Broken 360 wireless adapter

[kane_magus]

Dealing with Xbox customer service about this wireless adapter issue is quickly beginning to become an exercise in frustration and futility. The previous reply before this latest one was actually somewhat intelligent-seeming, as they were asking me to check "NAT status" and asking for "XYZ codes" and whatnot, and had a big bullet list of other bits of seemingly relevant info that they wanted, though even some of that stuff was redundant and which I'd already told them about.

But now, after the third exchange, they're simply back to telling me to "be sure to use the USB port on the back of the console" and "verify that the power light on the adapter is illuminated" and (heaven help me) "disconnect the adapter cable, and then reconnect it". All of which I was told, verbatim, to do in the first response to the message I sent to them via xbox.com, in which I had already told them that I'd tried disconnecting and reconnecting it, and that the light on the adapter is a steady red when it's plugged in (meaning, in theory, that it's working properly and simply waiting for a network to which to connect, at least according to the manual anyway).

I mean, seriously. Here's the first response:

Thank you for writing Xbox Customer Support!

I understand that your Xbox 360 console does not recognize the wireless network adapter. I deeply apologize for the inconvenience that this might have caused you. When you set up the adapter, be sure to use the USB port on the back of the console.

Verify that the power light on the adapter is illuminated. If the power light is not illuminated, examine the USB connection. Disconnect the adapter cable, and then reconnect it.

And here is the third, latest, response:

Thank you for writing Xbox Customer Support!

We are sorry for the inconvenience and as I understand, console does not recognize the wireless network adapter. When you set up the adapter, be sure to use the USB port on the back of the console.

Verify that the power light on the adapter is illuminated. If the power light is not illuminated, examine the USB connection. Disconnect the adapter cable, and then reconnect it.

It's the same damn response. Someone (and it's a different person responding each time, at least so far) is just copy/pasting from a guide book or something without actually reading the previously quoted responses, that's all. And it's incredibly annoying.

Whatever. I've already pretty much decided that the adapter is a wash, and that I'm going to just try to return it to NewEgg and get a refund, or perhaps a replacement. I'll probably just end up getting a long ethernet cable and plug it into the back of the router and to the 360. Defeats the purpose of having a wireless router, but... yeah. Whatever. At least it'll keep me from having to move the modem around. I'll give Xbox one more chance to either suggest an actual fix or to 'fess up and admit that they don't have a clue, but that's about it.

And, shit, this is just over a faulty wireless adapter. Heaven forbid something ever happen to the console itself. *knocks on wood*

(UPDATE)

Their most recent response recommends that I simply try another adapter. *shrug*

I also like how they also told me that if I responded again to include the past message history in the response, yet they conveniently erased all of the previous history prior to this message. I guess they're afraid that I'll send them another response calling them out for the lazy copy/pasting of the same "recommendations" multiple times.

Anyway, that's it. I'm done dealing with them. Back to NewEgg this adapter goes. What a pain in the ass.

(/UPDATE)

Comments

[alessar.livejournal.com]

So, let me make sure I understand this. X360s don't have built in wireless, you have to plug a USB "antenna" into them and install it as an accessory?

[kane-magus.livejournal.com]

That is correct.

[alessar.livejournal.com]

O M G.

Really? That's so stupid in this day and age. Sorry, not to gloat but PS3 > x360 on this one. All my problems were from a flaky wireless router, and once I flashed it, badda-bing!

[kane-magus.livejournal.com]

It wouldn't be too awfully bad if A) it weren't so ridiculously overpriced (i.e. it cost almost twice as much as my router itself, even when buying it for $15 cheaper from NewEgg than it is everywhere else) and B) it... um... actually worked.

[alessar.livejournal.com]

It just seems remedial to add that separately. Even the original Nintendo DS had wireless -- not the best and newest version but it came with it. And the PSP. Doesn't the Wii have wireless too?

[kane-magus.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the DS and the Wii both have built in wireless. And they also both work fine with my wireless network, unlike this p.o.s. 360 adapter. Though with this 360 adapter, I think it's more an issue of it not working with the 360 itself rather than some sort of problem with my network.

I think the consensus is that Microsoft's mindset was to not include a lot of functionality in their console that they thought many people may not necessarily need at the time, such as wireless and HD-DVD and, at least at first, HDMI and now the rumored blu-ray and so on and so forth. Ostensibly to keep the price of the base console down. Instead, they offer these separately as the customer may want them (at rather exorbitant prices, imnsho). It's pretty retarded, but there's not a lot to be done about it now, aside from just doing without.

[owsf2000.livejournal.com]

You know, with the costs of new consoles going ever higher, and associated problems going with them, I find myself for the most part ok with having stayed out of the new console race. I dunno. It just doesn't feel like I'm missing much of anything. :/

Sure, there are a couple games I wouldn't mind owning for each of hte consoles, but the cost just doesn't justify it. (Especially when I consider how little I actually play of games I buy as it is!)

[kane-magus.livejournal.com]

The consoles themselves I haven't really had much problem with. It's the little attachments and doohickies that have been giving me the problems. First the Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector, now replaced with a bona fide wireless router, and then the 360 Wireless Adapter, soon to be replaced with a long ethernet cable. Or, preferably and hopefully, with an actual working 360 Wireless Adapter, since NewEgg apparently won't be giving me a refund and only offers to send a replacement.