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34 Comments
- pwsegal, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3The implications of this could be more wide ranging. Its now known that the xbox360 kiosks use a range somewhere in the 2.4G spectrum, and its known that the Walmart system uses a frequency very close by to that. So the logical conclusion is that it someone can find what the exact frequency was being used by the kiosks then (and I'm not suggesting anyone should do this but raising it as more of an alert for any Walmarts reading Digg) in theory some one could create a portable device that broadcasts at that frequency and cause problems within a particular store (by hiding the device somewhere in the store).
Just a thought............ - Skitals, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Guys, the problem isnt with WiFi, it's with the controllers proprietary wireless (also 2.4ghz). It complies with FCC regulation, and will work fine with your 2.4ghz cordless phone and wifi without interference. Wal-Mart just happens to have some rogue 2.4ghz devices.
And FYI, all on the kiosks have WIRED controllers, but I guess that Xbox 360 still sends out a 2.4ghz signal searching for controllers.
Also, the Xbox 360 wireless adaptor is A/B/G, and it's really urged you use A (if you plan on streaming HDTV and such), which is in the 5ghz range. - eaglescout48, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I'm glad that this story finally came up. I work at a Walmart, in the Photo Lab specifically. In my store, the lab is adjacent to the Electronics department and I can see the 360 in the next aisle. From the moment they first turned it on, our handheld units would not work properly. Specifically they would not connect wirelessly to the small printers that accompany them. This was a major problem because we have to use them to make price labels for all the envelopes in the One Hour Photo. This problem only existed in our are of the store, though. If you took the handheld units anywhere else, they worked fine. After days of this, they finally unplugged the 360 and everything worked fine again.
I haven't read up on the 360 like a lot of you guys, but I know the Walmart handheld units that were affected opperate on 900mhz (it printed on the unit and that antenna). - splatnik, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Faraday cage keeps RF out of the cage but doesn't necessarily keep it from leaking out of the cage. I know, it's strange but it's not that easy to keep RF from leaking out, although I'm sure it would be attenuated a bit.
- tasadar24, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1At a Wal-Mart in Las Vegas, the controllers were wired.
- camintmier, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I think what they're talking about here is that the 360's wireless connection interferes with the handheld scanner devices that are used for inventory checking, price adjusting, stuff like that.
http://neom.ca/Set27_02.jpg
That's a picture of one of the scanners (commonly called a "Telzon"). I haven't used one in a couple years, not since I worked at a Wal-Mart, so I can't be sure what frequency they operate on. I'm pretty sure it's the 2.4GHz range though, via the little stubby antenna it has on it. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Two words "Faraday cage"
Just put a tight knit wire mesh around the xbox itself and there you have it no more wifi problem. - Psykus, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0"I haven't used one in a couple years, not since I worked at a Wal-Mart, so I can't be sure what frequency they operate on. I'm pretty sure it's the 2.4GHz range though, via the little stubby antenna it has on it."
I worked at Wal-Mart a while back, and had the chance to mess around with one of the units. They're actually running Windows CE, and connect to standard WiFi networks setup by Wal-Mart I guess (using WEP of course). I first noticed them with Netstumbler before I worked there, and was wondering why in the world Wal-Mart had 10-15 access points. - rewqas, on 10/13/2007, -0/+0Joystiq broke this story here:
http://walmart-locations.blogspot.com/ - Scottyx38, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0just played the 360 the other day lol
- booticon, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0It may be due to my lack of knowledge in wi-fi, but I wonder why companies are really developing things that operate @ 2.4GHz anymore. Plenty of things like cordless phones operate on that frequency, and I've had plenty of friends have problems with running a wireless LAN that have cordless phones before.
- Aynatix, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1I do security for Wal-Mart and I had walked into there server room by accident ;) and there equipment is ***** old.. and there running Windows NT 4.0? I'm not sure but isn't that out of date? They should be easy to hack? or something?
