Router: Devilspawn

Routers, to me, are in the running to be the new spawn of the devil.

After recently getting wind of GameSpy's Tunnel app (which allows me to hook up and play online Xbox games via my broadband) I hopped off to LowYat, got myself a DSL router and several metres of CAT-5 patch cable. In theory it was REALLY simple:

1) Connect router to PC
2) Connect Xbox to Router
3) Let DHCP do the rest
4) Sit back and frag, or surf the net via my TV

Estimated time to completion - 1 hour. That was two days ago.

Yesterday afternoon, I managed to get the PC and router to talk to each other, and even got the FTP running to the Xbox. I installed LinksBoks (the web browser ported from Linux's Links) onto the black box and waited. Nothing happened. Several gruesome curses (and some more twiddling) later, I booted up the box again and voila! - I was connected to the router AND the internet. I. Was. So. Happy.

Alas like all happy stories in my life, this one didn't last. I just HAD to change a setting somewhere, which made LinksBoks clam up and not want to open ANY internet hosts. Further tweaking proved to be useless. I gave up at about 1 am, and vowed vengeance today. I also promised myself that I'd settle for one out of two - either gaming OR surfing; if it came to that.

Earlier this afternoon, I did a clean start of everything with the pleasant result being I could actually connect with someone else in the states (don't ask me how. I just rebooted and reinstalled). A couple rounds of Halo 2 later, I decided that at least SOMEthing was working. So God has decided to grant one of my wishes.

However...there's this niggling thing in me that still WANTS to be able to surf the net using the Xbox, chiefly because I did it once, and I'm sure I can do it again. Until then, I expect no end to the sleepless nights, at least until I can conclusively prove that it is impossible (but I did it!!). In case anyone out there is a certified network guru of some sort, I'd be really grateful for any help.

Really, really grateful.

Till next time, it's into the breach for me.