Strange Xbox 360 signal might affect wireless LANs
by Griffin McElroy 
{ Dec 15th 2007 at 3:30PM }
Further proving that all electronic devices are becoming self-aware and plotting the destruction of the human race, the IT staff at Morrisville State College recently found that a signal generated by the Xbox 360's radio receiver (the component that searches for wireless controllers) may interfere with other radio devices transmitting on the same 2.4GHz band. Some Bluetooth devices, like the IT staff's headsets, were negatively affected when around the signal, which constantly transmits as long as the system is plugged in to a power source.The college's IT staff hypothesizes that many wireless LANs experience some interference when subjected to the 360's signal, though it may not be noticeable. We know the truth -- this potentially harmless signal is just the 360's way of communicating with our toaster and microwave, telling them to stab us in our sleep.
[Via EvilAvatar]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
samfish @ Dec 15th 2007 3:34PM
In a related story, the Wii attracts cockroaches.
Raikage (ROFLBERRY PWNCAKES Defence Force) @ Dec 15th 2007 3:57PM
And PS3 attracts dust...
Yubastard @ Dec 15th 2007 4:11PM
what he PS3 attracts is Acts of God...
Raikage (ROFLBERRY PWNCAKES Defence Force) @ Dec 15th 2007 5:18PM
LOL I guess some people here can't take a joke...
Maybe that was too well written..........................
O WELL
jamma @ Dec 15th 2007 5:36PM
The Wii also attracts lemmings
Gun Barrier @ Dec 15th 2007 6:07PM
omg i found a rouch sleeping on the side of my wii one day.
Hobbes @ Dec 16th 2007 5:25AM
.
Ignatius @ Dec 15th 2007 3:38PM
I, for one, welcome our new robot overlords.
tc @ Dec 15th 2007 4:25PM
winner!
what do we have for them Judith?
"Well tonight bob, the lucky Ignatius has just won themself....THE INTERNETZ!!1"
HolyChachi @ Dec 15th 2007 5:20PM
all your base are belong to us
jamminman @ Dec 17th 2007 12:29AM
what are you, indoctrinated?!
Admiral_Mike @ Dec 15th 2007 3:41PM
/\/\ We are xbox. Your computers will adapt to service us. They're Technological distinctiveness will be added to our own. Resistance is Futile./\/\
Mr Khan @ Dec 15th 2007 4:01PM
Not much of a joke, that is more or less how Microsoft runs its Windows operation
Ignatius @ Dec 15th 2007 5:04PM
We are the Xbox, you will be assimilated. Your technological and biological distinctiveness will be added to our own. Resistance is Futi-RED RING.
BIGGEN @ Dec 15th 2007 5:28PM
should have stopped while u were ahead ignatius cause that was LAME-O! lol
Ignatius @ Dec 15th 2007 6:17PM
Says the guy who took the time to read my comment, click Reply at the beginning of the thread and then wasted a good fifteen seconds of existence to mock someone over the Internet.
Yep, yep. Lame-o, that's the term for it.
Necki @ Dec 17th 2007 11:45AM
Well, at least resistance is futile rather than the fall of man...
pantera6 @ Dec 15th 2007 3:48PM
this reminds me off the time a furby killed my next door neighbour.
those demonic screems shall always be remembered.
jorojoserojas @ Dec 15th 2007 6:56PM
The furby's? Or your neighbor's?
There's two sides to every story!
Shape @ Dec 15th 2007 3:51PM
The article doesn't even say that they are getting any interference on their wireless LAN, just that they sometimes have issues with their bluetooth headsets (who the hell doesn't?). And they said that their categorization software didn't know what the signal was. Who knows when their categorization database was updated.
When the 360 is in standby, the controller can turn on the 360 wirelessly. And the 360 controllers and the console frequency hop in order to minimize interference. It has an FCC approved sticker on the back.
The article basically cataloged their brainstorming without coming to any specific conclusions, other than the fact that the 360 does, in fact, use the 2.4GHz spectrum. And it uses it in a way that is apparently different than most. They didn't even or even list a direct link between the 360 and any particular issue. Hell, they only listed one issue, which was the bluetooth connection issue, but that could be anything.
Yuccadude @ Dec 15th 2007 4:34PM
Obviously, it is an anti-PS3 signal, meant to disturb the "gaming" of any PS3-ers nearby...
Anonim @ Dec 15th 2007 5:31PM
It has, like, 100 miles range considering that Bluetooth joypad disconection issue that plagues PS3 users.
System Wars! ;)
Raikage (ROFLBERRY PWNCAKES Defence Force) @ Dec 15th 2007 3:54PM
At a friends house they have three 360's with in 15 feet of each other. It's always a wonderful surprise when your the last person alive in Sabotage (CoD4), hurring to disarm the bomb to win, and someone hits the guide button to try and turn on a controller in the other room... and the bomb blows up...
Trey @ Dec 15th 2007 3:56PM
I'm no technology guru but ever since I got my 360 we've had all kinds of wireless network problems. Of course the entire house blames the problems on the 360. Since then I've moved the 360 to wired instead but the wireless is still unusual. At least now it only affects other people :)
Obie @ Dec 15th 2007 3:56PM
Bad news: On August 29, 2008 at 2:14 am an Xbox 360 will become self-aware and will immediately prepare to eradicate humanity.
Good news: It will overheat and red-ring two minutes afterwards. ;)
Martez @ Dec 15th 2007 4:03PM
Nicely done.
