Is this a problem with my router? (xbox set up)

I have asked here many times about problems with computers and have always valued the exp I gain from this place but this has always been to do with a Pc or laptop not xbox, So if anyone can help could they try help me with this? I'm short of spending either €70 on a possible solution or maybe even more on a new router.

My ISP does not support the xbox 360. So they know nothing about them, which is starting to get to me.

The set up of my network:
Cisco router, which is connected to two xbox via 20m either net cables.
20mb connection.

The problem: We can't have two xbox on at the same time

Why: We can't forward the ports needed to be open to both xbox at once.

End goal : Be able to play two online at once.

Since we have a dynamic i.p. The xbox change i.p whenever they are off. meaning that we have to manually go into the router and change the DMZ and forwarded ports and reset the router every time we want to change the xbox in use.

I have heard the UPnP should have been able to sort the port problems for me, (i'm not sure why) but it has not.

Possible solution given to me by xbox support: buy a wireless connector for the xbox and see IF it works, (€70)

buy a router set for gaming to see if could help with this.


If anyone could help here it would be amazing.

If you enable DHCP in your Router , you can setup a range for Ip addresses and also there is an opcion where you can reserve an specific IP address for your Xbox Name. Read your router's manual on how to access/activate those options.

I'm not familiar with the Xbox, so I don't know how networking works on them. But....

Is there an option to set a static IP on the Xbox?

The dynamic IP you refer to, is a function of the router - the DHCP. In a Windows PC, in the networking section of the Control Panel, you normally set it to "obtain an IP automatically", but you can set it to a static IP.
The usual IPs for a home network are in the form of 192.168.1.xxx (yours could be different). In a typical Linksys/Cisco router, the router itself is 192.168.1.1 and the DHCP assigns IPs to the computers connecting to it. The usual setting in these routers is to start assigning these IP from 192.168.1.100 and up. This leaves the IPs from 2 to 99 available for static IPs. (You may need to set the router to start at 192.168.1.100)
What I did for my Ventrilo server, so that I didn't have to keep forwarding ports, was to set it to a static IP - in this case 192.168.1.10 (the static IP has to be in the same 192.168.1.xxx range as the rest and below the start of the dynamic range). In the case of that PC, I also set the DNS server(s) to those listed on the Status page of the router, but that may not be needed for an Xbox.

Anyway, if there is a way to set a static IP for the Xbox, you could set one up as 192.168.1.10 and the other as 192.168.1.20 and set the router to forward the ports. (Btw, I'm assuming there must be some sort of network settings for the Xbox, as I infer that you can set different ports for them.)

Edit - after briefly perusing this page - http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/u...up/xbox.mspx#1 - I think that you can indeed set a static IP on an Xbox. Just set it to "manual", set a static IP such as 192.168.1.10, set the "subnet mask" to 255.255.255.0, set the "Gateway" to 192.168.1.1.
Set the DNS server IP(s) to those shown on the router status page (or you could use some other DNS if you know the IP>)

I'm unsure about how to set a static ip or if i even can for the xbox, I think I can though.

The xbox requires specific ports to be open, a set of 4 ports to be opened up. I don't think you can change the ports that are required to be opened up. therefore I cant set it to open up the ports for more than 1 xbox. if the ports are the same.

Whats UPnP? I heard it was that the router will open the ports it needs when it's required to?

After more reading, I don't think you can change the ports for the Xbox, so you may be out of luck to connect two Xboxs at the same time.

Edit - or maybe you can - http://en.kioskea.net/forum/affich-3...2-xbox-360-why

If its a Cisco/Linksis router , there should be an option to reserve an IP for an specific device, I have my network connected like that, I have Wii, a PS3 , a XPX M1370 wireless , a PC and my iphone all with DHCP and reserved IP for each of them.

but they dont require the same ports to be opened no?

no I see your point now

yeah it's a pain.

Looks like I'll have to just get another outside connection into my home. one just for one xbox. -.-

Interesting - I have four PCs, two XBox 360s, a PS3 and a Nintendo Wii all connected to my router by cat5 ethernet (that's not to mention the iPod, three DSs and a PSP on the WiFi...) and I've never had a problem with any of them.

Must be either an ISP-specific thing or a router-specific thing.

Ok , what you need is port forwarding for 2 IP address right ? Can't you change the configuration of one of the Xbox to forward a different port ?

In my linksys router , I have an option called QoS (Quality of Server) where I can choose a program, software or application and write the desired ports to forward, and this option (as far as I know) forward those ports to any IP, maybe you can fidn this option on your router.

EDIT: Anyway , why you need to open ports ? if each xbox get a different IP assigned they both can be connected without issues. I believe you are mixing some stuff here. You can connect 2 Xbox to the same router and play online on both, for that as I mentioned you need to assign an IP address to one XbOX (lets say 192.168.1.102) and to the other one a different one (lets say 192.168.1.103). There is not port forwaring etc involved on this.

I had my brother laptop , my wife laptop and my pc all connected at the same time (of course every computer with a different IP address) and we were playing GW all at the same time without issues , or also UT3.

Well maybe the xbox have something I am not aware off , as I don't own one.

Sorry I haven't had a chance to reply.

The problems not the ip's It's the the ports that need to be forwarded. You cannot forward the same port twice, to two different I.p's at the same time.

The ports are xbox specific meaning they both need the same ports opened. Unless I can change the ports The xbox needs open, but still do the same thing as the ones it usually needs. I highly doubt this possible though.

also @snograt, do you have any problems with the two xbox? How we tell if our NAT's open is in the call of duty six lobby, It tell's you, open/moderate/strict are you sure both of yours are open?

at the moment, I have MY DMZ and ports forwarded on 198.xxx.x.13 which is what my xbox's ip is. Which gives my NAT as open. My brothers right now says strict NAT.

I use a cisco wirless router btw.

ah ok , well port forwarding for the same port with 2 or Ip address I remember it was possible, I was forwarding UT3 ports with 2 different PC but in that time I had a livebox , if I remember or find a way I will let you know.

That would be great mate thanks.

I'm actually of no help whatsoever, Dawn. I just plugged all that shit into my router/switch and it all just worked. And that's a Netgear router.

It's not often you hear that, eh?