You experience slow performance playing on Xbox LIVE

When you play content on Xbox LIVE, you experience the following symptoms:

• Slow game play
• Poor performance or "lag" between actions
• Video streaming pauses

Step 1 (wireless only): Improve your wireless signal

A weak wireless signal can cause poor Xbox LIVE performance.

Let’s check your wireless signal strength. Here’s how:

1. Go to Settings, and then select System.
2. Select Network Settings.
3. Select Test Xbox LIVE Connection.

If your wireless signal strength is one or two bars, try improving your signal strength.



Follow these tips to improve your wireless signal strength:

• Move your router or gateway off the floor and away from walls and metal objects (such as metal file cabinets).
• Minimize obstructions along a straight line path between your Xbox 360 console and your wireless router or gateway.
• Shorten the distance between your console and your wireless router or gateway. Ideally your network hardware should be near the center of your home.
• Change the position of the antenna on your Xbox 360 Wireless Networking Adapter.
• Turn off wireless devices such as 2.4 gigahertz (GHz) cordless telephones. If you have a dual mode router or gateway, try switching to 802.11a or "A," because it's less affected by interference. See your hardware documentation for help changing the wireless mode.
• Try changing your wireless channel. Wireless routers and gateways can broadcast on different channels and one channel might be clearer than another. See your hardware documentation for help changing wireless channels.
• Add a wireless repeater to extend your wireless network range. You can boost your signal strength by placing a wireless repeater halfway between your network hardware and your console.
• Switch to a cable. Connect your console to your router or gateway using a network cable. A wired connection is the fastest and most reliable connection.
• For satellite connections: If you use a satellite dish for your broadband connection, you might experience slow performance when you try to join or play a game. This happens because of the way that satellite connections handle latency.

If these tips did not improve your Xbox LIVE performance, try the next step.

Step 2: Maximize your bandwidth

When you play games or videos on Xbox LIVE, make sure that other computers in your home are not downloading or transferring files. When someone in your house browses the Internet, they use bandwidth and that might be slowing your Xbox 360 console.

Note Bandwidth is the amount of data transferred over your Internet connection. If your bandwidth is limited or fluctuates dramatically, it can affect the performance of Xbox LIVE.

If no one else is accessing the Internet and Xbox LIVE performance is slow, try simplifying your setup.

Simplify your setup

1. Temporarily disconnect everything from your router or gateway, except the connection from your Xbox 360 console to your router or gateway and the connection to your modem. If you're using a wireless connection, temporarily turn everything off that connects to your wireless network.
   
   
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2. Now that you've simplified your setup, check your Xbox LIVE performance

If this step did not improve your Xbox LIVE performance, try the next step.

Step 3: Reduce the number of players

Your Internet connection speed might not support a large number of players. Try reducing the number of players that can join your Xbox LIVE game. For example, reduce the number of players who can join your game from 16 to 8. If you notice an improvement, contact your ISP to see if you can upgrade your broadband connection speed.

Note Your connection upload speed determines how efficiently you can host games. The faster the upload speed, the more players you can host. There are several online connection tests that you can use to check your Internet connection speed.

If this step did not improve your Xbox LIVE performance, try the next step.

Step 4: Play at a different time of day

Xbox LIVE game performance can fluctuate with the speed of your Internet connection. Residential Internet networks are often busiest in the evenings when people are at home. You may get the best Internet connection speed during the day.

If this step did not improve your Xbox LIVE performance, try the next step.

Step 5 (wireless only): Try a wired connection

A wired connection is the fastest and most reliable connection type. If you're using a wireless connection, try switching to a wired connection to see if your Xbox LIVE performance improves. Here’s how:

1. Plug one end of a network cable into the back of your Xbox 360 console and the other end into a port on your router or gateway.
2. Test your Xbox LIVE Connection (Go to Settings, and choose System. Select Network Settings, and then select Test Xbox LIVE Connection)
3. Check your Xbox LIVE performance.

If this step did not improve your Xbox LIVE performance, try the next step.

Step 6: Contact your Internet service provider

Contact your Internet service provider (ISP) to see if there are performance problems in your area. Your ISP may have a service status Web page that you can visit.

If this step did not improve your Xbox LIVE performance, try the next step.

Step 7: Have your friend try these steps

When you play games on Xbox LIVE with friends, performance is determined by both your bandwidth and your friends’ bandwidth. Have your friend complete the steps in this article to see if performance improves.

Additional support

For more information about how to contact Xbox Customer Support directly, please visit the following Microsoft Web site: