WGA600N and XBOX 360 Installation

This page is organized into the following sections:

• Setting up your wireless router
• Setting up the WGA600N gaming adapter
• Connecting the WGA600N to your XBOX 360
• Troubleshooting

Setting up your wireless router

First things first, if you haven't already, you'll want to connect your wireless router. Note that in order to use the WGA600N gaming adapter with your XBOX 360, you'll need to first connect a wireless router such as the Linksys WRT54G, which is used in our examples, to your computer. This will create a home wireless network to which the WGA600N can connect to. The XBOX 360, in turn, connects to the WGA600N so it can go online via your wireless network.

Setting up your wireless network with the Linksys WRT54G

Most routers work in the same fashion - for the sake of example we'll be using the Linksys WRT54G wireless-G (broadband) router.

• First, connect the power cable from your router into the wall.
• Second, you'll want to connect, via a broadband cable (looks slightly wider than a standard phone line cable), the "Internet" port on the back of your router to your broadband modem.
• Next, connect another broadband cable from port 1 on the back of your router to the broadband port on your PC.
• Finally, you'll want to power up both the router and your PC, and connect to your router via the Internet. Open up a browser (we prefer Firefox), and connect to your router via its IP address (for Linksys WRT54G, the default is http://192.168.1.1/).
• You'll be prompted for a username and password. The default username for the Linksys WRT54G is either blank, or "admin," and the default password is "admin"
• Once you're logged in, the first thing you'll want to do is change your router password (if you don't, anyone can get in with the default settings). In the Linksys router, simply click on the "Administration" tab tab, and enter your new password. Leave the other settings as is. Remember to save your settings - once you do, you'll be prompted for your new router password.

Wireless router - setting up your basic settings and security

Next you'll want to set your router's broadcast settings. For the Linksys router, browse to Wireless -> Basic Wireless Settings, and mixed mode, on wireless channel 6 (2.437 GHz), and enable SSID broadcast.

Next, to secure your router, browse to Wireless -> Wireless Security, and select WPA (pre-shared key) as your security mode, TKIP as your security algorithm (if you are given this option), and set a password for your shared key that is hard to guess. It's best if you pick a non-dictionary word, along with at least one number and at least one special character (ie. !@#$%, etc.). Don't forget to save your settings.

Voila, your router is now setup, and your network is secured. Next we'll be setting up the WGA600N, and connecting your XBOX 360 to your wireless network.

Setting up the WGA600N gaming adapter

You can unplug your wireless (Linksys) router from your PC now. We'll be connecting the WGA600N gaming adapter to it so we can set it up. Note that you'll lose your Internet connection on your main PC while you do this - so you may want to have a second PC or laptop with Internet handy in case you get stuck. And note that the gaming adapter may ask you to reboot after each change you make - this is not necessary, although you will need to reboot at the very end before connecting to the XBOX 360.

• First, connect the power cable from your WGA600N to a wall socket.
• Next, connect a broadband cable from the Ethernet port in your WGA600N to the back of your PC's Ethernet port.
• Next, you'll need to assign a static IP to your PC. In Windows computers, you can do this by browsing to Control Panel -> Network Connections -> double-clicking your connection name, selecting the Properties button under the General tab, and then selecting Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and selecting Properties. 
• By default, it will probably be set to Obtain an IP address automatically. You want to change this to Use the following IP address, and enter the following values:
  • IP address: 192.168.1.100
  • Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0
  • Default gateway: 192.168.1.250 (this is the default IP address of the WGA600N)
  • Leave DNS settings as is.

Changing your WGA600N password

We're now going to connect to the WGNA600N. Open up a browser window and browse to the WGA600N's IP address: http://192.168.1.250.

The first thing you'll want to do is change the gaming adapter's password. Browse to Tools -> Admin and set yourself a new, more secure password. A rule of thumb for a good password is to choose a non-dictionary word, along with at least one number and at least one special character. Finally, don't forget to save your settings.

Upgrading the WGA600N firmware

We're now going to connect to the WGNA600N. Open up a browser window and browse to the WGA600N's IP address: http://192.168.1.250.

