Top Reasons for Having a Wireless Adapter for your Xbox 360
You know you need this.
Whenever there’s a comparison between the Xbox 360 and PS3, comments about the wireless adapter always come up. Xbox 360 advocates argue that you wouldn’t need a wireless adapter since you can just use an Ethernet cable for connecting to the Internet.
You don’t know what you’re missing with Wi-Fi. Here are a few darn good reasons you should have a wireless adapter for your Xbox 360:
With the 360’s wireless adapter, there are no network wires to worry about. You could put together a wired network at home, but you’d still need a regular wired router to get the Xbox 360 connected to the Internet without having to constantly switch Ethernet cables between the PC and Xbox 360. Last time I checked, wired routers aren’t free. A few are cheaper than the 360’s wireless adapter, but the cost, effort, and headache of putting the wired network together is another story.
With Wi-Fi, you won’t have to keep switching Ethernet cables between your PC and Xbox 360. Believe me, doing this is a chore—especially if your CPU is set up with all the wires bunched together and placed behind or under the computer table.
Thanks to this constant switching, there’s also the danger of snapping the clip that keeps the Ethernet cable connected to the port. When the clip does snap, you’ll have to hold the wire in place to keep your Xbox 360, PC, or laptop connected to the Internet. You might laugh and say this is trivial, but when it happens to you, you’ll tear a few hairs out. A new cable might be cheap, but you’ll have to crawl out of your parents’ basement to get one.
With Wi-Fi, you’d be able to connect your PC and Xbox 360 to the Internet simultaneously without the pesky wires. Why would you want to connect both to the Internet simultaneously, you ask? Don’t you want to be productive while your Xbox 360 is updating? Answer a few emails, get some work (or homework) done while waiting? And don’t tell me it’s not useful to look at an FAQ online while playing your game.
If having Wi-Fi makes things so much easier, why do Xbox 360 fans say you don’t need a wireless adapter? Because they want to justify that the Xbox 360 is cheaper than the PS3 Phat, and a $99 wireless adapter isn’t contributing to their argument.
But since the PS3 Slim and Xbox 360 Elite are now at $299, the PS3 won’t need a cost comparison to show that it’s the better hardware deal overall. Of course, this doesn’t change the fact that the Xbox 360 would greatly benefit from having a wireless adapter.
Popularity: 41% [?]
September 5th, 2009 at 3:34 am
This entire post is centered around the assumption that you don’t have a router. Well, don’t most wireless routers also include wired ports? I know the three I have owned all do. So that makes every argument here, other than “dealing with wires” a pointless one.
I have a wireless router, and I use the wireless for my laptop & my iphone… but my PC and my 360 are both hard wired, and there is ZERO reason for me to switch at this point.
[Reply]
September 5th, 2009 at 3:36 am
You could buy a simple $20.00 5 port switch and solve most of your problems. No more cable switching, no more breaking connectors and simultaneous access all without wireless. I have 3 PC’s and a 360 on the same switch.
[Reply]
September 5th, 2009 at 3:56 am
Wow…so much fail, in such a small, pointless article. Mike, you might “got game”, but you don’t “got common sense”.
There’s only ONE reason for having a wireless connection, and that is for ease of connection when your console/entertainment setup isn’t in the same room as your internet connection. PERIOD. Everything else you named…all redundancy aside…is just opinionated drivel.
HERE are the FACTS:
- If you buy the wireless adapter, you also need a wireless router.
- If you DON’T buy the wireless adapter…and you don’t want the (small) inconvenience of swapping the ethernet between your 360 & pc…just get a cheap 2-4 port router. They are MUCH cheaper than ANY wireless router, contrary to your bogus info….and VERY easy to setup. If you can’t set up a wired connection in under 10 minutes, you might be retarded.
- Wireless is MUCH less stable than wired, and cuts your connection speed by NO LESS than 20%…which is HUGE for online gaming.
[Reply]
September 5th, 2009 at 4:12 am
Just to point something out about the wirless adpater, any wireless bridge adapter will work with the 360. You don’t have to buy the one MS sells for $99, its way overpriced. You can spend $40-$50 and buy one that works just as well as the MS adapter.
I always thought by now they should just bundle this with the 360 Elite or at least come down price.
