Xbox Live Server Ip Address
Xbox network – Wikipedia
Xbox networkDeveloperMicrosoftTypeOnline serviceLaunch dateNovember 15, 2002; 18 years agoPlatform(s)Xbox (Servers shut down on April 15, 2010)[1]Xbox 360Xbox OneXbox Series X and Series S Windows XP – Windows 7 as (Games for Windows – Live)Windows 8/8. 1/10/11 as (Microsoft Store/Xbox App)[2]Windows PhoneiOS[3]Android[3]StatusActiveMembers90 million (as of April 2020)[4]WebsiteThe Xbox network, formerly Xbox Live, is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft. It was first made available to the Xbox system on November 15, 2002. [5][6][7][8] An updated version of the service became available for the Xbox 360 console at the system’s launch in November 2005, and a further enhanced version was released in 2013 with the Xbox One. [9][10] This same version is also used with Xbox Series X and Series S. This service is the account for Xbox consoles, accounts can store games and other content.
The service was extended in 2007 on the Windows platform, named Games for Windows – Live, which makes most aspects of the system available on Windows computers. Microsoft has announced plans to extend Live to other platforms such as handhelds and mobile phones as part of the Live Anywhere initiative. [11] With Microsoft’s mobile operating system, Windows Phone, full Xbox Live functionality is integrated into new Windows Phones that launched since late 2010. [12] The service shut down for the original Xbox on April 15, 2010, and original Xbox Games are now only playable online through local area network (LAN) tunneling applications such as XLink Kai. [1]
Xbox network service is available as both a free service (formerly known as Xbox Live Free) and a subscription-based service known as Xbox Live Gold. Microsoft rebranded Xbox Live as Xbox network in March 2021 to cover all of its services related to Xbox and distinguish the Xbox Live Gold subscription service from these other services.
History[edit]
Launch with the original Xbox[edit]
As Microsoft developed the original Xbox console, online gaming was designated as one of the key pillars for the greater Xbox strategy. Sega had made an attempt to capitalize on the ever-growing online gaming scene when it launched the Dreamcast video game console in 1999, including online support as standard, with the SegaNet service in North America and Dreamarena in Europe. [13] Nevertheless, due to lack of widespread broadband adoption at the time, the Dreamcast shipped with only a dial-up modem while a later-released broadband adapter was neither widely supported nor widely available. Downloadable content was available, though limited in size due to the narrowband connection and the size limitations of a memory card. The PlayStation 2 did not initially ship with built-in networking capabilities.
Microsoft, however, hoped that the Xbox would succeed where the Dreamcast had failed. The company determined that intense online gaming required the throughput of a broadband connection and the storage space of a hard disk drive, and thus these features would be vital to the new platform. This would allow not only for significant downloadable content, such as new levels, maps, weapons, challenges and characters, to be downloaded quickly and stored, but also would make it possible to standardize bandwidth intensive features such as voice communication. Steve Ballmer and Bill Gates both had a vision of making premium download content and add-ons that would attract many new customers. Based on this reasoning, the console included a standard Ethernet port (10/100) in order to provide connectivity to common broadband networks, but did not include a modem or any dial-up support, and its online service was designed to support broadband users only. Critics scoffed at it, citing poor broadband adoption at the turn of the century. [14][15]
When the Xbox launched on November 15, 2001, the as-yet unnamed online service was destined for a Summer 2002 deployment. [16] Xbox Live was finally given a name at E3 2002 when the service was unveiled in its entirety. Sound-dampened booths and broadband-connected Xbox consoles—featuring an early version of Unreal Championship—demonstrated the service on the show floor. The Epic title was one of the flagship titles for the service, which was slated for a debut on November 15, 2002, marking the anniversary of the Xbox launch. Microsoft announced that 50 Xbox Live titles would be available by the end of 2003. [17] Utilizing the required broadband bandwidth, Xbox Live featured a unified gaming “Friends List”, as well as a single identity across all titles (regardless of the publisher), and standardized voice chat with a headset and communication, a feature that was still in its infancy.