- vladcole, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Joystiq broke this story here: http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000410064738/
Followed up here: http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000133064827/
Gamespot ... fails to link to Joystiq. Sup widdat? - cbotwell, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Bad Title so they are not really pulling them they are just having a problem at a few with them, misleading.
- SkeletaLlama, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Why not just disable the WiFi, you don't need it in a store anyways unless they plan on having online demos, which I think is unlikely given the amount of time it takes to set up and play an online game. Just switch the WiFi off and be done with it.
- theone3, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0The Wifi connects to the controllers. Although an earlier post suggests the Vegas controllers were wired, which means they could probably just turn off the wireless connectivity alltogether.
- Alaerus, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0We had a problem similar to this with a wireless surround sound system awhile back. The company's solution? Turn off the demo unit.
- iwillhackyou, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0my wal-mart stell has them
- JordanAustin, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Buy guys,
The real question is how are they going to release a software patch? This has to be something that normal people can use, so the question is What will it be? They said it's software not hardware that's gonna be patched so my question is, Will there be a cd out there that actually changes the architecture of the hardware in the Xbox?
It's an important question to the modders out there. If this does come in the form of a disc, or an addon, or a patch, Modders everywhere are probably going to want to get ahold of this "Patch" in whatever form it may be. - monkeygod, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0The 360 in Columbia, Mo Super Center is up and going well. Hell it was only just installed Tuesday. As for the wireless handhelds they use... they are standard wi-fi. try picking up the signal with a psp or wi-fi enabled palm. They use wep.
- jacobvance, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I'm sure the "software patch" is a patch to Wal-Mart's internal systems, not to the XBox.
- JordanAustin, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Okay, so you are saying that Wal-mart is going to patch their scanners, because the way I understood it is that Microsoft said that it was a simple software issue that they will patch. But there is no connection to the internet, and they aren't replacing any hardware, so how will they update the firmware on the box?
I can understand as you said though, if they are patching the scanners. I must of misunderstood. - Moose_Head, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Jordanaustin, ever heard of a firmware update?
- bwjacket, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I just played some 360 at my local Wal-Mart, obviously they haven't gotten that memo yet.
- Aykorn, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0"Microsoft said it identified the problem and within 24 hours had deployed new software to Wal-Mart stores."
I wonder if Microsoft was patching the Xbox kiosks or patching Wal-mart. - Sneaker, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Regardless of the RF issues... I wish they would pull ALL console game displays. There is nothing more annoying than trying to shop for a game when all the kids are fighting for the controllers.
- JordanAustin, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0 Okay, correction "Microsoft has acknowledged the problem as being "minor" and says a software solution is in the works to correct it. "
- So I don't know if they are going to patch the xbox or not, but I'm curious as to what form the patch is in, if it is for the xbox. Especially if they don't replace any hardware.
You could be right though jacob, could just be for the scanner... One thing is for sure though, if this does come in the form of a cd, or a usb adapter, or whatnot, The modding community is going to be all over it. - AdamCo, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0I saw someone playing the Xbox 360 tonight at walmart. It was call of duty 2, I'm not a gamer, but the graphics looked really good to me.
- nymphetamine, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2a bad start for a crappy system.
- saysaknow, on 10/12/2007, -2/+0It's him, coffee, and 2 or 3 other guys.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1bogey... is all you do link spam? this is the fifth time i've seen you do that
- Double-Z, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1Bogey, stop linking your effing blog. Nobody gives a ***** about your recycled stories.
- saggygrandma, on 10/12/2007, -3/+0"At a Wal-Mart in Las Vegas, the controllers were wired" That might have been a security cable?
Ok let the xbox360 bugs begin! I cant wait to laugh at all its faults, cant wait.. Will serve ms right for trying to get its foot in the games industry - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -8/+0a bad start for a crappy system.
http://www.geek2us.net/bogeydope
-bogey
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