Here's an article I wrote yesterday about this:
At a MSRP of $99.99, Microsoft's Xbox 360 wireless adapter has been a tough sell since the launch of the console back in 2005. Originally supporting the wireless "A", "B", and "G" protocols, the Xbox 360 wireless adapter performed well and blended in nicely with the Xbox 360 but was criticized as being over-priced in comparison to other USB wireless adapters. This week though, Microsoft added another letter in their wireless alphabet soup by releasing the Wireless N Adapter.
Wireless N (802.11n) supports speeds up to 160mb/s and a much greater range than previous wireless protocols. The question is, do you need it for your Xbox 360? Let's ask a few question to find out and then see if we can find some cheaper alternatives.
DO I NEED IT?
Ideally, you should always want your Xbox 360 physically connected to your router or modem by an ethernet cable. That is not always possible though due to the layout of your home or other factors. So when do you need the Xbox 360 Wireless N Adapter?
You already have a Wireless N router.
Hey, you've already got the capability so you might as well use it. In fact, having a Wireless N router is pretty much a prerequisite if you want to take advantage of the speed and range that "N" offers. But if you have a Wireless N router that can't support multiple devices with different protocols, it will always bump itself down to the G or B protocol that those devices support. Which hurts the performance of the rest of the devices on your wireless network.
You want to stream HD content to your Xbox 360. Microsoft is offering High-Definition (HD) movie streaming to the Xbox 360 via their Zune Marketplace. You can also stream HD content from your computer with or without Windows Media Center and even through Netflix. HD video is a serious bandwidth hog and you'll need the speed that Wireless N offers to take advantage of these services and features if you use them.
Your Xbox 360 is a good distance away from your router. Wireless G and B gives you a good 50 feet or so before you start to see your transmission speeds drop or worse, your connection. And that depends on how little interference you have inside your home from walls, floors, or other wireless devices. Wireless N gives you two to three times the range of G or B without significant drops in speed.
When do you not need Wireless N? If you only plan to game online on the Xbox 360. If you aren't planning on streaming HD video and you're Xbox 360 isn't far away from your router, don't worry about it. Wireless G speeds will work fine.
WIRELESS N ALTERNATIVES
Microsoft locked out other wireless
USB adapters from being used by the Xbox 360 but that doesn't keep you from using cheaper wireless
ethernet adapters. They are few and far between but you find adapters like the
TrendNET TEW-647GA adapter or the
Linksys Dual-Band Gaming Adapter for $30-$50 less than Microsoft's offering.
Bridges such as the
Linksys WET610 are also an option but the cost savings is not as much. Only $10 to $20 depending on bridge.
For the more technically adventurous, you can modify an existing Wireless N router by flashing the firmware with replacement firmware like
DD-WRT or
Tomato to turn the router into a wireless bridge. Be warned though that this does void your wireless router's warranty. Not always significantly cheaper than the Xbox 360 wireless adapter but it does give you the added benefit of being able to hook up multiple devices to the modified router. Check with the firmware sites for compatible routers and how-tos.
Want to get even cheaper than these Wireless N options? Well, if you don't plan on streaming HD video, all these suggestions apply to Wireless G devices as well! You may even be able to find Microsoft's now older and discontinued Xbox 360 Wireless A/B/G Adapter on clearance at online or brick & mortar retailers or for sale on sites like eBay or Craigslist. Protect yourself though if you're busying used.
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