xbox live via ics lag please help

[bojadada]

ok i have my 360 connected to my NIC card in my pc which is connected to my router. i enabled ics and did all the settings to get it work and it did. but a few days afterward, on the pc that has the router plugged in it, i dled a torrent. it made the internet EXTREMELY slow. so i stopped dling it and it was full speed again. but even when i dont download anything, i lag extremely badly on xbox live. peoples voices constantly skip and i disconnect alot.the reason i want to play on my pc in my room is cause i dont have a tv near my router and i know its not my connection cause the pc my 360 is connected to has a very good signal strength. its 54 mbps. and i even got it tested at speedtest.net and my download is always no less than 3500 kb/s and my upload is at least 700 kb/s. all the websites i browse on my pc load fine so i know its not my connection. but like i said, i lag in xbl. does anyone know how to fix this? if anyone does, please tell help is greatly appreciated.

[rabbitc]

i'm a bit confused as to what your network architecture is: You say that your X360 is connected to your NIC on your PC, yet you also say that you're using Wi-Fi...

Can you please clarify (possibly with a simple diagram) how you've connected everything together.

I need to know the following to help you:

1. What router are you using - model, type - cable-based or ADSL phone based)
2. How is your router connected to your PC - ethernet or USB?
3. Why have you installed a NIC in your PC for your X360? Does your router only have one connection port? Or is this NIC actually a Wi-Fi card?
4. How is your X360 connected to your PC - is it an ethernet cable or a wireless connection?
5. What device is using the Wi-Fi?
6. Is your router Wi-Fi enabled?


Having said that, I can spot one problem straight away in that it sounds as though your are using your PC as a bridge for your X360's Internet connection. Unless you are using a dedicated server running MS Server 2003, it's unlikely you're helping the situation by putting the PC in the middle like that.

As far as the torrent download - that's just common sense. If you start running downloads that contend for bandwidth against your X360, you're going to have lag unless your throttle your PC's bandwidth - and as I'm not prepared to go into to detail on how to do that, my suggestion is you decide whether you want to download big files or play on XBLive - not both at the same time!

If your X360 is using a Wi-Fi connection, than lag is inevitable.
LAG IS PROMINENT ON ALL WI-FI CONNECTIONS REGARDLESS OF SIGNAL STRENGTH OR STABILITY.

Bottom line: If you can connect your X360 using a wire - DO IT!

Finally - run the connection test on your X360 and verify that your NAT settings are OPEN.

Please supply all information I have requested before we continue - thanks.

[rotten_primate]

Also have a major credit card, your social security number and whether or not you're susceptible to any diseases. Just kidding. But rabbit is right, either you download files or play LIVE. I use wifi with my PC as a bridge. I have no other option. 99% of the time it runs just fine, but I do lag every now and then. I just restart all systems, including modem and router, and it works itself out. I will be using ethernet in the future per rabbit's advice. If you rather wifi, my advice is the higher the router, the better the signal. I have no obstructions between my 360 and the router which definitely boosts quality. I figured I'd throw in my novice advice because I would say a lot do it the way I am doing it and after a lot of trial and error, this is where I am now. Good luck, you're in good hands with rabbit.

[bojadada]

ok i think i said something wrong idk but NIC card is the card that has the ethernet port right? if its not, sorry for the confusion but thats what i meant. basically, i connect my 360 to the pc which is connected wirelessly to my router.

[rabbitc]

rp is on the money boj, but since you are restricted to a wireless connection anyway - I would strongly recommend that you get the wireless adapter for your X360 and connect directly to the router rather than using your PC as a bridge.

Furthermore -I asked you to run the connection test for the NAT result. I really need to see the result before I can help you any further.

[bojadada]

sorry if this is a stupid question but im not really a computer wiz. what exactly is a NAT test and can i get one from any certain website or something? like how speedtest.com is?

[rabbitc]

Nothing to do with that -

->On your xbox360 - goto the system blade -> network settings -> text xbox live connection.

The X360 will complete a series of tests - one of them is the NAT test (which stands for Network Address Translation if you're interested) that determines how accessible your X360 is from external IP's.

The results will be either 'open', 'moderate' or 'strict' - I need to know which one it is.

Please refer to this page for more information on the test I am referring to: Xbox.com | Connect to Xbox Live - Troubleshoot Your Xbox Live Connection

[bojadada]

oo okay for me its moderate.

[rabbitc]

Originally Posted by bojadada

oo okay for me its moderate.

Ok - now we're getting somewhere. Ideally, you want this to test to resolve as 'open' otherwise you will experience lag and connection issues online (speaking from experience here) - so here's what I recommend if you have a wireless router:

1. Get yourself a wireless adapter for your Xbox 360 -OR- connect your X360 directly to your router with an ethernet wire - Whatever is easier/cheaper. Either way, this gets your PC out of the picture altogether as it is obviously creating a bottleneck and preventing Xbox Live players from finding your X360.

2. You will need to ensure that the router is either Xbox Live compatible -OR- is forwarding the correct ports to your Xbox 360 (once you have established what your X360's NAT IP address is) Your router should have instructions on how to access these settings via your web browser. More information on which ports you need to forward are here: Description of Firewall Ports for Xbox LIVE and Games for Windows LIVE

Here's an example of what you need to do (this will vary from router to router): YouTube - how to open your ports for xbox live

Remember - if your router is 'Xbox Live Compatible' - you probably won't need to set anything up.

3. Once everything is set, run the connection test again and see if your test resolves 'Open' on the NAT test. Once this is achieved, you should be ready to rock and roll.

4. Avoid large downloads on your PC while playing on Xbox Live.

[rabbitc]

you're welcome.