Slow marketplace downloads? Using a router? Try this.

daphatty

daphatty

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I couldn't understand why my 360 would take 2-3 hours to download game demos from XBLM when my broadband connection tops out at 6Mbps. I'm not sure why I didn't try this sooner but placing the 360 in the DMZ (i.e. other side of the router's firewall) fixed the problem. I have no idea what sort of vulnerability this poses to your 360 (and we all know MS is the swiss cheese of vulnerabilities) but if it means faster downloads then I am all for it.

Just thought I would share.

Oh, I'm using a D-Link DI-524 Wired/Wireless router.
 
hmm i might try that and i have microsoft mn-700. i have been getting slow slow downloads on marketplace when d/ling demos and trailers.
 
I use a DI-524 and my DMZ is disabled, still blazing fast Marketplace downloads for me, I can't recall any of them taking any more than 10 minutes and mostly averaging 6-8.
 
Mine did alright on my router. Then I added a hub to the router and now my XBLM downloads are about 25% slower. But I get no lag so no problems for me.
 
[quote name='daphatty']I couldn't understand why my 360 would take 2-3 hours to download game demos from XBLM when my broadband connection tops out at 6Mbps. I'm not sure why I didn't try this sooner but placing the 360 in the DMZ (i.e. other side of the router's firewall) fixed the problem. I have no idea what sort of vulnerability this poses to your 360 (and we all know MS is the swiss cheese of vulnerabilities) but if it means faster downloads then I am all for it.

Just thought I would share.

Oh, I'm using a D-Link DI-524 Wired/Wireless router.[/quote]

Sorry for the dumb question, but how do I place the 360 in the DMZ?

I also have a D-Link DI-524
 
D-Link=ass for sure. Every D-link 604 router I've ever dealt with has connection issues. I've had this same belkin for years and it works flawlessly, I will NEVER buy a D-link again, hell I wouldn't take one for free, cuz don't need a paperweight.
 
I had my Xbox out in the DMZ at one point and it didn't seem to make any difference in my speeds for anything.

daphatty, you might want to double-check to make sure the XBL ports are open, just in case they're getting hit with SPI checks as info goes into your router from the Internet.
 
I tried switching it and didn't notice any difference in download speed. I'm using a Belkin Pre-N Wireless Router but am connecting the 360 wired via ethernet cable.
 
I might have to try that. Its aggrivating when a 10 meg file on there takes like 10 mins. I all ready have holes poked in my firewall for use with BT on my PC (my partners is still behind the firewall). And I believe the router I have is a Linksys
 
How do I find out what port my 360 uses? I'm a simpleton with routers.
 
[quote name='shrike4242']daphatty, you might want to double-check to make sure the XBL ports are open, just in case they're getting hit with SPI checks as info goes into your router from the Internet.[/QUOTE]

I'm sure it's a port issue but frankly, I don't feel like dealing with it. It's much easier to drop it on the DMZ.

And for those of you with the same problem but different hardware, most routers have a DMZ setting. You just have to log into your router's web interface and configure the IP address of your 360 as the IP to sit in the DMZ.
 
[quote name='ajh2298']Is there a site that tells you how to find your routers web site interface?[/QUOTE]
your router should tell you the ip (probably on it, or on a manuel, or box...) as for the ports which ports are they?

i have a Netgear

NVM i looked at that link... no finding my routers ip....
 
Most routers default to 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1.

The easiest way to tell is to basically take the IP address of any computer device on your network and change the last octet (that's what each number is called) and change it to a one.

Next, enter that IP address into your web browser and you should be able to connect to the router.

Now, here's where things get tricky. If you didn't set up the router then there is most likely a username and password that you will need in order to make any changes. Kids, this is where you go talk to your parents.

Once you are in the web interface, just poke around until you find the DMZ setting.

Note: If your mom or dad does IT for a living then there is a good chance that they've changed most, if not all, of the default settings so guessing will probably do you no good. The up side is that they will know what a DMZ is so getting them to hook you up should be a simple matter of justification.
 
[quote name='guyver2077']no noticeable diff for me..2 bad[/QUOTE]

Believe it or not, it took my 360 about 5 minutes to start responding to the change. Not sure why.

how can i open specific ports?
Click to expand...

First you need to find out which ports need to be opened. I don't know what they are. And I'm really only familiar with the D-Link DI-524 interface so I could only give you generalizations if you have something different.
 
[quote name='H-Town Info']hmm i might try that and i have microsoft mn-700. i have been getting slow slow downloads on marketplace when d/ling demos and trailers.[/QUOTE]

I have the same router and I have my 360 connected wirelessly. It works great (other than going stupid when multiple torrents are running) with the default settings. I usually get demos in 10-15 minutes over cable. Not sure why it wouldn't be doing the same for you.
 
Ok, I found the router set-up page, but it seems I only have one IP address for my whole network(1 PC 3 consoles). When I go to the DMZ section for my router set-up page it shows my static IP which is already filled in, and also the IP that I want out of the DMZ. Do I just enter my IP address in there or do I need to enter something else. And if I do enter just my regular IP address in that box that means my whole network will be out of the DMZ, will that cause any security problem for my PC?
 
