Curse

I pwnd U · Sep 22, 2008, 03:52 AM // 03:52

Okay for starters...

If you want to start a flame war about blah blah blah this is better, don't. Go away. I am looking for some help here as all of the ideas I have tried have not succeed. This is not about which console is better, so don't say anything. Okay so on to my problem.

I live in a college dorm room. I have a year subscription to Xbox Live, it will expire in March of 2009. When I moved in I tried for kicks and giggles to set up Live. After some research I found out that if I entered an alternate MAC address, one that matched my computers, I could play on XBL.

So I went on my merry way, playing on Live, getting the new updates for my games, etc. All was great up until this past Wednesday. I log on to play like normal and this happens.

I load up CoD4, the message saying I was logged into XBL appears. I go to Multiplayer and choose XBox Live. The message Downloading Game Settings... appears on my screen and then the screen went black for a second. The Downloading Game Settings stayed there for an indefinite amount of time. I hit back and it told me I needed an Active Network Connection to play on XBL. Now I was quite confused, it had just told me I was on Live and even showed me my friends that were on. So I went to the dashboard to check if I could connect.

Got to the dashboard and it said I wasn't logged into Live. oO So I ran the tests and everything checked out. (Yes, my NAT is Open) So I tried to log into Live at the dashboard again. Still no luck. I tried multiple different games and can not get into matches or stay logged in on the dashboard.

So one of my friends and I were brainstorming and decided maybe somehow my University found a way to block my Live or my alternate MAC address had been messed up somehow. So we talked to one of our friends who works at our Tech Help Desk. He simply said bring me the MAC address of your 360 and I will register it.

Great, that should fix it right up. He concurred and proceeded to register my MAC address. So I went back to my room and prepared for domination. But again, the same thing happened. oO So now I am out of ideas. I have searched high and low for answers and no one seems to know. Everyone runs through a router, I am simply plugged into the wall. My college has Comcast for it's internet provider, though it appears as Bradley University. Now I know University internet can be slow but I should be able to still play Live as it is fast enough.

Everything checks out when I run the XBox Live connectivity test. So I am fresh out of ideas on how to fix it.

In order to help you more...

I have a static ISP. (AKA it doesn't change)
Again, the NAT is Open.
Yes I am a Gold Member with XBox Live.
The internet is a high speed broadband.
The minimum bandwidth required is 256kb or 64kb. (It's 256 I think but not 100% sure)
I have tried it at all different times and still no cigar.
Again it is a wired connection, no router involved and I can not reset my modem.
I can download and everything on my computer which runs on the same internet.
I run my computer on the same ethernet cord so I know it is not the cord.

Any help would be just awesome here. Again please keep the so-and-so system is better BS out of here. If you need more info just say so and I can post what you need. Thanks.

RedStar · Sep 22, 2008, 04:12 AM // 04:12

Do you know someone from your university that plays ?
If you do, ask him if he has some problems too. If he don't, try searching why you can't and he can.

Sorry but I can't really help because :
- My xbox is with Fenryl
- I'm not the one who installed LIVE xD.

I pwnd U · Sep 22, 2008, 04:15 AM // 04:15

My neighbor plays but I have not had a chance to see if he has the same problem though I thought I heard him say he couldn't play anymore. oO If he can we will troubleshoot together. Just need to catch him again lol

Kattar · Sep 22, 2008, 11:43 AM // 11:43

Did the guys from Help Desk have anything to say on the matter?

They may be port blocking, but that seems a little extreme for a college campus, especially since it's not like it's a music sharing port or something.

I pwnd U · Sep 22, 2008, 02:27 PM // 14:27

They are not port blocking. My friend who works there said that registering my MAC address would allow me access to Live. I highly doubt they are port blocking since I was able to play for the first 3 or 4 weeks.

I just emailed XBox Live Support about this issue. When I get the reply email I will post what they said.

Kattar · Sep 22, 2008, 02:53 PM // 14:53

Hmm...other than a problem with the network registration (like he input the MAC wrong or something), I'm out of ideas. University networks are always a little wierd about stuff like this.

Hope Microsoft has some kind of solution.

I pwnd U · Sep 23, 2008, 01:33 PM // 13:33

Nope, he put in the right MAC address. I checked and compared it to mine and it is the right one. So ya... everyone is out of ideas. Someone told me to clear my wireless settings, they are clear, and run through a router. But I don't have a router so ya... Hopefully Microsoft will somehow be helpful.

I have talked with my neighbor who also runs Live here. He has hooked up a wireless network in his room and was using that to play on Live. He also is cannot play on Live but can talk with friends and it says he is connected when he logs onto a game. Basically has the same problem I do.