[Reply]
September 5th, 2009 at 5:11 am
Every reason here assumes one doesn’t have a modem or router with multiple ports…I know no one who “constantly switches cables” between their 360 and pc, that’s ludicrous. Both my router and modem have around four ports each, so there’s a cord for the 360 and one for the pc, whats all this about switching? And if you have wi-fi, you already have a router, so you already have multiple ports. It seems this article was written from the frustrated point of view of one person with a special case, and doesn’t reflect the majority of people.
[Reply]
September 5th, 2009 at 5:53 am
This is one of the dumbest articles I’ve ever read.
Why to spent 100 dollars in something that should be included on the console ? I’m ok with the statement that wireless is more comfortable than wired but, the Live! response using a wireless adapter is not as better as a wired connection. They have a bit of latency and some appliance like a microwave owen can interfere them (they use the 2.4 GHz bandwith freq).
[Reply]
September 5th, 2009 at 7:21 am
Forgive me for intruding like so, but in all honesty unless this was a tongue in cheek post, you provided poor reasons to justify an extremely overpriced piece of h/w.
It is beneficial - to some users - but to many the wifi adapter is an overpriced accessory.
With the 360’s wireless adapter, there are no network wires to worry about
ok. that’s not a really even proper a reason. that’s like saying “With bicycle you can cycle! and you won’t need to walk!!”.
We know that. This is why it is called wireless.
With Wi-Fi, you won’t have to keep switching Ethernet cables between your PC and Xbox 360
A router. they usually have 4 Ethernet ports and wifi for your devices with built in wifi. costs about the same and much more useful. Actually, since you have wifi, you already HAVE a router.
If you don’t have a router, you forgot to mention that you will need to buy the adapter and a router or at least those cheap USB wifi adapters for your PC. Instead get a second Ethernet adapter for your PC. Those are dirt cheap, some motherboards even come with 2.
Thanks to this constant switching, there’s also the danger of snapping the clip that keeps the Ethernet cable connected to the port.
That’s just wrong. even without the little clip, unless you live on an active volcano, Ethernet cables don’t slip out of the port.
With Wi-Fi, you’d be able to connect your PC and Xbox 360 to the Internet simultaneously without the pesky wires.
As before: your existing router allows that anyhow.
I am not saying the adapter is totally useless - it is extremely handy if you can’t have cables crossing your place for example or have other issues with running ethernet cables through your home but its the same for wifi isn’t it? not everyone can run wifi due to things like reception etc.
my point is this: there are valid points that make the 360 wifi adapter useful - yours are not those points - and the bottom line is that despite the overall greatness of the xbox, the price tag on the adapter is unreasonably high and i wouldn’t get one unless it was absolutely necessary.
proper disclosure: I ended the ongoing debate between the two consoles: i own both now. I welcome fanboys of all kinds (except for the wii. sold it).
[Reply]
September 5th, 2009 at 5:23 pm
yea at a $180 price is it worth it?
[Reply]
September 5th, 2009 at 5:32 pm
A router is often included in the modem of your internet provider so in most cases you won’t have the extra cost of a router.
Wired is more stable and safer, every incryption to date can still be cracked.
I have two wires, one for the computer and one for the xbox this has been my set up from the very beginning.
Invest in a router cause it will make your life easier, no switching of wires and if you ever switch to a diffirent console or have another one you can easily hook those up too.
[Reply]
September 11th, 2009 at 1:33 pm
None of those reasons really applied to me I guess, at least in my situation.
I bought a Linksys router, which has a 4 port switch if it matters, for $30, and 75ft of Ethernet cable for $12, so that only cost me $42 total, which is far less than the $99 for the wireless adapter (or $77 if you go through Amazon).
[Reply]
September 19th, 2009 at 6:04 pm
Hi,
Actually I have just entered to this field of wireless technology and I think i have found this article in the right time. Hi I really like your article very informative I will be coming back to check it out again.
[Reply]
October 25th, 2009 at 11:10 am
this is my first time owning a 360 but, when i first had it hooked up,it was connected to my modem. just with a ethernet cord,and it it was working fine.(also it had the phone wire and a cable wire connected) now it doesnt wanna work for shit. now all i have is a modem and a router. what wires will i need to gain access to xbox live again? thank you
[Reply]