Leading up to the launch, Microsoft enlisted several waves of beta testers to improve the service and receive feature feedback. The first wave of beta testers were given Re-Volt! (which never was released officially) and NFL Fever 2003 to beta test. Once beta testing concluded, Microsoft sent these beta testers a translucent orange memory card, a headset carrying case, and a beta tester t-shirt with the slogan “I’ve got great hands”. When the service debuted, it lacked much of the functionality that later titles included, but Xbox Live grew and evolved on the Xbox and many aspects of the service were included with the Xbox 360 console out of the box, rather than through a later update. Microsoft granted Live-related patent that gives Xbox 360 users access to watch other gamers compete against each other over Xbox Live. [18]
The packaging for playable Xbox Live titles on the original Xbox console featured a trademark lumiscient orange-gold bar underneath the Xbox header. Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell and Brute Force sported a Live “bubble” design, as they only featured downloadable content. It was changed later, wherein all Xbox Live titles included the universal orange-gold Live bar. By the time of the Xbox 360, all titles were required to provide at least a limited form of Xbox Live “awareness”. [clarification needed] In July 2004, Xbox Live had reached 1 million online users. [19] In July 2005, Xbox Live had reached 2 million online users. [20]
Subsequent growth[edit]
The second Xbox Live logo, used from 2005 until 2013
On November 15, 2007, Microsoft celebrated Xbox Live’s 5th anniversary by offering its then over 8 million subscribers the title Carcassonne free of charge and awarding gamers who had subscribed to Live since its inception 500 free Microsoft Points. Due to intermittent service interruptions during late December 2007 and early January 2008, Microsoft promised to offer a free Xbox Live Arcade game to all Xbox Live users as compensation, in an open letter to all Xbox Live members from Mark Whitten, Xbox LIVE General Manager. [21] Increased demand from Xbox 360 purchasers (the largest number of new user sign-ups in the history of Xbox Live) was given as the reason for the downtime. [22] On January 18, 2008, Microsoft announced Undertow would be offered free to both Gold and Free members for the week starting January 23 through January 27 as compensation. [23]
On November 12, 2009, Dennis Durkin, COO of Microsoft’s interactive entertainment business, announced that November 10, 2009, the release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 marked the busiest day ever on Xbox Live, with over two million active users simultaneously. [24]
On February 5, 2010, Marc Whitten announced that Xbox Live had reached 23 million members. [25] On the same day, Larry Hyrb, Xbox Live’s Major Nelson, announced on his blog that Xbox Live support for the original Xbox would be discontinued on April 15, 2010, including online play through backwards compatibility on the Xbox 360 and all downloadable content for original Xbox games. [26]
In August 2010, Microsoft announced an increase to the cost of Xbox Live Gold in several countries by 20%, for the first time since its inception. [27][28][29] The basic service was also renamed. Prior to October 2010, the free service was known as Xbox Live Silver. [30]
It was announced on June 10, 2011, that the service is going to be fully integrated into Microsoft’s Windows 8. [31]
In October 2011, Microsoft announced live streaming cable television with various providers. [32]
In February 2013, Yusuf Mehdi, corporate vice president of Microsoft’s Interactive Entertainment Business, shared that Xbox Live members now number 46 million, up 15 percent from a year ago, during the Dive into Media conference in Southern California. [33]
In June 2014, Microsoft retracted the Xbox Live Gold requirements to download streaming media apps (including Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, Internet Explorer, Skype, and others), though various rental or subscription fees may still apply. [34][35]
On December 25, 2014, both PlayStation Network and Xbox Live suffered network disruption after a denial-of-service attack. [36] Functionality was restored on December 28, with some users experiencing difficulties in the days that followed. [37] A group called, “The Phantom Squad” has threatened to disrupt the Xbox Live network through a denial-of-service attack on December 25, 2015. [39]
In 2019, the Official Xbox Magazine revealed that Xbox Live would be made cross platform, and will serve Android, iOS and Nintendo Switch. [40]
Microsoft added Xbox Live Gold to its Xbox Game Pass program as part of a new Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription tier in April 2019. [41]
Rebranding[edit]
In January 2021, Microsoft planned to increase the price for Xbox Gold, which would effectively double the price for three- and six-month subscription options. However, these price increases would not affect existing subscribers when they resubscribe at the same level nor those already subscribed through the Xbox Games Pass Ultimate program. [42] However, after user complaints, Microsoft opted to not increase the price. [43]
Microsoft officially announced that they would be branding Xbox Live as Xbox network in March 2021 as to cover all the services related to Xbox and not just Xbox Live. Xbox Live Gold would remain the same name and to distinguish the subscription program from the set of services. Microsoft also stated that with this, it will eliminate the requirement to have Xbox Live Gold to play free-to-play games on Xbox consoles. [44]
User information[edit]
Gamertag[edit]
A Gamertag is the universal name for a player’s username on Xbox Live. A Gamertag is a unique identifier that can include numbers, letters, and spaces. Gamertags can be changed using an Xbox One or Xbox 360 console (first time is free, subsequent changes are charged), while the Xbox 360 supports eight Xbox Live-enabled profiles per memory unit and thirty-two profiles on the hard drive. [45]
A player’s Gamertag account status can be checked using a variety of online tools, which is useful especially when looking for a new Gamertag, or confirming that a Gamertag exists. Using a valid Gamertag, any player can be located and messaged from within Live. There are also several websites which allow users of Gamertags to upload photos and information about themselves.
Gamertags can be used in a variety of places, including Games for Windows – Live, Zune, XNA Creators Club, and of course on Xbox One and Xbox 360.
Gamertags also contain avatar images (or “gamer pictures”), sometimes associated with certain games or game characters. On Xbox 360 individual gamerpics are available, but they are usually bundled into packs. It is also possible to take “Public” pictures (which are shown to all that view a profile, unless the user has a different “personal” picture set) which can be taken of avatars while using the avatar editor.