[quote name='ajh2298']Ok, I found the router set-up page, but it seems I only have one IP address for my whole network(1 PC 3 consoles). When I go to the DMZ section for my router set-up page it shows my static IP which is already filled in, and also the IP that I want out of the DMZ. Do I just enter my IP address in there or do I need to enter something else. And if I do enter just my regular IP address in that box that means my whole network will be out of the DMZ, will that cause any security problem for my PC?[/QUOTE]

Ok. Your description is somewhat confusing so I will try to illustrate how home networks work before I delve into exactly what you need to find out before you configure your 360 to sit on the DMZ.

wireless-wired-router.gif


All home networks look something like the diagram above. The reason people use a router is simple, internet sharing. Consumer ISPs typically assign only one IP address per household which makes it impossible to have more than one device connected at a time.

Enter your router. Your router assumes ownership of this single IP address given to you by your ISP and is now your Internet Traffic Cop. This allows you to "SHARE" the internet connection with multiple devices. The key to all this is HOW a router shares the connection.

Every computer that connects to the internet MUST have ITS OWN IP address. Since the router has assumed control of the true IP address, the router must then employ its own IP address database in order to share the connection within your home LAN. This process is known as Network Address Translation (NAT).


Ok, now that I've gone through all of that, here's what you need to do.

Your Xbox will have its own IP address. This IP address will be listed in your router's web interface under one of these headings, NAT, DHCP, or LAN. Also, you should be able to find out the IP address of your 360 from within the Dashboard Network Interface Options menu.

Note: Your 360's IP address WILL be unique. If the address you have found is not unique to the 360, then you have the wrong address.

Once you have the correct IP address, input the address into the DMZ setting on your router and save the change. Allow a few minutes for the change to propagate just in case. It took my setup about 5 minutes before I noticed a substancial increase in download speeds.

Does that clear things up a bit?
 
The IP address for the 360 should be 192.168.0.?, you just need to determine what the ? is. (On the Actiontec I have at work, it is under "status" and then "active user list". It lists everything connected to the network that is turned ON)

As far as router passwords, it is very common for them to come with
username: admin
password: ADMIN

if the router hasn't been accessed in the past, give it a try
 
I changed mine and got no benefit from it, it still takes hours to download and stops every so often and needs restarted.
 
[quote name='ajh2298']I changed mine and got no benefit from it, it still takes hours to download and stops every so often and needs restarted.[/QUOTE]

Damn.

Ok, let's try something unique. It's a really, really long shot but hey, if it doesn't work you'll be no worse off.

If you haven't already done so, try assigning a Host Name to the 360 through the 360 Network Management interface. All this does is allow your 360 to be seen via its name as well as it's IP address. Again, I have no idea if this will help but at least we tried.
 
[quote name='daphatty']Damn.

Ok, let's try something unique. It's a really, really long shot but hey, if it doesn't work you'll be no worse off.

If you haven't already done so, try assigning a Host Name to the 360 through the 360 Network Management interface. All this does is allow your 360 to be seen via its name as well as it's IP address. Again, I have no idea if this will help but at least we tried.[/QUOTE]

Where do you find the 360 network management interface?

Also it seems for some reason that the IP address that my 360 had this afternoon is different then it has tonight, I have not changed anything other than opening the DMZ for the IP that my 360 had this afternoon. Is this common that the IP address will change?

(i.e. it ended in 000.000.0.12 this afternoon now it is 000.000.0.4)
 
If you have a bevy of devices attached to your router; PC, Xbox, 360, PS2, laptop, Wi-Fi devices etc. chances are you're running on a DHCP heavy network.

That just means that every time you power up a device to connect to the net it looks for an IP address that isn't in use on the network and grabs it for use on that session. At one point I was assigning static IP's to my gaming devices and PC but it became a pain in the butt if I took a console to a friends house and needed his net connection, then would have to come home and re-do the entire setup.

That's why you're seeing changes in your IP address.

I haven't had terribly long DL times from marketplace. I got frustrated that the 30MB download for that free car on PGR3 took 5 minutes, for a 30MB file???, but other than that I can't really complain about the service.

Seems to me MS should know that most gamers can barely hook up a router and get all devices they want to working on it. This port opening BS I think is a placebo effect to those people that want to think they know technical stuff better than the engineers earning six figures that actually built XBL and the 360.
 
Yeah, unfortunately the DMZ trick only seems to work if you use static IPs for, at the very least, your 360. I use static IPs for my Xbox, my 360 (which I did drop in the DMZ) and my PC. Everything else (usually just 2 laptops) use DHCP for basically the same reasons PittsburghAfterDark said.

Anyway, dropping your 360 may not effect your download speeds at all. I was getting pretty fast downloads before I did it (BTW, I did it to get the NAT open so I could connect to more people on Live) and my downloads didn't speed nor slow once it was in the DMZ.
 
You can usually reserve addresses through you DHCP server (router) so that your Xbox always gets the same IP address every time, and in fact that IP address is reserved for it, and cannot be taken by another machine. You don't have to put a static IP address on every machine.
 
