Xbox Live Logo Compatible Program Overview - 1

Xbox Live Logo Compatible Program Overview

WinHEC 2004 - April 9, 2004

Abstract

This paper provides information about the Microsoft®Xbox®Live Logo Compatible program. It provides an overview for Internet Service Providers (ISPs), router and home gateway vendorsof the program and some details of the Xbox Live logo compatible requirements.

This information applies for the following operating systems:
Xbox Live

Contents

Introduction

ISP Logo Program

Documents and Tools

ISP Testing Criteria

Router Logo Program

Documents and Tools

Router Testing Criteria

Network Address Translation

Additional Testing

Wireless Logo Program (Bridges)

Documents and Tools

Wireless Bridge Testing Criteria

References

Disclaimer

This is a preliminary document and may be changed substantially prior to final commercial release of the software described herein.

The information contained in this document represents the current view of Microsoft Corporation on the issues discussed as of the date of publication. Because Microsoft must respond to changing market conditions, it should not be interpreted to be a commitment on the part of Microsoft, and Microsoft cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information presented after the date of publication.

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Introduction

This paper provides information about the Xbox Live Logo Compatible program for hardware vendors and Internet Service Providers (ISPs). Given the audience for this paper, the majority of the content will be focused on hardware vendors. However, since the two parts of the program are related closely to one another, the ISP portion of the program deserves some attention.

ISP Logo Program

As with the Router Logo Program, the goal of the ISP Logo Program is to ensure the ultimate connectivity solution (functionality and messaging) for the ultimate gaming service. This goal is achieved by first establishing a partnership with premier, business critical (high market share) Internet service providers. There is no fee for becoming a logo partner. The only requirementsare the completion/signing of the standard Microsoft Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) and the signing of the logo contract.

With this partnership in place, providers agree to deploy and maintain service levels that meet Xbox Live logo testing criteria. The logo testing criteria ensure that all functions/features of the Live service operate properly when a console is placed on the provider’s network. Once all phases of testing have been passed and verified, a green Xbox compatible logo is awarded to the provider.

Documents and Tools

At the time of inclusion into the program, ISPs are provided the following documents and tools. These are all provided under NDA. Included in this list of documents/test tools are the following:

  • Xbox Live ISP Logo Agreement
  • Xbox Live for Broadband Providers documentation
  • ISP Testing for Xbox Live Compatibility documentation
  • 2NIC software test tool (client version)
  • NAT Type test tool
  • Web templates for Xbox Live Connectivity- Cable and DSL

Each document clearly articulates its particular role in the overall router logo program. However, a summary is provided below:

  • Xbox Live ISP Logo Agreement (includes the program checklist) - This is the contractual document that establishes procedure, level-sets expectation and sets legal precedent for Microsoft and the ISP to interact.
  • Xbox Live for Broadband Providers- This paper describes the overall Xbox Live service. It provides insight into the Xbox dashboard, service requirements, Network Address Transversal and account creation.
  • ISP Testing for Xbox Live Compatibility- This paper describes in detail the testing process for Xbox Live ISP certification. It articulates how to setup the test bed, the tools required and what each test is analyzing.
  • 2NIC software test tool (client version) - This is the client module of the primary router test tool. The server module runs on a server in the Redmond lab. This is the primary test tool to test integrated modem/routers (home gateways). These devices are becoming increasingly popular in all regions. This test requires the integrated device to be connected to the public internet.
  • NAT Type test tool- This stand alone tool can evaluate the presence of NAT that is occurring within the provider’s network. It is becoming obsolete as the latest version of the 2NIC tool contains this functionality.
  • Web page templates- These templates are Word documents that allow providers to quickly develop a web page. The web page describes how to connect to Xbox Live and highlights any unique issues the provider’s network configuration presents to the customer.

ISP Testing Criteria

During the ISP testing phase, several items are evaluated. Each Customer Premise Equipment (CPE) make/model that the provider would like to logo certified is analyzed. Further, if a provider offers levels of service, only those levels which meet minimum speed requirements for Xbox Live are tested. With Xbox consoles attached behind the provider’s CPE, the following items also are measured/verified:

  • Ability to connect to the service.
  • Ability to conduct proper voice communications with friends.
  • Packet Loss
  • Latency

Note:

Some providers are offering their customers integrated devices. These devices perform both a modem and routing function. Providers who offer these integrated devices must fully test and stand behind all of the functionality of these devices as being compatible with the Xbox Live™ service. The tests required to ensure that the routing functions of the integrated device are compatible with the Live™ service are contained in the documentation for the Home Router Logo Compatibility Program.