• You'll be asked for a username and password. These are, by default, admin and admin. If they don't work, you may need to push in the reset button at the back of your WGA600N for 5 seconds and then try again (PC reboot may be required if it still won't work).
• Once inside the WGA600N setup utility, the first thing you'll need to do is upgrade your firmware to 1.0.5 or higher. Firmware's below this number may lead to the status: not associated with any AP error, because the WGA600N won't stay on one channel, and therefore remain connected to your wireless network. To upgrade your firmware:
  • Download the latest WGA600N firmware here. Select your firmware version and then download the file by using the download link on the left. The filename should be something to the effect of WGA600N_v1.0.5.bin (this particular filename reflects firmware version 1.0.5).
  • Back inside your WGA600N setup utility, browse to Tools -> Firmware, and browse and upload the firmware file you just downloaded. Follow the steps to complete the firmware upgrade process. Once it's complete, you should see Firmware Ver: 1.0.5 (or whatever number you upgraded to) in the top right corner of the WGA600N setup utility.

Setting the WGA600N's IP address

• Now that your firmware is upgraded, browse to Basic -> Network Settings. Towards the bottom of the screen, you'll be able to specify the WGA600N's IP address. Note that by default, the Linksys WRT54G router used in our example allows an IP address range of 192.168.1.100 - 192.168.1.149, which falls below the range of the WGA600N's default IP, 192.168.1.250. For this reason, you'll want to change the WGA600N's IP Network Settings to:
  • IP Address Mode: Static
  • IP Address: 192.168.1.103 (in your wireless router's setup utility (WRT54G in our example), browse to Status -> Local Network, and click on DCHP Clients Table to see what devices are connected to your wireless network, and to see what their IP addresses are. Select an IP address for your WGA600N that is within the above mentioned range, but does not already exist on your network).
  • Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
  • Default Gateway: 192.168.1.1

Updating WGA600N's security key to access your wireless network

The final step involves setting your WGA600N's security settings, which will enable it to access your secured wireless network. To to so, follow these steps:

• Login to your WGA600N's setup utility, remembering that you changed the IP address from 192.168.1.250 to the one specified above (192.168.1.103 in our example).
• Browse to Basic -> Wireless and input the following settings (settings we don't list you can leave as is):
  • Wireless Network Mode: Wireless Bridge
  • 802.11 Band: 2.4GHz
  • 802.11 Mode: Mixed 802.11n, 802.11g, and 802.11b
  • Security Mode: WPA-Personal
  • WPA Mode: Auto (WPA or WPA2)
  • Cipher Type: TKIP or AES
  • Pre-Shared Key: Enter your wireless router WPA key that you specified when setting up your wireless router (Linksys WRT54G in our example) at the beginning of this tutorial.
  • Click the Save Your Settings button at the top of the page.
• Browse to Status and confirm the following settings:
  • Wireless Radio: enabled
  • Status: Associated with [router name] (linksys in our example)
  • WISH: Active
  • Channel: 6 (or whichever channel you chose)
  • Wi-Fi Protected Setup: Enabled/ Configured
  • Security Mode: WPA/WPA2 - Personal

If you see all the above settings, pat yourself on the back for a job well done! The only step now is to set your PC's IP back to automatic (in Windows computers, simply browse to Control Panel -> Network Connections -> double-click your connection name, select the Properties button under the General tab, and then select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and select Properties.  Change the setting back to Obtain an IP address automatically, and leave DNS settings as is. Hit OK to save your settings and close the windows.

The last step simply involves connecting the WGA600N to your XBOX 360 and taking your XBOX 360 online. If you ran into troubles and the above settings don't match up with yours, check our troubleshooting section.

Connecting the WGA600N to your XBOX 360

Unplug the WGA600N from your PC and plug the broadband cable from your router back into your PC so your PC can connect to the Internet again (unless your PC uses a wireless adapter, in which case it can connect via your wireless network).

Plug the WGA600N into your XBOX 360's ethernet port using a broadband cable and make sure the power cable for both the WGA600N and your XBOX 360 are connected as well.

Configuring your XBOX 360 to go online

Power up the XBOX 360, click the green X button, and browse to Settings -> System Settings -> Network Settings -> Configure Network. From here, click the A button on the first set of settings (Wireless Mode, Network Name, etc.). Select Scan for Networks. This will bring you to the Select Wireless Network screen where you should see the name of your wireless network. Select it, and enter your WPA key. You should leave the rest of your network settings to configure automatically.