Hashbrown_Hunter @ Dec 15th 2007 5:22PM
Bravo
Will @ Dec 15th 2007 4:09PM
No news here. I figured this out last year when I got my 360. I am sure that it's the 'polling' signal that the 360 sends out to listen for controllers for startup.
I have: a 2.4 GHz phone, a 802.11g network (with three different transmission points, running 3 different computers and the Wii as well as both of my 360s) AND one of those TV transmission things (that works in the same band). ANytime that I would put the TV transmitter near the 360, static. Unplug the 360, no static.
I now have an uneasy wireless truce in the house; everything seems to somehow work. Probably giving everyone brain cancer, but you know...
I also noticed that putting the 360 power brick near the TV wireless receiver caused static on it. Weird. Gott ago, feeling light heade....
Tango Charlie @ Dec 15th 2007 4:10PM
Does this affect ALL 360s or just the ones using the wireless add-on thingy? The post is a bit vague.
Tango Charlie @ Dec 15th 2007 4:13PM
Oh, also - I noticed that my Wii with 24-hour connect turned ON was causing my router to drop the connection between it and my desktop PC on a frequent basis - both when the PC was using wireless and when it was wired. Turned the Wii connect off (really, what am I using it for?), and all seems fine.
tc @ Dec 15th 2007 4:11PM
"communicating with our toaster and microwave, telling them to stab us in our sleep."
If every blog used this line at least once in it's lifespan the internets would be a much funnier place.
Slaziman (B-B-BRUSHED WITH FAAAAME) @ Dec 15th 2007 4:20PM
RRoD is actually something Microsoft implemented on purpose to counter the 360's if they become sentient!
Slaziman (B-B-BRUSHED WITH FAAAAME) @ Dec 15th 2007 4:24PM
Crap, I just saw Obie did a similar but much better joke above :( disregard my comment
Obie @ Dec 15th 2007 4:55PM
Tee hee!
ThornedVenom @ Dec 15th 2007 4:21PM
"Some Bluetooth devices, like the IT staff's headsets, were negatively affected when around the signal, which constantly transmits as long as the system is plugged in to a power source."
Like PS3 and Wii controllers?
I SEE THE PATTERN.
[.sm0ke.] @ Dec 15th 2007 4:24PM
Wireless signals frequently have problems with interference. This is barely news.
rokerovakero @ Dec 15th 2007 4:27PM
it's waiting for that Decepticon call to arms...
Hashbrown_Hunter @ Dec 15th 2007 5:23PM
Remember when the 360 became a Decepticon in Transformers??
It's all a conspiracy....THEY'RE COMING.
tc @ Dec 15th 2007 7:01PM
wow, i love how this relatively non-news item has brought out the hilariousness of joystiq posters!
bravo to you all!
Dennis @ Dec 15th 2007 4:52PM
I thank the coffee machine at work and my senseo at home. Ifi ever become a slave, I at least will have decent coffee!
AlexP @ Dec 15th 2007 5:13PM
I for one can say that it interferes with my Wiimotes, and my 360 controller has been having issues as of late with uh... Staying connected.
I don't know why, it's only been doing this since my last dashboard update.
Hashbrown_Hunter @ Dec 15th 2007 5:23PM
SKYNET FTW
Deuxhero @ Dec 15th 2007 6:01PM
From know very little about FCC regulations, but isn't this ilegal?
MinorHavoc @ Dec 16th 2007 1:23AM
I don't believe so. FCC regulations are against interfering with bands outside the one(s) the device is assigned to. Bluetooth, 802.11b/g, microwave ovens, cordless telephones, and (apparently) the Xbox 360 controller use the same mostly unregulated 2.4 GHz band and basic physics say that if you have multiple devices using the same band then they will interfere with each other. The FCC (mostly) doesn't care about that in this band.
The "FCC Class B Radio Frequency Interference" sticker only means that the device won't reasonably interfere with your neighbor's over-the-air radio or TV reception (I'm being really loose with the definition here.) It doesn't mean the Xbox360 will play nice with Bluetooth or other 2.4 GHz devices. My laptop, for instance, has the FCC sticker and both Bluetooth and 802.11b wireless cards. The manual warns you to enable only one or other at a time since they use the same band; otherwise they can interfere and suffer erratic connections.
ssuk @ Dec 15th 2007 6:11PM
Wow! That's the EXACT same title Digg used for this story...
Jeremy White @ Dec 15th 2007 6:12PM
My router drops out all the time. It's in the same room as my 360. I wonder if this story might have something to do with that?
MDB @ Dec 15th 2007 6:28PM
This is silly. If there were any serious interference issues with the 360 on 2.4 GHz spectrum then the 360 wireless adapter (or wireless a/b/g signals in general) wouldn't work at all, which clearly is not the case.
Osman @ Dec 15th 2007 6:46PM
*goes to unplug 360*
360: "I'm afriad I can't let you do that, Dave"
Adorada @ Dec 15th 2007 7:30PM
Just upgrade to your router that supports 5ghz (ie. Dlink DGL-4500, which I currently use) and upgrade wireless phones to 6ghz. Then you won't get that much, if any interference.
Also, I heard that Wii remotes also can interfere with the xbox connection, but just take the batteries out and you should be fine. Then, the only problem that I could see happening is using the microwave, but very RARELY does that ever effect my connection. If you set up your router/phone settings correctly this would not be an issue.
Teh_nubcheek @ Dec 15th 2007 7:19PM
Did they just read the instruction manual? It says right there that the controllers use the same frequency as a wireless router using b/g. I haven't had any problems although i never use my wireless while my 360 is on so I guess that could be why...