Users were formerly forbidden to use strings such as gay or refer to homosexuality in any way in their Gamertag or profile due to it being considered “content of a sexual nature”, even if the string occurs in a legitimate surname. Incidents where a woman was suspended from the service for identifying herself as a lesbian, and an incident where a male user was suspended for using his surname “Gaywood” in his username attracted controversy. [46][47][48][49][50] In February 2009, Xbox Live Lead Program Manager for Enforcement Stephen Toulouse clarified the service’s policy on sexual identification, stating that “Expression of any sexual orientation [… ] is not allowed in Gamertags” but that the company is “examining how we can provide it in a way that won’t get misused. “[51] Changes announced in March 2010 permit Xbox Live members to express sexual orientation in their gamertags and profiles. [52]
Gamerscore[edit]
The Gamerscore (G) is an achievements point accumulation system that reflects the number of achievements accumulated by a user on Xbox Live through the displaying of the number of points accumulated. These Achievement points are awarded for the completion of game-specific challenges, such as beating a level or amassing a specified number of wins against other players in online matches and other various in game challenges.
Initially, retail Xbox 360 games offered up to 1, 000G spread over a variable number of Achievements, while each Xbox Live Arcade title contained 12 Achievements totaling 200G. On February 1, 2007, Microsoft announced on their Gamerscore Blog some new policies that developers must follow related to Gamerscore and Achievements in future releases. [53] All regular disc-based games must have 1, 000 Gamerscore points in the base game; the title can ship with fewer than 1, 000 points, but anything added later must be free. [citation needed] Game developers also now have the option of adding up to 250 points via downloadable content every quarter after the first year of release (for a total of 1, 750 points). Xbox Live Arcade titles also allow players to obtain Gamerscore, initially up to 200 Gamerscore with additional points up to 50 Gamerscore via downloadable content (for a total of 250 points), [54] but some XBLA games now contain up to 400 Gamerscore without DLC.
On May 26, 2007, Halo 2 was the first Games for Windows title to feature Achievements, which counted towards a player’s Gamerscore.
On March 25, 2008, Microsoft cracked down on “Gamerscore cheaters” (those who used external tools to artificially inflate their Gamerscore), and reduced their Gamerscores to zero without the option to recover the scores that had been “earned”, and branded the player by denoting on their Gamertag that they were a “Cheater”. [55]
The development of the Gamerscore system has created a new niche in the internet economy. Many websites have been created to provide gamers with tips and tricks for getting achievement points. Some sites are solely devoted to these achievement guides, and some blogs provide gaming guides in addition to their other content.
On March 13, 2014, Ray Cox IV or “Stallion83” became the first player in history to reach 1 million Gamerscore. [56]
Gamercard[edit]
The Gamercard is an information panel used to summarize one’s user profile on Microsoft’s Xbox Live. The pieces of information on a Gamercard include:
Gamertag (in front a silver or gold bar) (active gold members who have had Xbox Live for less than a year feature small bubbles. Anything a year or over will feature the number of years. )
Gamer picture (avatar)
Reputation
Gamerscore
Gamer Zone
Recent games played
A player’s Gamercard can be viewed via the Xbox 360 Dashboard, or online through The top bar that displays the Gamertag is shown in front of either a silver or gold bar which designates if the gamer has an Xbox Live Free or Gold subscription (respectively). If the gamer is part of the Xbox 360 Launch Team, the top bar will also have additional text stating “Launch Team” in the background. Third-party sites allow users to post a rendered version of their Gamercard as a small Flash applet or JPEG image on any website or Internet forum.
Similarly, Mac OS X users can download widgets that display their Xbox Live Gamercard within Mac OS X’s Dashboard. These can be downloaded onto any Mac with OS X 10. 4 or higher via Apple’s widget download page.
There are four Gamer Zones; Recreation is for casual gamers, Family is for family-friendly gamers (without profanity, etc. ), Pro is for competitive gamers who enjoy a challenge, and Underground is for no-holds-barred gaming where anything goes (as long as it does not violate the Xbox Live Terms of Use). However, in practice these gamer zones are displayed only on the Gamercard of the player, and do not tend to affect the gameplay experience or the matching of players in online games.
TrueSkill[edit]
TrueSkill[57] is a ranking and matchmaking system which was first implemented as part of the Xbox 360’s Live services. Developed at Microsoft Research Cambridge (United Kingdom), the TrueSkill ranking system is now used in over 150 titles for the Xbox 360[citation needed] and in the Games for Windows – Live game Warhammer 40, 000: Dawn of War II. It uses a mathematical model of uncertainty to address weaknesses in existing ranking systems such as Elo. For example, a new player joining million-player leagues can be ranked correctly in fewer than 20 games. It can predict the probability of each game outcome, which enhances competitive matchmaking, making it possible to assemble skill-balanced teams from a group of players with different abilities.
