The worst part about online gaming? The lines. Not queuing up for a game of “Champions of Norrath” or “Crimson Skies,” but the lines of cables that stretch every which way from your console to the modem to the wall jack. Not every household has its Xbox in the same room as its PC, so gamers have to unspool yards of unsightly (and potentially dangerous) cable from the computer room to the living room.
The answer to the mess is to take your game console wireless. Cut the cord, but retain the connection.
The first thing to do is nab a wireless router for your PC from a manufacturer such as Netgear (about $99). Once you have your cable modem jacked into the back of the router, that little antenna starts broadcasting your gateway to Xbox deathmatches.
Now, you need to fix up your console. D-Link makes an excellent Wireless Bridge ($99.95 — but many stores offer rebates) that plugs into the back of your console. It looks like a little black brick, but it quickly picks up the signal and gets you back in the game. And you don’t have to worry about tripping over a cable during that between-games dash to the kitchen.