Adding your XBOX 360 IP to your router's address table

Back on the Configure Network page, check to see what IP address has been assigned to your XBOX 360. It will probably be the one right after your WGA600N, in our example 192.168.1.104. You are going to need to add this to your wireless router's (Linksys WRT54G) IP address table as follows:

• Log back into your wireless router by entering its IP address (in our example, 192.168.1.100) in your browser.
• Browse to Applications & Gaming -> Port Range Forward. We're going to be forwarding the XBOX 360 port so it can access your network. Enter 88 for both the start and end ports, as well as the IP address of your XBOX 360 (in our example, 192.168.1.104), and check the enable box to enable port forwarding. Make sure you click the save settings button as well.
• You should see the XBOX 360 IP in your router's DCHP Clients Table. Browse to Status -> Local Network, and click on DCHP Clients Table to see what devices are connected to your wireless network.

Testing your XBOX 360 LIVE Connection

Back on your Network Settings page, select Text Xbox LIVE Connection to run a test. If the test succeeds, you're all set, and can now sign on to XBOX Live. If it fails, see our troubleshooting section below. If it attempts to update, and the update fails, simply restart your Xbox. The update will resume and should complete successfully.

An important note on XBOX 360 Live Update: If, after a successful network test (XBOX Live test), it asks you to update, and you can't select yes or no, hit the power button on your controller, back out of all the menu's, and access the XBOX Live menu directly - you'll be able to update from here.

Troubleshooting the WGA600N and XBOX 360

Here's some common error messages you may encounter while trying to get your XBOX 360 online:

Setup utility was unable to locate a gaming adapter

This occurs when your PC is unable to recognize your WGA600N. You've probably failed to set your PC to a static IP. Review the instructions above and try again.

Status: not associated with any AP

This error indicates that your WGA600N is unable to connect to your wireless network, and most often occurs when you haven't updated your WGA600N to the latest firmware, which allows it to connect to one channel, as opposed to constantly scanning the range of channels, and only connecting intermittently.

Can't find my wga600n admin password

The default password and username for your WGA600N are admin/ admin. If you can't get these to work, you'll need to press the reset button on the back of your WGA600N for 5 seconds, and then reboot your PC and try reconnecting.

Can't find my Linksys WRT54G password

The default password and username for your WRT54G are admin (or blank)/ admin. If you can't get these to work, you'll need to press the reset button on the back of your WRT54G for 5 seconds, and then reboot your PC and try reconnecting.

Limited Connectivity: Change NAT Configuration from Moderate to Open

If you get the message, while connecting to Xbox Live, that they recommend you restart your router and modem so as to change your NAT configuration from Moderate to Open (this prevents lag issues while playing online and not being able to hear fellow players), you can try the following to remedy the issue. But first, what does NAT stand for? NAT stands for Network Address Translation. It is used to prevent conflicting signals from devices on your network, and has three modes of operation: Open, Moderate, and Strict. Okay, not that you're familiar with NAT, let's see how we can create an open NAT configuration:

• Login to your router admin
• Browse to Applications & Gaming -> Port Range Forward
  • Open port 88 (UDP) and 3074 (Both UDP & TCP) for your Xbox Ip address (can be found in your Xbox network configuration menu - set the start and end addresses to the same number). Make sure you click the "enable" checkbox next to each rule and save your settings.
• Restart your Xbox live connection test and see if it connect without any errors. If it still reports the NAT configuration issue, try the next step.
• Browse to Applications & Gaming -> Port Triggering
  • Once again, you want to enter ports 88 and 3074, for both the triggered and forwarded range, enable the rules, and save your settings.
• Try your Xbox live connection again. If you're still having issues, try the next step.
• Browse to Applications & Gaming -> DMZ
  
• Enable DMZ and set the "DMZ host IP address" to the last octet (last digit) of your Xbox IP address. Save your settings and see if you can connect.
• If you're still having issues, make sure you've read the entire article and troubleshooting tips above. If you can't find a solution that works, post below.