Review: Xbox 360 wireless N adapter

It has always amazed me the Xbox 360 doesn't come with wireless networking straight out of the box.

It seems a strange omission and surely it can't be that hard to implement into the console's manufacturing process?

So, up until now connectivity to the internet with my Xbox 360 has been through an ethernet cable snaking its way along the skirting board in the lounge, behind the couch and up into my Netgear router where it has happily behaved for the past three years or so.

But now my lounge is sans ethernet cable as the Xbox 360 wireless network adapter has put paid to that pesky cable.

The black wireless network adapter, which supports the fast 802.11n wireless protocol, as well as supporting the four most common standards, is aesthetically simple in appearance, having two adjustable antennae and a single light that glows green when all is well.

It is designed to attach to the back of your Xbox 360 console using two clips, plugging into the rear USB connection, but as my console is closeted inside an entertainment unit having enough room for the antennae was an issue. It was quickly solved by purchasing a $5 one-metre USB extension cable from a computer parts dealer.

The adapter comes with an installation DVD which guides you through the set-up procedure, which if you already have a wireless home network, involves typing in your network's SSID name (Service Set Identifier) and your network's password.

The adapter then does a connection test to ensure everything is working correctly and it can connect to your network, and if all is well, you're up and running. I'd say installation time excluded, the adapter was up and running within five minutes. The adapter runs at both 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz frequency bands so if you have several devices running at 2.4Ghz you can switch to the other band to avoid any interference.

I've had no issues at all connecting to Xbox Live, either for online gaming or content downloads. So far I haven't experienced any network dropouts or connection problems and everything seems to be running according to plan.

In fact, my connection speeds seem to be faster using the wireless adapter than my usual wired connection.

And now to the price. Is it worth $169? I say yes. Cheaper would have been nice, but paramount to me is performance and the N network adapter delivers it in spades.

 - Xbox 360 wireless N network adapter  ($169)

- © Fairfax NZ News