USB>Ethernet adapter a bad idea?

Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2004 11:47 am

I originally posted this in the xbox-scene forums while these were down.

My current setup is this:

Internet > ADSL Modem (usb) > PC
PC > NIC card 1 > Xbox 1
PC > NIC card 2 > Xbox 2

Soon we will have a third xbox in our house and would like to have them all networked together with the PC. However, I do not have anymore PCI slots to fit in another NIC card.

Rather than splash out on a Router or Switch (both would involve buying new straight through ethernet cables or getting little adapters for my existing crossover cables), I came across this:

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,7067,00.asp?c=PCNKT0209KTX1K0100360

... a USB to ethernet adapter. I'm hoping that it would provide the same reliability for gaming that a third NIC card would. My setup would then look like this:

Internet > ADSL Modem (usb) > PC
PC > NIC card 1 > Xbox 1
PC > NIC card 2 > Xbox 2
PC > USB to Ethernet > Xbox 3

Now, I only have USB 1.0 (or 1.1?) so bandwidth using this is limited to 12mbps instead of 100mbps (as stated in the article). I figure that this is more than enough bandwidth for gaming/kai, but is there likely to be an issue with latency by using this usb adapter? And will it be compatible with my existing networking ICS setup in XP?

Any help/input appreciated.

Dan

Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2004 3:05 pm

The USB adaptor is a no go. It will not work.

Get a PCI adaptor instead, besides it's going to be cheaper.

Actually for your setup, you should really just go out and buy a router/switch. If you don't want to do that I would at least go out and buy a switch/hub for all your xbox's and one of the NIC's on your computer to connect to.

too many network adaptors in one computer will just cause problems.

Posted: Sun Oct 17, 2004 3:52 am

Thanks for clarifying, DH, I'll probably buy a switch sometime next week.

Posted: Sun Oct 17, 2004 9:31 am

It definately won't work, this is the setup I have Shocked