Xbox Play Link

List Price: $99.99 Discount Price: $52.99

Features:

• Connects gaming console to internet
• Plug and Play connection
• Up to 1.5 Mbps data rate
• Pre-paired and encrypted
• New RF technology

Accessories:
The Official Xbox Magazine [1-year]	Electronic Gaming Monthly	Play	Tips & Tricks Magazine

Customer Reviews:

Works fine for online play, but downloads are super slow [Posted on 2007-12-10]
I bought this item several months ago instead of shelling out $100 for the Microsoft adapter. I play online a lot and have never had a problem with online play. My 360 is upstairs on one end of the house while my router is in the basement on the opposite side of the house. Never had a problem with Gears of War, Halo 3, Call of Duty 4, etc. But Xbox Live downloads are extremely slow. Demos that are 750mb - 1gb usually take 3-5 hours to download. I'm also unable to hook up with my computer wirelessly because the connection is too slow. I've actually had some problems getting online since the recent Xbox Live update (Dec. 2007) - not sure if that is because of this adapter or not. I'd give this item 3 stars for performance but gave it 4 stars because of the affordable price. I'm going to buy the Microsoft wireless adapter because it takes up less space, doesn't need an outlet and is faster.

Great Item -- but watch the price [Posted on 2008-01-01]
I got this as an alternative to the grossly overpriced Microsoft XBox 360 Wireless Adapter.

This device is, if anything, easier to use. It comes with 2 boxes -- one plugs into your XBox ethernet port, the other plugs into your router. There is no setup. There is nothing to configure on the XBox. As far as the XBox is concerned, this is a regular ethernet linkup and it just starts working.

I hooked it up, did some rounds of COD4 and downloaded a movie and I noticed no difference versus when I had the XBox plugged directly in to my router (but I didn't want my router in my living room, which is why I got this).

You should also be able to use these for any no-setup wireless connection you want. It's the "Xbox Play Link" but there's really nothing about it that makes it specific to the XBox. It will work for anything. (The boxes themselves do not say "Xbox" anywhere on them.)


Word of caution, though:
Check the prices.

As of the time of this writing, Amazon is not stocking the device and you can only buy it through 3rd parties. I was lucky and got it through a 3rd party here for a good price, but now I see only one place selling it, and they've marked it up considerably. Shop around before you buy.

Also note that any "wireless bridge adapter" will very likely work, if you are unable to find this particular device. Just make sure the transfer rate of the bridge adapter is in the 1.5 Mbps rater or higher, so you can fully utilize your high speed internet through it.

Very simple to use. Incredibly slow downloads. Poor durability. [Posted on 2008-01-03]
The play link is incredibly easy to use, but it doesn't have much bandwidth. Downloads literally take 20 times as long as a true wired connection. I'm not exagerating, it's extraordinarily slow. Playing on xbox live works great and thats what I used it for most of the time. Navigating the internet and/or downloading anything on any device plugged into it (including the 360) is very very slow.

You can use it to connect anything with a network port to anything else with a network port. It gets better signal than any wireless card I've ever used. I used it for a number of different computers and 2 xbox 360's.

I enjoyed the ease of use, unfortunately I was only able to enjoy it for about 10 months. I purchased it in January 2007 and it broke about a month ago. It's not very reliable. That, and the horrible download speed make me give it a low review. Another strange tid-bit. I bought it for less than $30 shipped a year ago. Whats up with these prices?!?!

Works well but be forewarned.... [Posted on 2008-06-28]
I used this great product with my PS2 and it served it's purpose, but you should be wary that you may be back on Amazon within a year ordering it again. This is due to the fact it's only good a year, which I SUPPOSE is okay since it has a one year warranty on it.

Also, it's probably obvious, but a good way to see if the Playlink is causing network problems would be to connect it to your computer and see if you can surf at a normal speed without odd hangups or you could try to connect the game system directly to the modem/router.

You have to have this! [Posted on 2008-08-11]
I have had these two little boxes for about 2 years now and they are hands-down, the best accessory that I have ever purchased! The connection requires about 30-60 seconds of your time (depends on how far you have to walk to plug the other side in) and the speed is fantastic. Occassionally after a power outage I need to unplug the receiving side for about 5 seconds before it will transmit again but that is the ONLY problem I have ever had with the little beauties. I HIGHLY recommend this to anyone looking to strech their high-speed connection into different areas.

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