When matchmaking, the system attempts to match individuals based on their estimated skill level. If two individuals are competing head-to-head and have the same estimated skill level with low estimate uncertainty, they should each have roughly a 50% chance of winning a match. In this way, the system attempts to make every match as competitive as possible.
In order to prevent abuse of the system, the majority of ranked games have relatively limited options for matchmaking. By design, players cannot easily play with their friends in ranked games. However, these countermeasures have failed due to techniques such as alternate account(s) and system flaws where each system has its own individual TrueSkill rating. To provide less competitive games, the system supports unranked Player Matches, which allow individuals of any skill level to be paired (often including “guests” on an account). Such matches do not contribute to the TrueSkill rating.
Xbox Games Store[edit]
Xbox Games Store (formerly Xbox Live Marketplace) is a unified storefront which offers both free and premium content for download including Xbox Live Arcade titles, Xbox indie games, original Xbox games, Xbox 360 game demos, game expansion material (e. g. extra maps, vehicles, songs), trailers, gamer pictures and themes, television shows, music videos, movie rentals, Apps and games and more. [58]
On November 17, 2009, Microsoft released a downloadable Zune application for the Xbox 360. This application turns the Xbox 360 into a Zune device. Once one downloads the Zune application, it takes over the Marketplace menus and sections of the console. With the addition of the Zune Marketplace to an Xbox 360 console, one is able to purchase movies instead of only being able to rent them. The Zune Marketplace has a much more extensive content offering compared to the classic Xbox Live Marketplace. [58]
Xbox Play Anywhere[edit]
Xbox Play Anywhere is a cross-buy program announced at E3 2016 and launched September 13, 2016. Under the scheme, supported games purchased digitally on Microsoft Store for Xbox One can also be downloaded on a Windows 10 PC (running Windows 10 Anniversary Update or later) through Microsoft Store using the same Microsoft account at no additional charge, and vice versa. The scheme also promotes the ability to synchronize save data, achievements, and downloadable content between Windows 10 and Xbox One versions of a game. [59]
Xbox Live Gold[edit]
Xbox Live GoldDeveloperMicrosoftTypePremium online servicePlatform(s)Xbox 360 Xbox One Xbox Series X/SWebsiteXbox Live Gold is a paid subscription service for the Xbox community. Signing up to Xbox Live is free, but a recurring subscription fee is required to access for Gold. Features that require a Gold subscription include online multiplayer in non-multiplayer games, game recording and media sharing. [60][61] Similarly, ordinary Xbox Live members can download and access the Twitch live streaming application, but in order to broadcast gameplay of one’s own, a Gold subscription is necessary. [62] While initially requiring Gold, free-to-play titles, as well as the party chat feature on Xbox consoles, no longer need a subscription to play as of April 2021. [63] Subscribers are benefited with space “in the cloud” for storing files, and granted early or exclusive access to betas, special offers, Games with Gold, and Video Kinect.
Games with Gold[edit]
Games with Gold is a program in which digital downloads of games are offered at no charge to Gold subscribers. Games with Gold launched for Xbox 360 in July 2013, [64] while Xbox One games were added in June 2014. [65] Xbox 360 receives a game twice per month, while Xbox One receives two games once per month. Games downloaded through the program on Xbox 360 are free to own with no further restrictions. [65] Xbox One Games with Gold titles require an active Gold subscription in order to use, and become locked and unplayable if the subscription lapses. [65] As of November 2015, all Games with Gold titles for Xbox 360 are backwards compatible on Xbox One. [66][67]
New Xbox Experience [edit]
At E3 2008, Microsoft announced that all Xbox 360 owners would receive a new dashboard update, titled New Xbox Experience (NXE), on November 19, 2008[68] that added several new features. Though the new interface is generally downloaded when a new Xbox is connected to Xbox Live, some games, including Fight Night Round 4, Portal 2 and Dragon Ball: Raging Blast, will also update it.
One feature is the ability to watch standard quality and 720p streaming movies and TV shows from Netflix through the Xbox 360. This feature is only available in the U. S. and Canada, and requires an Xbox Live Gold subscription and Netflix Unlimited. Users are also able to watch Netflix titles with their friends in a party of up to 8 players. Xbox Live members have the ability to view over 12, 000 movies and episodes. Users can browse for titles based on their interests and Netflix ratings with the Xbox interface. Users no longer need to visit the website to choose the content to watch. [69][70] When a player parties up with a group, they also have the ability to join games together, chat together or view a slideshow of photos.