OK, I called XBL tech support and we figured out my problem. I use Verizon DSL and a Westell Model 2200 Modem and apparently that modem is setup to be a router of some kind even though it only has one port. I need to go into the modems setup page and change some settings, and then go back and change some settings on the router and all should be good. I am just a little hesitant to mess with the modems settings, I think I might call Verizon and see if they offer a modem that is just a modem and not weird like the Westell one I have.

I found this on www.broadbandreports.com:

Q: How do I use a router with the Westell 2200?

A: The Westell 2200 wired modem/router Verizon is supplying can be used in either Router or Bridge mode; if you are already using a router, or want to, you need to put the modem in Bridge mode or you'll have problems. Here's how:

First, connect your PC directly to the Westell 2200 with an ethernet (CAT5 or CAT5e) cable, bypassing your router. In your browser's address box, type 192.168.1.1 to access the Modem Configuration utility. When asked for user name and password, enter your Verizon username and password. Now, from the Configuration menu, choose VC configuration and set the 0/35 to bridge mode by clicking the "edit" button and using the drop down menu. Do not disable the 0/35. Save. Then, again in the Configuration menu, select DHCP Configuration and turn off the DHCP Server. Log off the utility.

Skip this next step if you've already been using your router to supply PPPoE with your username and password already. Unplug the cable from the modem and hook it up directly to your router (so your computer and your router are now hooked up and the modem isn't in the mix). Enter your router's configuration area (usually »192.168.2.1/?), choose PPPoE and, in the PPPoE area, change the log on entries to your verizon username and password.

Now (almost done!) hook a cable between the modem and the router (Verizon usually supplies one), leaving the PC to router connection in place. Reboot both devices. All should work fine now.
 
There are benefits to using a modem/router combo. Specifically, one point of failure. Even better, if your router fails in some way, Verizon HAS to help you. Nothing like getting support from people who are know how your devices work. Well, at least they should.

[quote name='PittsburghAfterDark']This port opening BS I think is a placebo effect to those people that want to think they know technical stuff better than the engineers earning six figures that actually built XBL and the 360.[/QUOTE]

OT: You know, I wish I could have heard you say this. That way I'd be able to tell if you were being presumptious. That being said...

I AM a Network Administrator for a federal agency in Washington, D.C. I do this for a living, albeit on a much larger scale. That is why I offered the suggestion in the first place.
 
[quote name='daphatty']There are benefits to using a modem/router combo. Specifically, one point of failure. Even better, if your router fails in some way, Verizon HAS to help you. Nothing like getting support from people who are know how your devices work. Well, at least they should.[/QUOTE]


The only problem is how do I get past the point that it only has one port?
 
Ok, I did all the above steps and guess what still slow ass downloads, but also I can no longer gain access to my modems setup page?
 
Finally finished with the TW demo took over 10 hours over 4 days with about at least 20-25 stops while I was trying to DL it.
 
[quote name='ajh2298']I called XBL tech support and we figured out my problem. I use Verizon DSL and a Westell Model 2200 Modem.[/QUOTE]

I'm using the same set up (Verizon DSL and a Westell Model 2200 Modem) with a Linskys WRT54G. When I make changes in the Router set up I often lose my internet connection and have to go through the painful process of getting the modem and router in synch. Just wondering if you have been able to figure it out.
 
I have Verizon DSL and the Westell Router/Modem set up as everyone else (Model 327W, I think) who got them for free from Verizon. I have no issues whatsoever(Touches Wood). I was able to download the PGR3 updates in about 5 mins.

I wondering if maybe the issue might be reflective of the type of service you have. For instance, there are 2 different packages that Verizon offers. The cheap package (768K) and the other one (3Mbps).

It might behoove you to check with your provider to see what you are paying for.

Good Luck.
 
[quote name='ajh2298']Finally finished with the TW demo took over 10 hours over 4 days with about at least 20-25 stops while I was trying to DL it.[/QUOTE]

Man, there is something else going on in your network. After you find out what speeds Verizon has you clocked at, ask Verizon how to run a diagnostic on your modem.
 
[quote name='Number83']I have Verizon DSL and the Westell Router/Modem set up as everyone else (Model 327W, I think) who got them for free from Verizon. I have no issues whatsoever(Touches Wood). I was able to download the PGR3 updates in about 5 mins.

I wondering if maybe the issue might be reflective of the type of service you have. For instance, there are 2 different packages that Verizon offers. The cheap package (768K) and the other one (3Mbps).

It might behoove you to check with your provider to see what you are paying for.

Good Luck.[/QUOTE]


I have the 3Mbps service and a reliable internet connection. I have two XBOX 360's, one with a direct connection (family room) and one with a wireless connection (bedroom). Last week I couldn't connect to a COD game that my friend was hosting. After doing some research I realized that my NAT setting was "moderate" on my direct connection. For whatever reason my wireless connection had an "open" NAT. I'm still trying to figure it out.
 
Thank's DaPhatty , I think that DMZ thing worked for me .
I have an MN-700 with Xbox wireless adapter/bridge to 360 .

Unless it's just a placebo effect .
 
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