Sure, it's all about the games, but what if you're eager to use your Microsoft Xbox 360 for streaming audio and video? PTB reader Jake Ludington has put together a little tutorial/guide to configuring a home network to handle streaming content to the Xbox 360. It's bound to be helpful to those of you who wish to take full advantage of your new hardware.
There's some confusion around the appropriate steps to take in adding an Xbox 360 to a home network with optimal results. In an ideal universe, connecting an Xbox 360 with a wired connection is the best course of action. Wired connections generally guarantee close to 100Mbps per machine across a local area network. Wireless networking is significantly less reliable, with things like cordless phones and microwave ovens operating on the same frequency as the 802.11b and 802.11g standards.
I live in an apartment so I haven't done anything with home networking and media streaming. I have speakers in the bedroom and the living room that are tied to the computer so I can get my music all over the apartment without having to stream anything anywhere. Someday when I own a house, however, I'm already planning to have speakers installed in every room. When I turn on my music I want the entire house to come alive with Billy Joel's piano or the harmonica and brass stylings of Huey Lewis and the News.