Another feature gives players the ability to create Avatars. Players are able to customize avatars by changing body shape, facial features, hair and clothes, as well as new clothing being released from time to time. [71] Xbox Live requires that users select an avatar. [68] Another feature is the ability to install an entire game disc onto the Xbox 360’s hard drive, which decreases loading times, and significantly reduces noise due to the game being read from the hard drive and not the louder disc drive (similar to the PS2 HD LOADER Feature). For most games this feature also reduces the amount of time spent reading the disc, thereby helping to extend the life-span of the optical drive mechanism. [72]
During the Press Conference at E3, Microsoft announced Xbox Live Primetime, a series of scheduled programs where Xbox Live members can play against each other. The first announced game is an adaptation of the Endemol game show 1 vs. 100 in which one Xbox Live member will play against 100 other members with a live host and prizes awarded. [73] On July 15, 2010, Microsoft confirmed that 1 vs. 100 would be cancelled.
The Xbox Guide has also been redesigned. Players are not only able to view their friends and messages, but are able to access their game library. If a user has installed any game onto their Xbox 360 Hard drive, they are able to immediately start the game from the guide, whether they are in a game or in the dashboard. Microsoft also confirmed that every new 360 comes with 3 free Xbox Live Gold trial accounts, upon creating a new account the player is allowed to claim a trial period upon refusing to pay for Gold subscription; therefore allowing the user to try online gameplay for that one-month trial period, after which the player is required to pay subscription fees to continue matchmaking online. [74] Major Nelson also announced that the update supports 16:10 on VGA or HDMI, expanding the choice of resolutions. [75]
While previous system updates have been stored on internal memory, this is the first update to require a storage device. The update requires at least 128 MB free space on either a memory card or a hard drive. [76] Microsoft has stated that many Core or Arcade users will not have sufficient space on their limited memory cards for the new update and thus provided them with a free 512 MB memory card or a discounted 20 GB hard drive for a limited time. [77] This promotion has since ended and all new arcade units now come with 512 MB of internal memory. [citation needed]
The NXE was leaked onto Torrent sites and could be installed via a USB drive. Microsoft’s Major Nelson stated that unauthorized installation of NXE would result in the user’s console being banned from Xbox Live until its official release which was on November 19, 2008. [78]
Update[edit]
On September 22, 2010, Major Nelson announced that the Xbox Live dashboard would be redesigned once again. The new design would incorporate the Metro interface used in other Microsoft products, such as Zune HD and Windows Phone. As well as a new color scheme and other minor tweaks to the overall layout, the update would also include a “Kinect hub”, designed specifically for the Kinect sensor for easier dashboard navigation. Xbox Live members were able to sign up for a preview program, which opened on September 29, 2010. [79] The new dashboard officially went live on December 6, 2011. [80][81]
On June 6, 2011 at E3, it was announced that the dashboard would be updated again to include the Bing search engine, allowing users to search for games, trailers, movies etc. Kinect would also be updated allowing users to navigate the dashboard and Bing using their voice. Other updates would include cloud storage, YouTube access and live television streaming. [82] The dashboard update was delayed till December 6, 2011. [83]
On May 13, 2014, Microsoft announced changes to the Xbox Live Gold membership that would allow subscribers to access available apps such as Netflix, Twitch,, etc. without a Gold membership on both Xbox One and Xbox 360 consoles, though various rental or subscription fees still apply. [84] Microsoft would be offering pro-rated refunds for the service for requests up until August 31, 2014. The company also announced “Games with Gold” that would give subscribers free games on both Xbox 360 and Xbox One with one single membership, and “Deals with Gold” for exclusive discounts for Xbox One games at the Xbox store. [85]
Microsoft Movies & TV / Microsoft Films & TV[edit]
On November 6, 2006, Microsoft announced Microsoft Movies & TV (Microsoft Films & TV in other supported countries) (formerly Xbox Video Marketplace, Xbox Video and Zune Video), an exclusive video store accessible through the console. Launched in the United States on November 22, 2006, the first anniversary of the Xbox 360’s launch, the service allows users in the United States to download high-definition and standard-definition television shows for purchase and movies for rental onto an Xbox 360 console for viewing. With the exception of short clips, content is not currently available for streaming, and must be downloaded. Movies are available for rental from the Video Marketplace. They expire in 14 days after download or at the end of the first 24 hours after the movie has begun playing, whichever comes first. Television episodes can be purchased to own, and are transferable to an unlimited number of consoles. Downloaded files use 5. 1 surround audio and are encoded using VC-1 for video at 720p, with a bitrate of 6. 8 Mbit/s. [86] Television content is offered from MTV, VH1, Comedy Central, Turner Broadcasting and CBS; and movie content is Warner Bros., Paramount and Disney, along with other publishers. [87]
Programs[edit]
The “Game with Fame” initiative has been Microsoft’s way to connect Xbox Live members with celebrities and game developers. [88] Notable participants of “Game with Fame” include Shia LaBeouf, Jack Black, Rihanna, Velvet Revolver, Victoria Justice, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Scissor Sisters, Paramore, Korn, OK Go, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Dream Theater, Linkin Park, Green Day[89] and Insane Clown Posse. [90]
“Xbox Ambassadors” are Xbox Live members selected by Microsoft who have proven themselves to be helpful towards others, and are willing to assist new Xbox Live users and answer their questions. As of March 2009, there are ambassadors representing 18 countries in more than 30 languages. [91]
“Xbox Rewards” was a promotion designed to provide gamers incentives to play on Xbox Live by subsidizing achievement points earned with actual rewards. Gamers were required to register for specific challenges which, if successfully completed, would yield a challenge-specific reward.
