Linksys WRT54G + DD-WRT Firmware = Win

I've dealt with this since the current generation launch, until recently. I tried every web page, guide, FAQ and Wiki I could read. Nothing worked. uPnP didn't work, Port Forwarding didn't work, DMZ didn't work. Most recently (just the last two weeks) I've been watching buddies playing Borderlands on 360 while I sat on the bench unable to join in. Which finally made me mad enough to either fix the problem, or throw my home network into the yard. I always had a sneaking suspicion that since I couldn't even get my NAT to change by directly plugging my console(s) in to the ADSL modem directly, it was more than likely part of, or completely, my problem. To anyone with DSL service and an ADSL modem, check your modems. Mine also had router capabilities and no matter how much I screwed with settings in the Linksys WRT54GS (DD-WRT firmware), it wasn't going to help.

I told myself that there had to be a way to log into the modem itself, much like a regular router, but the ISP never provided any documentation when they came and installed the service. I figured the address was probably the IP listed in my Linksys router as the "Gateway", made sense to me at least. And sure enough I logged into my ADSL modem, placed it into "Bridging" mode so it acted only as a modem, disabling all of it's built in Router functions (security, firewall, etc.) since I already had a router acting as a router. Turned uPnP on in the Linksys and bingo, Open NAT (as per PS3, 360 doesn't give you your actual NAT, just tells you if it's going to affect your online capabilities).

So anyone with ADSL modems, check your modem and see if it also has Router capabilities. Out of all the things I've read, I've never witnessed the Modem itself ever addressed.

I haven't felt left out with the DLC, but probably becauseI don't have the majority of the games youlisted. Yes I have GTA4, but could've cared less about The Lost and The Damned. GTA4 is plenty long enough for me already. I bought a XBox360 when it was released and sold it when it started hardlocking on me but before it Red Ringed. I always planned on getting another one, but haven't. My 360didn't have HDMI's...something I absolutely wanted when I got the LCD HDTV.To be perfectly honest my 360 sat dormant after I got the PS3. I just liked the PS3 hardware better. With the 360's "big exclusives" hitting the PC as well (Gears of War, Mass Effect, Halo, etc.) I saw no reason to buy another console because ofmy gamingPC. Plus I like the fact that PS3's online is free as opposed to paying for Live. All my old high school buddies have 360's and play Live multiplayer together, would I like to be able to jump on Left for Dead and play with all my old buds?, sure I would, but that's not enough to justify me buying another one when there's no software making me want to do so. I'll just persuade them to by PS3's when the price drops. Will I end up with another 360 at some point?, probably. I have nothing against it, I'm not a fan boy. I just haven't felt a need to own another one yet.

Look at it this way....at least it's not Nintendo. Was I the only one who thought all those people playing thier little wii motes looked painfully embarassing. I stopped buying Nintendo hardware after the Gamecube. Thats the last time Nintendo will burn me. A few third party games here and there....and 14 million variations of mario, or things aimed at the casual crowd. Seriously...the only game I had on Gamecube was RE4. My wife had Mario Golf, Mario Kart and some other Mario game I can't remember. When Fils-Aime made the comment during his presentation of the Wii being called a "Fad" I was trying to figure out if he was trying to convince himself or the audience that it wasn't. Wii is as much of a fad as Rob the Robot on the NES, as soon as the neat little gizmo newness wears off...your left with whats there....a casual players console with an average user age of 8. Nintendo just spit in the faces of all the "Core Gamer" adopters of thier console...your big news?, Animal Crossing...are you f'n kidding me? That was thier highlight? Hope they at least rinsed with mouthwash before they spit on the core gamers faces so it at least felt less disgusting. But since Nintendo is making so much cash in the casual market they probably don't care to dance with the ones who brought them. Expect it to get worse as third party developers abandoned the platform because the Casual Gamers the Wii appeals to doesn't buy First Person Shooters, Fighting, etc. etc. etc.

On the PS3 front, I won't say I was disappointed, but I wasn't wowed either. They had about what was expected minus new Killzone stuff (weird, that). If they knew FFXIII was going multi they really shoulda worked to pull out the magic rabbit, and chances are they knew when Square Enix made the decision. So the fact that they didn't do something to counter Microsofts bombshell is laziness. Lets not forget, however, that Final Fantasy actually started with Nintendo, I'm sure just as many people were disgruntled when Square Enix went PS1 exclusive instead of Nintendo 64. I don't blame companies for making smart business decisions. If Square can make more money and have a larger production budget on the next game, fantastic, we all win. Who wins if Square starts posting losses because there's not a large enough installed player base, no one. Here's some trivia for you, Square almost went out of business already in the 8 bit era, there's a reason why FINAL Fantasy has that name. Square bet thier last dollar on Final Fantasy and lucky for us all, they bet on the right one.

On the Microsoft front, didn't watch it....didn't even know E3 was going on till last night and had already missed it lol. I bought a 360 shortly after release, and sold it shortly after I got my PS3. It wasn't because I liked the PS3 better, it was because it hard locked while playing Halo 3 with friends one night. From where I was sitting that night I couldn't see the console, but my heart sank as I stood up to see if I had a Red Ring. Luckily I didn't, but I sold it before I did. I always planned to buy another 360 and still do once they are a little more reliable. Mine also didn't have HDMI...and to say I was disappointed with the picture when I went and bought an HDTV is an understatement. I liked my 360, I like my PS3. I'll buy another 360. I despise Nintendo. Lets not forget that Microsoft is first and foremost a PC based company...so far all the biggies on the 360 have been ported, Gears, Mass Effect, Halo(s), so we can probably expect that trend to continue. Even without a 360 I've still been able to play the "Big Exclusives".