D-Link DWL-810

X-Box Live Wireless

By Keith Schleicher

The current generation of consoles is taking gamers into a new area, the arena of online gaming.  Bringing online gaming to the consoles has moved the action from the den or computer room to the living room.  However, this poses a significant problem.  Most people don’t have their Internet connection in their living room.  There are a few solutions for most people in this dilemma: 

1.      Buy a router or switch and snake a huge Ethernet cable through the house, hopefully in places where no one will accidentally trip on it, especially near stairs.

2.      Drill holes through several floors and walls of the house and try to hide the wire, hoping not to ruin the carpet or paint on the walls.

3.      A wireless solution. 

While the wireless solution is the most expensive of these three, it can be well worth the money.  I admit I was skeptical at first towards the wireless solution.  Would there be any data loss?  Would it be as fast as a regular Ethernet cable?  Would it be easy to set up? 

Well, after using Xbox LIVE with a wireless solution for several months, the results are pleasantly surprising. 

Equipment 

To set up a wireless network for a console, two different pieces of equipment are needed. 

Wireless Router 

Here is the tried and true DI-713P, which features 802.11b wireless.

The model I have is the D-Link DI-713P.  This router is 802.11b-compatible.  D-Link has a few newer models that support 802.11b, like the DI-514, but also several that support 802.11g, like the DI-624.  Although a router supporting 802.11g is available and will support 802.11b, an 802.11b router should be able to satisfy most wireless needs easily, and it is much cheaper.  

Ethernet Bridge

And here is the DWL-810 with the stylish "Big-D" on the top of the box.  This is a VERY small piece of equipment, and should not ruin any aesthetics of a living room space.

These items have not been out for very long.  In fact, it seems that the online console market facilitated these products.  I have the D-Link DWL-810, but Linksys also has their WET11.  I admit that I’m surprised at how light the D-Link DWL-810 is.  It feels like it is only a plastic box with nothing inside of it. 

The front of this product has two lights on it, and thats about it.  It is so small it can be tucked anywhere (as long as it gets a good signal).

Initial Setup 

First you need to go to the initial setup screen for the router.  This will give you the “SSID” for your wireless setup.

This is very important to get the bridge to work properly with the router. 

The bridge also has a setup screen.

To do this the DWL-810 should be hooked up the PC directly. 

Once the SSID has been set up, as well as whatever encryption is desired, the bridge needs to be plugged into the console.  The DWL-810 has two lights, one to show the power is on and the other to show it detects a signal.  Once you have this, the network should be all set up.

Next: Application Performance

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