Customer Reviews

Microsoft Xbox System Link Cable #K08-00004

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

I'm seeing a lot of confusion over whether you need the official MicroSoft licensed nifty green System Link Cable or just any old ethernet cable. Okay, here's the deal. If you just want to unite two Xboxes (and 2 TV's) under Multiplayer/System Link Play, then you link system to system with an ethernet CROSSOVER cable. This is different from a regular Cat 5 cable, because it takes Transmit pins 1&2 and CROSSES them OVER to Receive pins 3&6. It does this in both directions, so that your two Xboxes can transmit/receive to each other. A regular Cat 5 ethernet cable will not work because it connects transmit+transmit and receive+receive. (mouth to mouth & ear to ear)

If you have a hub, then you CAN use regular Category 5 ethernet cables from Xbox to hub, Xbox to hub, etc., up to four Xboxes each linked into a hub. You don't need the hub to be connected to a computer or a DSL/cable modem or anything. Just two to four Xboxes that all meet at the ethernet hub. That's it. (of course you need a separate TV set or RGB monitor for each Xbox) Up to sixteen players can play Halo under Multiplayer/System Link Play. What a difference it makes when people can't watch your screen split and see you sneaking up on them. It just rocks out loud.

Cool?
Cool.

From the reviews below, there seems to be confusion regarding cables... here's the deal:

A CAT-5 ethernet cable has two "wires" twisted inside, a transmit wire for outgoing data and a recieve wire for incoming data. When you buy premade cable, there's two types you can get, Normal and Crossover:

1. Normal Cable -- This is standard ethernet cable that is used to connect MULTIPLE XBOXES TO HUBS AND ROUTERS. The hub or router does the job of taking signals from each transmit wire and sending them to everyone else's receive wire. This is what networked computers use and you can get cables of varying lengths and colors from any computer store.

2. Crossover Cable -- This is what the Xbox System Link Cable is, but you can use any crossover cable. Crossover cable is for connecting TWO XBOXES TO EACH OTHER. The wires are switched or "crossed-over" inside such that one person's transmit terminal connects to the other person's receive terminal and vice versa. If you are using a hub or router, you CAN NOT use the Xbox System Link cable or any other crossover cable as the hub is expecting to do the crossing for you and is not expecting data on the receive wire. In that case you must use normal ethernet cables.

The Xbox System Link Cable works great for connecting two Xboxes to each other, but if you are going to use a hub, you must get a normal (non-crossover) cable from your local computer store.

Playing multilinked XBoxes is as much fun as you can have with your clothes on. However, this cable is way overpriced, and there are many non-Microsoft-branded alternatives to save you money.

Seriously, unless you just want to make Bill Gates a richer man, buy one of these cables that are just as good but less expensive, all easily found here on amazon.com. Just type the item number in the search box for all products and it will pull each item right up.

Item B00004Z5IF, 25 foot cable *or*
Item B00004Z5T4, 50 foot cable (much longer than the Microsoft cable)

If you want to connect more than two XBoxes together, do not buy this cable because it WILL NOT WORK!!! (I don't mean it's inferior, I mean it is literally not designed to function in this manner!) This cable is for connecting two AND ONLY TWO XBoxes directly together. To connect more than two if you don't currently have any network equipment, buy the following:

Item B00000J4M9, 4-port 10 Base-T hub

*and* one of the following for each XBox, depending on where you plan to put it (i.e. how far away from the above hub each XBox will be):

Item B00006HURP, 7 foot cable *or*
Item B00006HURH, 25 foot cable *or*
Item B00006HUQ0, 50 foot cable

I hope this helps. Happy gaming!

The System link cable functions the same as Ethernet crossover cable. It connects two Xboxs together. If you want to link more systems (lucky you) - you're going to want normal Ethernet Cat 5 cable - and connect the xboxs into a router or hub of somekind (the hub/router doesn't need access to the internet). I've performed this with a Linksys 4-port router!

Make sure that the game that you want to play supports this stuff - unfortunately the box covers don't always make it obvious. Take HALO for instance: you can't use two xboxs to play 2 player cooperative - you're forced to play split screen. Otherwise, linking 2 or more xboxs works GREAT and is to be preferred to playing with a split-screen arrangement (every player would then have their own screen).

The system link feature, in my opinion, is going to bring console gaming up to par with PC gaming. I have preferred PC gaming up till now for the very reason that multiplayer games have been played with one player to one computer (no split screens, the only way to play).

you honestly dont need this cable to play system link. All you need is a CROSSOVER rj-45 ethernet cable. I got mine today and I tried it out with my friends and it worked fine. You can find these cables a lot cheaper than the XBOX brand one. So again you just need to ger any regular Crossover cable and u cant use your regualr everyday ethernet cable because it won't work.

a 5 minute class from a radioshack employee lets you make your own "cat5" cable which is what your xbox uses. Its basically a slightly larger phone line and plug. The trick is in knowing the correct colorcoded order of the eight wires protected within the outer insulation when fitting on the plug. You will need to buy a special crimping tool which should also be able to crimp phone lines not that you'll need it. Even with the tool, plugs, and cable you will pay less, especially if you plan to link more than two xboxs.

first of all, if you have a friend with and XBox, buy this. the first time you use it, you won't be able to put the controller down. It totally rocks not having your friend constantly watching your screen while you are trying to sneak up on them. The only slight downside if this is, you have to secure 2 TV's from your dad or whoever, and you must both have the same game. But besides that, it's perfect for any serious gamer (with friends). c ya

Since it is just a crossover, it will only allow you to hook up directly to another xbox, and not to a hub w/alot of other xbox's, or over a VPN to play halo over the net(yes people have figured that out already) Not to mention its way overpriced.

Like the other people have said in their reviews, get a crossover cable...If I want more playbility with more than 1 XBOX, I'll use the four port HUB I invested in. Save yourself the money and don't buy this. =)

This looks like a pre-packaged cross-over cable (will not work with some hubs or switches). Also if you want to use something like this instead of XBox live, see XBConnect.com.