How to set-up Xbox Live in Nigeria - UPDATED 15.04.2012

Xbox Live is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft.  It brings a huge entertainment experience right to your Xbox 360 letting users connect with friends over text, voice and video chat, it also allows users download playable games and demos of all the latest games, dashboard themes, game add-ons and system updates.

Microsoft Xbox One

Yes, Xbox live is accessible from Nigeria and this is a comprehensive guide on what you need to do in order to get an Xbox Live account up and running in Nigeria. In this guide I will give methods for setting up the internet link between popular ISP hardware and an Xbox 360.  

What’s the Best Network to Use?

I think this is a good time to mention that as of the first of January 2011 Xbox Live has not been working on the Starcomms network. It was what I initially used to connect but from the beginning of this year it began to give the MTU (maximum transition unit) Error, the required MTU for Xbox Live is 1486 but Stracomms seemed to have downgraded theirs to 1200. So you cannot connect to Xbox Live using Starcomms.
 

I’ve tested most of the available 3G telecoms providers and other, and assed which is best to use in order to get the most out of you Xbox live experience. Currently at the top of my list is Etisalat Nigeria, followed by Visafone, then MTN and lastly Glo. I haven’t been able to get my hands on an Airtel Nigeria connection to test it yet, but will do so as soon as possible.  

For the best overall experience Etisalat NG provides high speed the with no noticeable lagging what so ever during game-play, during online multiplayer your pawn moves seamlessly and interacts fluidly with other players. 

Part 1: Setting up the Internet Link

The most logical thing to do is to plug your Xbox 360 into your internet router using an Ethernet cable. It’s located at the back of your console, but if it was always that simple you wouldn’t be reading this.

Method 1: Ad-hoc Network (Windows Vista)

This method is very straight forward you’ll need a USB modem of, I recommend MTN (3G), GLO (3G), Visafone* or Etisalat (3G).  I am assuming you have a PC with Wi-Fi capabilities, and an Xbox 360 either an Elite model or the new slim model with built-in Wi-Fi capabilities, these versions would save you a tonne of stress.

Step 1: First connect to the internet using your USB modem the way you normally would do. 

Step 2: From the Start menu “Click” Network.

Step 3: In the tool bar located under the address bar of the window, click Network and Sharing Centre

Step 4: In the top left side of the window you’ll see a list of “Tasks”, the fourth option should be Set up a network or connection click it.

Step 5:  A new dialog box will appear, click the fourth option which should be Set up a wireless ad hoc (computer-to-computer) network

Step 6: You can name the network whatever you like, I strongly suggest you use No authentication (Open). You may choose to save the network or not.

Step 7: After the network has been successful set up, under “Recommended options” you should be prompted to Turn on Internet connection sharing, if you do not see this option you may need to update your operating system.

Step 8: After clicking on this option you should get a confirmation saying Internet connection sharing is enabled. If you don’t get this confirmation and it fails you should just try again.

This method is best suited for Visafone.

Method 2: Using a USB router/ Mi-Fi Router

Admittedly if you have the right hardware getting your Xbox 360 online is a snap. Most 3G providers these days support (though branded) devices that enable multiple devices to connect to the internet using only one SIM and plan. So if you have a Mi-Fi hub (MTN or Etisalat) or a 3G router (Glo or Visafone) connecting your 360 to the internet is as easy as connecting your laptop.  I on the other hand use an unbranded 3G Wi-Fi router made by Zoom Telecommunications (not the Nigerian CDMA provider).  I don’t feel any step-by-step guide is required for connecting your Xbox to any of these devices since they are all emit a Wi-Fi signal, but if you need any help you can send me an email at enquires.trutechkings@gmail.com or tweet at us @truetechkings. 

Part 2: Setting up your Xbox live account.

This is as simple as creating an email, but some people can get stuck if they’re not aware of some things before hand. The following are a list of things that you may or may not know about connecting and registering your Xbox live account. 

1.       Nigeria is not listed in their list of countries during the registration, so I advise you to use United States or United Kingdom which ever you feel more comfortable with, with any luck if the amount of Nigerian IP addresses that connect to the service dramatically increases Nigeria will soon be listed. So tell your friends about Xbox Live!

2.       If you do not intend to use a credit/debit card with your account I suggest you declare you are over 18, this will not make the billing details section of the registration process mandatory. Please note that most Nigerian MasterCard and Visa powered debit cards will not work, unless special privileges have then enabled on that card/account, for example being linked to a dollar($)/pound(£) account.

3.       You may have to change you gamertag ID because your name may already be taken.

4.       You will most probably need to install a multitude of updates for your Xbox on your first login to Xbox live, so I suggest you make an allowance of about 250-750MB on your data plan. 

5.       If you have altered your Xbox 360 in any way, for example chipped it to play pirated games or play saved games from your hard drive these updates will revert any changes you have made or in extreme cases block your Xbox 360. So you might need to think twice if you’ve been screwing around with it. But if you play by the book you’ve got nothing to worry about!

6.       When you have successfully registered you Xbox live account you’ll get a one month free Xbox Live gold subscription, which will give you access to exclusive content and also enable you to use the online multiplayer capabilities of your games. 

If you have any further questions you can email me at enquires.truetechkings@gmail.com or tweet at us @treutechkings Looking forward to playing with you guys. For a more indebt analysis of the Nigerian 3G provider data Plan Click Here

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Sony Launches New Tablet

Sony very recently burst into the tablet PC market, launching two new tablets PCs namely the Sony Tablet S & P which easily rival the iPad 2 and Samsung Galaxy 10.1. 

The Sony Tablet S has a 9.4” touch screen display, running Android 3.2 (Honeycomb), 16/32 GB internal storage, Wi-Fi connectivity, Infrared Port, 3G capability (optional), 1GHz Dual-Core Cortex-A9 processor, 1GB of RAM, 5 MP camera with HD recoding and weighs about the same as an iPad 2. 

The Sony Tablet P is considerably smaller and looks like a Nintendo DS, it has two 5.5” touch screen displays, also running Android 3.2, 4GM internal storage, microSD slot and shares similar specifications with the Tablet S. 

So it’s basically everything you’d expect from a high-end Android tablet, so what makes this device special you ask? I’ll tell you.

The tablet S has an unusual wedge-shape so when placed on a flat surface, let’s say your desk, it sets the screen at an angle so you don’t have to constantly bend over to see the screen and type. Its clever weight distribution gives you better grip since most of the weight is at that edge, making it much more balanced and comfortable to hold and carry about. 

Both tablets are PlayStation certified which means you get out-of-the-box gaming with PlayStation classics like Crash Bandicoot, you can also download original PlayStation titles online not to mention the millions of other games and applications available on the android market. Also the Tablet S infrared emitter allows it to be used as a universal remote control, so you can turn on your Panasonic TV and Samsung home theatre as you check you inbox all at once. Kiss those days of juggling remote controls good-bye!

With all this said in this author’s opinion I’d highly recommend the Sony Tablet, especially if you’re all about the latest gear, updates and mods. 

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