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GEAR REVIEW
Mad Catz Wireless Gaming Adapter

For years, I have lamented the fact that I could only take my Xbox 360 online by running a long Ethernet cable across my living room floor, which posed a health hazard to anyone else that happened to walk by. As I’m not a fan of having cables stapled up my wall to run along my ceiling and back down another wall to my router, this was the best I could do. The long cable would be hauled out only if I wanted to go online, and I would weigh it down with mats so that the likelihood of someone tripping over it would be minimal.

Microsoft has had its own brand of wireless adapter for the console for years now, and has just also released a Wireless N version of it for about $99. The pricing is a little steep to justify, however, so I shied away from purchasing one. Luckily, Mad Catz has also released a Wireless N adapter at a more affordable $79.

The small adapter comes with a short Ethernet cable, an AC adapter, and some software to help get it up and running. Ironically I’m a bit of a technophobe when it comes to installing and using new software and hardware, and I even get nervous about it. Thankfully setting up the Mad Catz Wireless Gaming Adapter was a fast and simple process. Although it connects to the 360 (or any other wired network-enabled device, for that matter) the actual network information, including any relevant passwords, is stored on the adapter itself. By connecting it directly to a computer, it’s possible to configure the device. A few short minutes later, it was up and running properly with my Xbox 360.

The Mad Catz Wireless Gaming Adapter is, above all else, a much better option than running a cable across the floor just to connect to Xbox LIVE. When using it to download demos, play matches of Street Fighter IV online, or even use the console’s somewhat clumsy Twitter interface, speed is never an issue. In fact its performance is so great that when using the device for the first little while, I was still conditioned to think I had to step carefully around the apartment out of fear of stripping over a cable.

The adapter has an antenna that can be repositioned should signal strength be an issue. My current set-up, however, involves a good amount of consoles and receivers crammed into a tight space. Rather than placing the adapter above the entertainment unit with its antenna pointed upwards, I’ve mounted it on top of my primary receiver. Even with its antenna extended deep into the entertainment cabinet, my online connection is fast and stable.

The reason I opted to keep the adapter inside the cabinet actually stems from it being too light to stay put on its own. The weight of the Ethernet and power cables coming out from the back of the unit is enough to make it slip, slide, and tilt in all sorts of directions. The alternative would have been to use some two-sided tape to keep it in place, so I instead decided to wedge it where I’d likely never have to move it.

Apart from its light mass, the only other downside to this little adapter is the fact that it requires the use of an AC adapter. But the only other powering option would have been to sap power from one of the 360’s too few USB ports, and this would have been almost as unforgivable as the notion that the 360 has no built-in wireless function of its own. To accommodate the adapter, I had to unplug my SNES. But truthfully it’s less of a pain to swap out power plugs than it was to keep unrolling the Ethernet cable.

In the end, while whether or not the Mad Catz Wireless Gaming Adapter is worth the $79 is up to the purchaser, it is definitely the better option when choosing between it and the official Microsoft wireless adapter. If you find yourself with a little extra money this holiday and need to get your console online wirelessly, I highly recommend it. The alternative, while frugal, is ultimately the more cumbersome solution. Now that I’ve had the chance to go wireless with my Xbox 360, I can’t imagine having to go back.

Posted in Awesome, Gear Reviews, Xbox 360 |