Free alternative to Xbox Live

Too bad you have to use a modded system... sounds like a neat idea otherwise.

You might want to revise the article... it doesn't have to be a modded machine, but the plus side is it works on modded machines.

Actually you don't need a modded system to use it. The Xbox side of it uses system link. Connect your box to your Mac/PC and you computer acts as a virtual system linked xbox. So if you want to play halo1 across the world, get downloading. The only reason for modding your xbox is so that you can actually install xlink on your shiny new hdd.

yes like # 2 said. To play on this serviceu do nto need a to have a modded xbox or ps2 or gamecube..to play on xlink kai .which is not the only one also XBconnect, is a great and huge free online gaming service. but u do not need to have a modded xbox in any way which is what a lot of folks think. but also modded boxes can use the service.

Xbox Connect (XBC)
Xlink Kai

only 2 out there i know of.. i would rank XBC to be #1 in this free online seen but thats just my opinion..

I used xbox connect and it sucked. way too much lag way too often. You get what you pay for

I used this for the original Halo before Xbox Live launched. This is in no way an alternative to Xbox Live. You might as well be on a PS2.

I use Xlink Kai. Funny how its better than Xbox Live. ie. no big brother style stalking, free, can play Halo 1 online etc.

Does it work with the headset though? That was one of the big dissapointments with the old XBConnect.

Don't forget that lags over XBConnect or XLink Kai can occur cause it maps local System Link games onto a much slower Internet Connection. Cause of this you can play with more players over the Internet which results in often choppy gameplay. Never use more players than the real Xbox Live would use!

Check the games list mofomojo, some can work with a headset, whilst some can't.

Sure it's free, but the Xbox live service is much better. You get friend lists, matchmaking, download services for new content, and the coding is differant and less lag free. The Xbox live code is designed to be played over the internet, while these softwares simply play the system link code over the internet, which they are not designed for.

the lag isn't to bad if your only playing with 1-2 players. but the biggest problem is number of cheaters. its nearly impossible to play 3 to 4 games of halo 2 without coming across at least one cheater.

Well headsets work in games that support them.
The best part about Xlink is...
You don't have to forward any ports (which is hard to do for noobs)
You can look at people's individual pings and see WHO is lagging.

It works great and I have used it before when I was to cheap to pay for Live! but after getting my ass handed to me too many times I dropped it (read below as I play alot (lvl 20 in Halo 2)...but its different when you have modded boxes to play against).

Your right, you dont NEED a modded xbox to play but you might as well since about 90% of the other people on their are using modded box's which sucks for us non-modded who want to just play the game and be in with a bunch of modding cheaters. It takes the fun out of it will all the cheaters. I still have nightmares about one of my first battles on there in the creek with swords only and dudes literally poppping up in front me me outta no where to slice me open. I use Live! now because cheaters suck...and they always will.

I think it works really well. I got very little lag at all, even playing with a relatively large number of people. Unfortunately, there is WAY too much cheating going on. I'm a big fan of modding, but I don't understand why you'd want to cheat. There were guys literally disappearing and re-appearing all over, jumping 200 feet in the air, killing me and re-appearing where I spawned and killing me instantly again, etc., etc....

I guess I'll probably keep playing on it for awhile, but if it gets much worse I'll sell out and get on live.

Oh yeah, the headsets definitely work. I got called a "faggot" by some teenager about 20 times.

I have to disagree with Andy (#11). While Xbox Live (I am a member) provides so many features, games like Call of Duty 2 have better options for system link than they do for Xbox Live, an enticement to play System Link games. Maybe MS should work with them to make the Xbox Live portion of their game to make people want to play on Xbox Live.

I thing this will be a huge challenge to Microsoft.