So Microsoft got back to me. The smart people at Microsoft have...

NOT remotely gotten near solving my problem. The guy told me I need to have a Gold Membership >.> NO SHIZNIT SHERLOCK! I have one until March of 09. I replied back telling him I have that and I wanted to say I'm not stupid but I refrained... anyways hopefully they will have a better answer for me next time. The last one was a whole bucket of fail.

Etta · Sep 23, 2008, 02:40 PM // 14:40

Try hook up the 360 to your pc with the ethernet cable, then let your pc share the connection with the 360 and see if that help.

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/live/connect/ics_xp.htm

Wrath Of Dragons · Sep 23, 2008, 02:54 PM // 14:54

Bandwidth shouldn't really matter. It is possible to get on xbox live over dialup (using the method above)

Quote:

I have a dynamic ISP. (AKA it doesn't change)

That would be a static IP

If the Internet connection sharing thing works, you can get one of a few certain few routers and use it as an access point. You will be able to "clone" your PC's registered mac address, and so be able to use it on the net work.
If the internet connection sharing thing doesnt work.....
Hmmmm
Does your live work on a home connection? Or have you tried

Kattar · Sep 23, 2008, 03:02 PM // 15:02

The campus network may not like the fact that you have a static IP, since I skipped over that in the beginning. I just figured you mean dynamic IP, lol.

I pwnd U · Sep 23, 2008, 05:08 PM // 17:08

My computer only has 1 ethernet port.

Ya I meant Static, for some reason the site I saw made it look like static changed and dynamic stayed the same. oO Dunno why. My university assigned my room a IP address and it stays the same all year.

My XBoxs MAC address is registered with the Network already so I shouldn't need to mask it.

My neighbor who uses a router and wireless to play, also can not play multiplayer on Live.

I haven't had a chance to try at home but I assume it would considering a friend who lives near me has his working.

Dunno why they wouldn't like it, they gave it to me.

Kattar · Sep 23, 2008, 05:15 PM // 17:15

Well, if they gave it to you, then my theory is out the window. The don't like it on my campus, so I didn't know.

Snograt · Sep 23, 2008, 08:29 PM // 20:29

I'm assuming you tried XBL's network diagnostic FAQs?

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/support/co...onnections.htm

Did you mention if it was an original xBox or a 360? If the latter, you may like to try the bemusingly pointless connectivity wizard - http://www.xbox.com/en-US/support/co...vitywizard.htm

I pwnd U · Sep 23, 2008, 09:36 PM // 21:36

Ya I tried those and it says I am connected and everything passes.

Wrath Of Dragons · Sep 24, 2008, 12:49 AM // 00:49

Pwnd:
you have your computer on a wireless network, and plug the xbox into the computers ethernet port.
That is assuming you have wireless on your computer, of course

AidinSwiftarrow · Sep 24, 2008, 12:52 AM // 00:52

I just hook a ethernet cord to my Xbox and router and it works perfectly(except for when someone trips on the damn thing. Happened TWICE with COD4 in, I'm sure is screwed somehow).

Hmm, maybe try hooking an ethernet cord from your PC(or Laptop) to your Xbox and see what happens? I can't really help with this one

I pwnd U · Sep 24, 2008, 01:02 AM // 01:02

I do not have wireless here or atleast that I can access on my computer. My neighbor is running his Live that way but his is also currently down. Once I finish my homework I am going to mess with it again and see if I can get something to work. Also Microsoft support should email me back tomorrow and hopefully I will get a better answer then "You need a gold membership". >>

(Thanks for the help so far guys)

Snograt · Sep 24, 2008, 11:07 AM // 11:07

You know what Rahja will say if he notices this post:

"It's Comcast."

(Interestingly, I did notice that Microsoft recommend a dynamic IP rather than a static one. God only knows what difference that makes to the connection...)

I pwnd U · Sep 26, 2008, 05:30 AM // 05:30

Well Microsoft Online Support got back to me again. And they said they can not help me because they can not access my account to verify that I am a gold member and that I own a 360. >< Have to actually call support... bah

New development. I can talk to friends on Live and stuff BUT I can not listen to voice messages. oO Dunno why.

I pwnd U · Oct 06, 2008, 04:35 PM // 16:35

Update: My XBox Live is working again. My guess is that I used to much bandwidth at one point and got redflagged for the month of September. That is my only guess since it came back on around Oct 2nd. So it is back up, no idea for sure what caused it but that is my best guess.

PS Ya I know, double post, omg nubs use the edit button. Later posts with fixage=new post.

Let the speculations begin.