Broadband Guide

Get broadband on your console

Hooking your games console up to the internet lets you take your gaming to the next level, allowing you to battle people across the world online.

• Xbox 360
• PlayStation 3
• Nintendo wii
• Nintendo DS
• Sony PSP

Get connected

The first thing that you need to do is sign up to a fast, reliable broadband provider so that you can get online and ensure that you won’t be kicked off the gaming servers for being too slow.

Like downloading music and movies, or watching internet TV, online gaming also uses up your download allowance so you need to have a package with either an “unlimited broadband” download limit - with a generous fair usage policy - or a set download allowance that can handle your online activities.

Using its cable broadband network, Virgin Media (www.Virginmedia.com) offers 50Mb broadband - the UK’s fastest broadband package. It also offers 10Mb and 20Mb broadband packages, all with “unlimited” downloads.

BE Broadband (www.Bethere.co.uk) is another great choice, with 24Mb broadband and generous fair usage policies, its packages are designed for heavy downloaders and gamers - and you can even optimise your broadband to suit your needs. O2 Broadband (www.O2.co.uk), which owns the BE network, is also known for its fast, reliable service, and the discounts it offers to existing O2 customers means you can get a 20Mb package for just £8.50 a month.

Xbox 360

To get online with the Xbox 360 is simple. Once you've got your home broadband up and running, simply connect your console to your router or modem using the network cable supplied with your Xbox 360 or the optional wireless adaptor.

Join Xbox LIVE from the Dashboard and follow the on-screen instructions. You will get a free Silver membership, but some services do require Gold membership, for which there is an annual fee.

Once you've got your Xbox 360 connected, you can join a community of more than two million gamers, as well as being able to stream HD movies direct to your console, watch music videos, shop and chat online and even subscribe to Sky TV.

PlayStation 3 (PS3)

All PlayStation 3’s (PS3) come with built-in wifi, so you can connect to the internet without having to run wires around your house. Simply choose your wireless broadband network from the list of available networks, enter your WEP or WPA security key, and you'll be able to play online games, stream music and movies and browse the internet.

To set up your connection go to Settings - Network Settings, from the PS3 Home Menu, then Internet Connection and select Enable. Scroll to Internet Connection Settings and follow the on screen instructions.

If you don’t have a wireless router, you can also connect your PS3 using an ethernet cable direct to your modem.

Nintendo Wii

Connecting your Wii to the internet not only lets you play games online, it also brings you BBC iPlayer, the latest news, weather reports and game downloads and you can even send text messages and swap data with other Wii owners online.

The Wii standard settings allow you to connect to your home wireless broadband, but if you use a wired connection, you will have to buy a separate Wii LAN adapter.

Go to Wii Settings from your menu, click Internet on page two, select Connection Settings and follow the on-screen instructions to find an access point, or wireless network to connect to.

Nintendo DS

Using your Nintendo DS online is really easy. Simply connect to your home wireless network - or a public wifi hotspot - to access the free online service Nintendo Wifi Connection. If you have a wifi compatible game you can play against other DS users - and even chat to them - online, or simply use your Nintendo DS to surf the web.

Go to the System Settings and choose the Internet option, then Connection Settings and follow the on-screen instructions.

Sony PSP

Like the Nintendo DS, the PlayStation Portable (PSP) allows you to play online games, surf the web and even talk to friends using Skype once you're connected to a wireless broadband connection.

Simply select your wireless network from the Settings menu to connect to the PlayStation Network for free.

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