“Xbox Live Rewards” is a current promotion providing Xbox Live members with Reward Points (not to be confused with the defunct Microsoft Points) when they renew their Gold Membership, buy something on the Marketplace, etc.
“Xbox Live Labs” was a program found in the community section and was available from March 10 to 27, 2011 for members in the United States. If a player chose to participate, they were rewarded with avatar items and 3 zero-point achievements. [92]
SentUAMessage was a show which aimed to answer questions sent in by viewers on anything related to the world of Xbox. The show ran for four series and was released every other Saturday. The show was driven entirely by user-generated questions. To ensure the volume of questions remained high, fans could contact the show in a variety of ways, including sending questions to the SentUAMessage Gamertag over Xbox LIVE, writing an email, or using social network websites. [citation needed]
Security[edit]
Microsoft implements a number of different security measures on its Xbox Live service. One of these takes the form of a proactive security check that assures that only unmodified machines may access their service. On May 17, 2007, Microsoft banned consoles with modified firmware from Xbox Live. According to Microsoft, consoles with firmware of unknown origin, quality or intent were banned permanently from Xbox Live. A Microsoft representative indicated that the action was taken to assure “the integrity of the service and protect our partners and users. ”
It has been discovered that pretexting has been used to impersonate an Xbox Live user for sabotage. Microsoft has implemented greater security to decrease the service’s susceptibility to social engineering. [93]
In early November 2009 Microsoft banned approximately 1 million consoles with modified firmware from Xbox Live. [94]
In October 2011, users of Xbox Live reported having unauthorized access to their Xbox Live accounts, with Microsoft points subsequently being used and/or bought to purchase various in-game items for FIFA 12. Microsoft is responding to such incidents by restricting access to the account for 25 days whilst the fraud team investigates. Both EA and Microsoft have denied that there is a problem with security. [95]
On December 25, 2014, both PlayStation Network and Xbox Live suffered network disruption after a denial-of-service attack. [96]
Availability[edit]
The Xbox network is available in 43 territories. [97]
Users from other countries are not officially supported, although it is possible for them to access Xbox network if they provide an address located in a country where Xbox network is officially available. The country selected during account creation affects the payment options, content, and services available to the user. [98] Previously, users were unable to change their account region, but in October 2012, Microsoft introduced an account migration tool as a pilot project, which allows the user to change their region and maintain their Xbox network profile. Subscriptions, such as that for Xbox Music, cannot be transferred with this method. [99]
On May 18, 2011, Microsoft announced that it planned to launch Xbox network in the Middle East within the next twelve months, [100] but it never oc
What Is an IP Address? | HostGator
If you’re building a website, there are probably a bunch of technical terms you’ve come across that you aren’t familiar ing a website can be simple, but the technology behind it is incredibly sophisticated. One term you may have across is IP address. But, what exactly is an IP address, and what does it mean concerning your website? Now, you don’t need to understand the intricacies of IP addresses to purchase hosting or a domain name. But, learning more about what’s going on behind the scenes of your website will never put you at a we cover IP addresses in depth. By the end of this post, you’ll know what IP addresses are, how they work, why they’re necessary, and how they relate to your domain Is an IP Address? No doubt you’ve come across an IP address before, whether that’s through your browser, your PS4 connection, or when setting up your home wi-fi. Maybe you’ve even had to deal with your IP address when setting up your ’ve noticed this long string of numbers and wondered what the purpose is? IP address is short for Internet Protocol address and is a string of numbers that usually looks something like this: 23. 65. 75. 88. This address is similar to your home address in that it identifies the location of a specific server that’s connected to the internet. Without an IP address in place, your computer can’t communicate with other computers that are linked over a network, like the internet. Every machine that’s connected to a network will have an IP address. In this case, the network is the internet. All computers that are connected to the Internet use the TCP IP protocol to communicate and send data between one another. Each computer on this network will have a unique IP address that sets it apart from every other machine. This unique identifier makes data transfer possible, plus it comes into play when you’re mapping a domain name to your website, as you’ll soon learn. Why You Want to Know How IP Addresses WorkMost of the time, we don’t have to deal directly with our IP addresses. Instead, whatever technology provider we’re using handles the technical heavy lifting for us. Or, we follow detailed instructions with how to configure our IP addresses the right ever, knowing how IP addresses work in a little more depth will provide you with certain advantages like:You can troubleshoot why your network isn’t working properlyYou can fix devices that aren’t connecting to your network, like that pesky wi-fi printerYou can create your own gaming server to host games with friendsYou can configure your nameservers without confusion and overwhelmHow IP Addresses WorkEvery domain will be mapped to a specific IP address. These domains are translated to an IP address via the Domain Name System (DNS). You can think of this system like a giant address moment a user types in a domain