Xbox 360 Media Sharing

[Tyrant]

I'm looking for some help with this...
I'm currently connecting a laptop and the Xbox to the net using a wireless router (that has to live in a different room near the phone line) and I'm able to share music between them without problem wirelessly.
Video stutters and is unwatchable so I assumed I need to wire the laptop directly to the xbox and it would fix it. Apart from acknowledging that I have connected them and turning off the xbox's wireless adaptor they do not communicate. When running the xbox tests it fails at IP address.

Can anybody help?

[matt173407]

1st test is turn off your firewall on the laptop to see if that works , if thats the prob you need to allow a rule for the xbox in the firewall

[Mattt]

Are you wiring Laptop-Xbox or Laptop-Router-Xbox?

[Tyrant]

Laptop to xbox?
I've tried turning the firewall off but no joy.

[Mattt]

Are you using Cat5 or Xover?

[Tyrant]

Mattt said:

Are you using Cat5 or Xover?

The fact I had to google that to find out what they were probably says a lot about why I can't get it to work!?

I'm just using the cable that was supplied with the console.

[Rob P]

I thought it had to go Xbox / Router / PC?

I can stream vidoes OK if in the same room but it struggles when I take the laptop out of the lounge. I tried conecting a network cable to the router/laptop and the xbox picked it up straight away, surely if it works wirelessly then it will work with a direct connection?

For HD video I need it hard wired so I just connect it up as required.

Anyway, are you sure its possible to connect the xbox directly to the PC?

[Mattt]

Just read that the 360 doesn't require a Xover cable (previous Xbox did) - the standard one will be fine, for Live access at least. I'm sure if it can use ICS then it must be able to media share?

[Tyrant]

I've now connected it laptop - router - xbox (although now the router can't now be connected to the phone line) and the tests fail at 'PC Selected'.
Any clues? Really I'd like to connect it directly without the router at all.

[Tyrant]

Well after a few hours of pissing around the damn thing has started working over the wireless network.

Although if anyone can provide further help with the above problems it would be appreciated!

[_dobbo_]

Your Xbox needs to obtain an IP address to communicate on a network, it does this when it talks to the router. IF you take the router out of the equation, then the Xbox can't obtain an IP, hence the failure.

The only way to get around this would be to install and setup a DHCP server on your laptop, or hard code an IP address into your xbox. The second option could have the side effect of stopping your xbox working on the internet if you don't know what you are doing.

The first option is possibly too hard if you don't know what you are doing...

Why are you keen not to use the router?

[Tyrant]

_dobbo_ said:

Why are you keen not to use the router?

It lives downstairs next to the only phone socket at the moment.
I did try it with the laptop - router (no net connection)- xbox but then it failed on 'PC selected' at the test screen.