XBox 360 won't connect to our network

[TheSalche]

Having some problems connecting our xbox 360 to the network so the 360 can see music files/movies, etc. Here are the steps we have taken to try to "fix" it.

1. Turn media sharing on in windows media player
2. Opened the firewall port settings

When we do the test it stops at the finding PC step. Any other tips? Our router is on the approved list.

[Dire]

Can your PC see your 360? It's under Library->Media Sharing in WMP 11.

[TheSalche]

No it doesn't. There's nothing listed there (i.e. the other two computers on the network).

[wonderwes]

can it actually successfully sign into xbox live?

[Thanir]

Did you add Media Center Extender onto the PC? If you aren't running MCE or Vista you need to add it.

This http://forums.xbox.com/1076872/ShowPost.aspx might help

[TheSalche]

[ QUOTE ]
can it actually successfully sign into xbox live?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes. I'm gonna try the media extender thing though.

edit: do I need to be running the media extender thing? that seems like i'd change my operating system from XP to XP media center edition

[BBC Z]

In Windows Media Player 11, there is a Windows Service installed like Media Discovery or something..

Go into your Windows -> Control Panel -> Admin Tools -> Services. And verify that this service is 'Started'. If it's not, then your server isn't serving thus the 360 wont find any computers. Try and start it, if it fails, look at the event log.

I drove my head into the wall for 8 hours on this problem. It lands up being 'Corrupted Cerficiates' in Windows Media Player. There's a link somewhere in the Xbox.com forums to a fix you can run to regenerate them. Once you get that service as 'started' you 360 will see the PC.

I've also assumed that in WMP11 Media Sharing, you see the XBOX360 as a potential client and gave it access..

[rjoefish]

Hope this helps, took me like 4 seconds of searching so you may have already seen it since you've been working on it for awhile it would seem. I am assuming you have XP with service pack 2 installed.

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/pcsetup/xpsp2.htm

[Dire]

[ QUOTE ]
No it doesn't. There's nothing listed there (i.e. the other two computers on the network).

[/ QUOTE ]

If your PC cannot see your 360 and your 360 cannot see your PC, it may be a networking instead of software issue. When my PC could not see my 360 it was because they had the same effective MAC address - I had previously set them that way for use with my cable modem and simply forgot to change them back. A small thing that it took me several months to [eventually/accidentally] figure out, since it's not something you generally bother to check! There's definitely no IP/MAC/etc conflicts in your network? Are you using DHCP through your router for your network/xbox?

[Thanir]

Yes you have to run the media extender if you are using XP. Since it sounds like you didn't add this onto your comp, this should get it working.