Xbox:XLink Kai

XLink Kai
XLink Kai is a system link tunneling application for consoles that allows you to play with other users on the Internet as if you were on the same LAN, similar to XBSlink. Any System Link enabled game can be played online through the XLink orbital servers. XBSlink users can play with XLink Kai users if the game host has both applications running. Official instructions for setup can be found in the XLink Kai Quick Start Guide.


 * You can find a list of games that support System Link here and on XLink Kai's compatibility list.


 * You can find a list of ping-limited and region-locked games here.

Register an XTag
Your XTag (similar to the Xbox Live Gamertag) is your username while using the XLink services and is your way of telling the world who you are. To get yourself registered, visit the signup page.

Download and Install XLink
The XLink Kai application can be found here.

Console Setup
Unless you have a wireless card capable of entering promiscuous mode, it is required that the PC you are running XLink on will need to be connected to your router with an ethernet cable. Even in the case where you can use wireless, it is best to use a pure ethernet connection to reduce latency. A full list of ways to set up your network can be found in the official Quick Start Guide.

Port Forwarding
Before you can use XLink, you will need to either enable uPnP in your router configuration page if it is supported, and set the XLink settings to use port 0 OR you can forward the required port by assigning a static IP address in your Xbox settings and by forwarding port 30000 (UDP). A guide to port forwarding on your router can be found on PortForward.com.

Using XLink Kai
The XLink online service is broken up into region, consoles, categories (such as "First Person Shooters" or "Racing"), and individual game arenas. You must be in the same game arena as another person for them to show up in your System Link match list on your Xbox. You can also create private passworded arenas to prevent random people from joining in by clicking the pencil icon in the Web UI.

Firewall and Antivirus Issues
Certain software firewalls or antiviruses (specifically Zone Alarm) may block XLink from running properly, or disconnect you when you attempt to join a game. You can fix this by adding XLink as an exception in your firewall or antivirus, or by disabling them while playing.

Can't See Other Players
Assuming port 30000 (UDP) was successfully forwarded, this may happen due to being on a different orbital server as the other players. You can change your orbital server by right clicking the XLink icon on the system tray and choosing the other orbital. Also check that your network is set up properly and that PAT is turned off in XLink's configuration menu. Sometimes changing orbital and then changing back will help.

XLink Crashes
An incorrectly forwarded port can cause this. Double check your port settings, or if you are using uPnP, try setting it manually.

XLink Can't Detect your Xbox
Try entering your Xbox's MAC address into XLink's properties. You can also try restarting your router if you had changed your network layout.

Stuck on "Querying Orbital Mesh"
Try to connect to a different orbital. If it will not connect to either orbital, it is likely a firewall or antivirus blocking you.