name into their web browser, the ISP performs what’s called a DNS query. This will lookup the nameservers that are associated with the domain, then forward the user on to the requested site. This might seem like a complex process, but it happens in a fraction of a second. The DNS system helps to simplify this complex process. IP addresses can also be likened to someone’s home address. You might think of their house as “Jan’s house”, but you couldn’t write that on a package and hope that it reaches its destination. You’d need the entire address. In this case, the IP address would be the full home address, while the domain would be the short form “Jan’s house” IP Addresses Are AssignedIP addresses are assigned and managed by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority. This is a nonprofit that handles IP addresses around the world. They help to partition out IP addresses on a regional basis to regional regional directories then allocate the IP addresses the ISPs and other companies and institutions within their region. So, your IP address has probably been assigned by a local ISP or network that’s in charge of managing your you can see, it’s a complex process, but it ensures that IP addresses are effectively allocated and never assigned more than once. Different Versions of IP AddressesCurrently, there are two different types of IP addresses in existence. The first is IPv4 and the second is IPv6. IPv4 is the older version of IP addresses, while IPv6 is the newer version. The main reason for this upgrade is because there weren’t enough IPv4 addresses. Every computer that’s connected to the internet needs a completely unique IP address. Due to the explosion of the internet, there aren’t enough IPv4 addresses even though the original construction of IPv4 address could support over 4 billion unique IPs! IPv6, on the other hand, can support a nearly infinite number of IP addresses. The way it’s configured it can support 340 trillion, trillion, trillion IP addresses. That number is near impossible to visualize. We may run out of IPv6 addresses one day. Just imagine how large that means the internet will have gotten to reach that point! Different Types of IP Addresses AvailableThere are several different types of IP addresses available. Although the structure of IP addresses is the same no matter which type, they do serve different purposes. For example, you have public IP addresses, private IP addresses, static IP addresses, and dynamic IP addresses. The difference between dynamic and static is that dynamic IP addresses change, while static IPs stay the same. But, for public and private addresses we’ll want to dive a bit deeper:What is a Public IP Address? An ISP service provider assigns public IP addresses and operates outside of a closed network. This is the type of IP address that a home network uses to connect with the rest of the internet’s allows you to connect your home computer to an ISP, which then allows you to access other websites around the world, by communicating with the servers they’re hosted on. What is a Private IP Address? Private IP addresses operate in a similar fashion, but instead of connecting to the internet as a whole, it operates on a closed private network. This type of IP address lets you do things like connecting your home computer to a wireless printer. Each device will have its own unique IP address which it can be used to communicate with a home router in your private network. IP Addresses, Your Domain, and WebsiteProbably the most crucial aspect of your IP address (for your purposes) is how it’s related to your DNS servers. Without DNS servers in place, we’d have to type in IP addresses to access DNS system operates kind of like a phonebook. It essentially maps out domain names and their associated IP addresses. When you type in a domain name into your browser address bar, it communicates with the DNS system to find the location of the server your website is hosted via the associated IP address. Then, it retrieves your website’s files and displays them in your browser window. IP addresses are also a two-way street as well. Your server has an IP address, but so does your device you’re using to connect to the internet. However, the IP address assigned to your server is static (it doesn’t change), while the IP address your computer is using to connect to the internet can example, let’s say you’re connecting to the internet at your local Starbucks. Once you connect, the local network assigns you a specific IP address. Your internet activity then flows through that wi-fi network and it’s routed back to you using the IP address you were just assigned. However, this IP isn’t static; you won’t have a static IP address in this situation. You’ll get a new IP whenever you join a different wifi network. You might even get assigned a new IP address on your home network if you ever have to reset the router. Luckily, you don’t have to do anything, all of this happens behind the scenes. If curiosity ever strikes and you’re wondering about what IP address you’re currently using you can look it up using this tool. Dedicated vs. Shared IP AddressesWhen you’re looking through various web hosting plans, you might have come across dedicated IP vs. shared IP addresses. Shared IP addresses are the most common when you’re purchasing a shared hosting plan, but dedicated IPs are available for some hosting we breakdown the differences between dedicated and shared IP addresses, so you can choose the right option for your site. What is a Dedicated IP Address? Dedicated IP addresses are an aspect of dedicated IP hosting. This is where you have a single IP address that’s dedicated to your site and your site alone. So, you have your own IP address for the physical server you’re using. Or, you can have a dedicated IP address on a shared host. That means you won’t be sharing an IP address with any other sites, even though you’re sharing the same physical server. For example, if you type the IP address 216. 58. 217. 