HOWTO: Xbox LIVE Access through Ubuntu

[st33med]

I have borrowed this technique from this post, but made it shorter.

First, go into terminal and type this:

sudo gedit /etc/rc.local

Insert this at the end of the script, before the exit 0:

ifconfig eth0 up
ifconfig eth0 192.168.2.1
echo "1" > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_forward
iptables -t nat -A POSTROUTING -o ethX -s 192.168.2.1/24 -j MASQUERADE

Where ethX is your wireless card. Reboot.

Hookup your Xbox360 and your computer via Ethernet and boot up the Xbox360 without a game in it. Go to Network Settings and Edit Settings. Now change these things:

IP Address: 192.168.2.2
Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0
Gateway: 192.168.2.1

It will ask you to test these settings. Test Xbox Live. You should get an IP, but no DNS. Go to Edit settings once it's finished.

Your DNS should be the router's IP Address. To check it, return to your computer, right-click the wireless bars/two computers in the taskbar. Click 'Connection Information'. The Default route should be the router's IP address.

Now, If you're still not connecting and Network Manager is connecting to the Ethernet automatically instead of your wireless connection, you need to set the network manually. Go to System->Network. Click eth0 (or whatever your Ethernet is) and hit 'Properties'. Uncheck 'Enable Roaming mode' and change the configuration from DHCP to Static IP Address. Now do this:

IP Address: 192.168.2.1
Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0
Gateway: 192.168.1.1 (this should be your Router's IP)

Now connect to Xbox live and keep trash talking

Update: Having trouble connecting to a few people? Your wireless card could be the problem. Usually, a wireless card needs to be in promiscuous mode to operate this well, however, 95% of wireless cards do not unless you force it to. All you need to do is this:

sudo ifconfig ethX -promisc #ethX is your wireless card

If that doesn't help, try the same thing on you Ethernet card. Your Xbox 360 may still say it is moderate or strict NAT, though, Ubuntu might not, in theory, be giving the Xbox a NAT.
Try adding the line above in /etc/rc.local, but without the sudo. I have not tested this part, however, it should work.

[frodon]

Thanks for sharing however i'd like to say users reading this that it is really not clean to handle iptables rules diectly in the rc.local file like suggested here, it is better for you to handle iptables rules in a more suitable way.

[st33med]

There also maybe a little problem. The NAT in your Xbox 360 may pop-up as 'Strict' or 'Moderate'. This may hinder you when you talk to some people or try to join a host. There is a way around this. It is called bridging. However, most wireless network cards have to have a promiscuous mode on it in order for the bridge to work. Most don't have this option, but you can force it to that mode. However, the connection can be unstable. You could lose connection to Xbox Live, you could not see what your friends are doing, etc. So, I will not cover that here.

And, frodon, is there a better way of doing this?

[frodon]

Yes, ithink it is better to handle your iptables rules with your firewall apps or your iptables script, your method works but is not really clean but maybe a beginner who don't even want a firewall will prefer your way of doing this.
However in the case you use another iptables script or apps (like firestarter) it might conflict so in this case better to put your rule in your iptables script or your firewall apps.

[st33med]

Yeah, I tried Firestarter, but it kept saying either my wireless or ethernet card was not working, so I couldn't have it shared through it.

[nanonomic]

Wait, so if that worked would you be able to go on Xbox Live without paying? Or would it require a username and pass?


In other words if i did that would I be able to get on Live a credit card number?


EDIT: o wait never mind of course that wouldnt work

[st33med]

scratch that

[runemaste644]

One problem though: The XBox 360 is made by M$!
Well, there is an Xbox Linux distro anyway

[st33med]

The first post has been updated.

And, yes runemaste644, but what are you going to do about it? Buy the Xbox360 license from Microsoft?

[TheAL76]

So just to clarify, this process will allow me to connect my Xbox 360 to the internet using a wirelessly connected laptop? Thus removing the need to shell out 100 bucks for the wireless adapter?

If so, does having a home wireless router change anything in the process? My router is a standard Netgear, using DHCP and it sits at 192.168.0.1.

Thanks for your help.

Edit: OK, just re-read the original post (I really should get another cup of coffee!). Looks like this procedure could definitely help me. Thanks again.