged at 11.  All my other stuff is rock solid.  I threw the 610 on it over the wired port and maxed out the tuner graph so it's definitely something with the internal card.  Maybe the fall update will have a firmware update for the 360.  Advance wireless didn't seem to have any magic options for the connection rate.

Got any other buddies with a slim?

[FurryNutz]

Try this as a test and see if you can get over 11Mb on the slim:
Try single mode N or mixed G and N on 2.4Ghz.
Channel Width set for Auto 20/40Mhz.
Try setting a manual channel to a open or unused channel. 1, 6 or 11. 11 for single mode N if the channel is clear.
Preferred security is WPA-Personal. WPA2/AES Only.

[Slomar]

Great recommendations!  Already done.  Still 11.

[FurryNutz]

I would say your wireless adapter on the slim is borked. I would get it fixed, replaced or try a DLink DAP as a alternative.  Or go wired.  Let us know how it goes.

[Slomar]

Easy enough.  Allibaba has them straight from China for 20 bucks.  But that would be too easy   The plot thickens.  I hooked up my old DIR-655 and did checked the connection rate there.  2 feet away and 92% and 39Mbps.  I'll report back at the 15 foot/2nd floor check.

[Slomar]

Ha... even better.  Downstairs (next to the 827) was 68% with the same 39Mbps.  Looks like there's definitely a compatibility issue with the DIR-827.

[Patrick533]

Xbox 360's are the pits, I finally kicked the Xboxs off the WiFi all together. Make sure you have short GI disabled or it will be hit and miss with the 360 slim.

I finally ran CAT6 out to my kids, then the whole Xbox 360 fried AGAIN. He is on something like #5 and me and Mom won't put out a dime for another one ever again.

I got stuff here that has vacuum tubes in it and the stuff still works perfect, 5 xboxs in like 6 years. They rape you on the games and a new console every 14 months!

Short GI was always the problem with the WiFi on the slim, before it blew chunks!

Hope that helps......

[Slomar]

Great recommendation!  I saw that too.  Disabled and no luck.  Still pegged at 11.  The connection is solid and reliable, it's just capped for some reason.  Not enough throughput for hi-def streaming.  I checked with the old 655 and maxed out the windows media center graph... perfect streaming capability.  Not bad for a router I bought in 08.  Of course this is my 5th 360... ha.

[FurryNutz]

Try a wireless adapter on the xbox, will fix it's wireless problem. I played for about 3 hours on my adapter last night, had fun. 300Mb @5Ghz.

[Slomar]

Been running all week with the DIR 655.  Perfect streaming at 65 mbps.  No need for an external adapter.  Anyone know how to bring the issue/bug to the firmware development team?  Seems like it could be fixed in a later DIR 827 firmware release.

[FurryNutz]

Might only be a HW issue with the router if you verified the 655 is getting faster speeds. Do you have a friend with another xbox that you can try out on this 827? If you can try another xbox and it does the same thing, then I would return the 827 or RMA it. I would contact DLink, maybe level 2 support and tell them what you have done and feel that this is a FW issue.

[FurryNutz]

One thing I remembered, does the 827 have an option under Advanced/Adv. Wireless: HT 20/40 Coexistence? I thought I remembered someone saying that disabling this helped them. Might be worth a try. Keep us posted on any results.

[Slomar]

Pretty much went back to the DIR 655 until the 1.03 firmware was released.  I figured they would have fixed the bogus connection issue with my xbox.  Nope.  Still 11 Mbps.  While a little part of me wants to do 5-10 hours of troubleshooting for DLINK for free, it's just not worth my time.  It's almost like the guys that work on the firmware don't even bother to look at these forums.  Down goes the 827.  Back to the 655 till 1.04.  Hidef Media Center streaming works just fine there.