206 into your browser you’ll see that it takes you to Google! By using a dedicated IP address you’ll enjoy benefits like:Improved Server ControlWith a dedicated IP address you can access your site directly from an IP address. This means you can access and even build out your website before you’ve acquired a domain name. Some sites will give you FTP access even on a shared IP address, but the process is much simpler with a dedicated IP. If you demand direct server access, then this type of IP might be a requirement for whatever hosting plan you decide upon. Email Sending ImprovementsIf you’re sending emails via your host using a business email like, then your deliverability can be improved by using a dedicated IP address. On a shared host you’ll have other sites relying upon the same IP address, so if one site is using that IP to spam, then this could negatively impact your email sending abilities. If you’re sending a high volume of email, or demand a higher level of server access, then a dedicated IP address might be perfect for your next project. What is a Shared IP Address? Shared IP addresses are more common than dedicated IPs for a number of reasons. With a shared IP address you have multiple sites sharing the same IP address. For example, if you’re on a shared host, then you most likely have a shared IP address too. However, this won’t impact visitors coming to your site in any user’s web browser will communicate with the DNS system and server to display the correct website. With a shared IP address hundreds of sites could be using the same IP address. However, just because you’re using a shared IP address it doesn’t mean that you’re using shared hosting. It’s possible to have a dedicated, VPS, or cloud server, while still having a shared IP address. Ultimately, unless you require the unique benefits of a dedicated IP address, you’ll probably be fine with a shared IP address. In Closing: IP AddressesAs you can see, there’s a lot that goes into IP addresses. They help to connect devices wirelessly in your home. Plus, they allow the internet as a whole to function as it does. Without IP addresses we probably wouldn’t have the internet as we know it today! Hopefully, you have a better understanding of how IP addresses work, and the various types of IP addresses available to this newfound knowledge you’ll be better able to troubleshoot and configure your site. Plus, you can look super smart in front of your friends, when they ask, “What is an IP address? ”Your IP address is a crucial aspect of your web host, and if you’re still looking for the perfect service provider for your new website, then explore the hosting plans here at HostGator.
How Xbox Live Works – Electronics | HowStuffWorks
An Xbox connects to the Xbox Live network over an established connection to the internet. All Xbox models have a built-in ethernet port for a wired network connection. For a wireless alternative, early Xbox 360 models required the addition of a wireless network adapter. Newer Xbox consoles have built-in Wi-Fi adapters with no need to purchase extra equipment. Before you try connecting to Xbox Live, check its settings to make sure your Xbox is connected to the Xbox Live content is routed through Microsoft’s Xbox Live servers. For the Xbox Live launch in 2002, Microsoft installed massive arrays of servers in four locations in the United States, Japan and the United Kingdom. At that time, analysts estimated that the network costs alone would be $500 million, a quarter of the investment Microsoft reportedly spent to launch its first Xbox console [source: Becker] Xbox Live servers boast multiple levels of security. Microsoft controls the entire system from Xbox Live headquarters in Redmond, Washington. Following the 2011 security breach of Sony’s PlayStation Network (PSN), including reports that users’ personal information had been compromised, Xbox Live also came under the microscope. In late 2014, Xbox Live was the subject of a denial-of-service attack that tied up service for about a day. Microsoft launched a “bug bounty” program for Xbox Live in January 2020 that pays rewards for hackers who discover previously unknown vulnerabilities within the network [source: Murdock] are a few exceptions to exclusive content hosting on Xbox Live. Longtime gaming industry leader Electronic Arts (EA) originally wouldn’t produce Live Enabled games for Xbox because Microsoft wouldn’t allow them to use their own servers. In 2004, Microsoft struck a deal with EA, and now EA produces Live Enabled games for the Xbox. Some of those games make use of EA’s own system of user accounts, such as those available for EA Sports Active players. Each Xbox Live Gamertag can be associated with an account, and linking the two is irreversible [source: Electronic Arts] the increasing number of online games has come an increasing interest in user-generated content. Microsoft opened the Xbox to the independent game developer community in 2008. In addition, it opened the Xbox Live Marketplace so those developers could make their games, add-ons and other software available for download across the entire Xbox Live network. Microsoft screens each Marketplace contribution in advance to be sure it is secure and meets community that we’ve looked at the tech behind the Live show, let’s examine some of the challenges for Xbox and its users.
Frequently Asked Questions about xbox live server ip address
What is Xbox Live server?
The Xbox network, formerly Xbox Live, is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft. … The service was extended in 2007 on the Windows platform, named Games for Windows – Live, which makes most aspects of the system available on Windows computers.
What is IP address for server?
IP address is short for Internet Protocol address and is a string of numbers that usually looks something like this: 23.65. 75.88. This address is similar to your home address in that it identifies the location of a specific server that’s connected to the internet.Sep 13, 2019
Where are the Xbox Live servers located?
The Xbox Live servers boast multiple levels of security. Microsoft controls the entire system from Xbox Live headquarters in Redmond, Washington.Feb 10, 2021