Integrated devices (modem/router combinations) cannot, however, be submitted for logo certification in the Home Router Logo Compatibility program by themselves. Integrated devices, if they pass all of the tests in the Home Router Logo Compatibility Program can be a part of a service provider’s logo certified service level. Microsoft maintains this position to ensure there is always a tie between the integrated device and a given provider’s network.

We make this policy because we want to avoid the following scenario:

  • A user selects an integrated device that was tested on Provider A’s network and is listed as part of that providers logo’d CPE.
  • The user plugs the integrated device into a different logo certified provider’s network (Provider B) and then experiences some difficulty. This is highly possible given network differences amongst ISPs.

The problem in the above scenario is that the user receives a mixed message. They have a logo certified integrated device, on a logo certified service provider, but the device is (potentially) not working with Live because it is not the same network. With NON-integrated devices, we don’t have this problem because non-integrated devices are provider-agnostic.

Router Logo Program

As with the ISP Logo Program, the goal of the Router Logo Program is to ensure the ultimate connectivity solution (functionality and messaging) for the ultimate gaming service. This goal is achieved by first establishing a partnership with premier, business critical (high market share) home networking hardware vendors. There is no fee for becoming a logo partner. The only requirements are the completion/signing of the standard Microsoft Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) and the signing of the logo contract.

With this partnership in place (as defined by the logo contract), vendors agree to deploy hardware and software that meets Xbox Live logo testing criteria. The logo testing criteria ensure that all functions/features of the Live service operate properly when a console is placed behind the vendor’s device. Once all phases of testing have been passed and verified, a green Xbox compatible logo is awarded to the vendor.

Note:

Devices are certified for BOTH model AND firmware. As such, a particular model of device is not “always” certified. Specific firmware revisions for particular models which have been adequately tested are considered logo certified.

Documents and Tools

At the time of inclusion into the program, hardware vendors are provided the following documents and tools. These are all provided under NDA. Included in this list of documents/test tools are the following:

  • Xbox Live Router Logo Agreement
  • Xbox Live for Broadband Providers documentation
  • Home Router Testing for Xbox Live documentation
  • Home Router Testing for Xbox Live specification
  • 2NIC software test tool (single machine mode)
  • 2NIC software test tool (client version)
  • NAT Type test tool

Each document clearly articulates its particular role in the overall router logo program. However, a summary is provided below:

  • Xbox Live Router Logo Agreement (includes the program checklist) - This is the contractual document that establishes procedure, level-sets expectation and sets legal precedent for Microsoft and the hardware vendor to interact.
  • Xbox Live for Broadband Providers- This paper describes the overall Xbox Live service. It provides insight into the Xbox dashboard, service requirements, Network Address Transversal and account creation.
  • Home Router Testing for Xbox Live- This paper describes in detail the testing process for Xbox Live router certification. It articulates how to setup the test bed, the tools required and what each test is analyzing.
  • Home Router Testing for Xbox Live specification- This specification articulates the passing requirements for a piece of logo certified routing equipment.
  • 2NIC software test tool (single machine mode)- This is the primary test tool for determining non-integrated router certification. This piece of software contains both a client and server module and can be run on one PC with 2 network cards (hence the name). It does not require any internet connectivity.
  • 2NIC software test tool (client version)- This is the client module of the primary test tool. The server module runs on a server in the Redmond lab. This is the primary test tool to test integrated modem/routers. These devices are becoming increasingly popular in all regions. This test requires the integrated device to be connected to the public internet.

Router Testing Criteria

This paper is not intended to replace the documentation associated with the logo program. However, it does provide a high-level overview of the kinds of characteristics the Xbox testing team is evaluating to determine if a device will receive the logo and provide an excellent gaming experience for the customer.

One of the most significant router characteristics that is evaluated by the Xbox testing team is Network Address Translation (NAT) type. As such, this topic will be dealt with in detail.

Network Address Translation

We expect that many of our users will set up some form of home network to connect their Xbox console to their broadband connection. Most home networks involve the use of a PC or cable/DSL router to “share” the broadband connection. These devices generally perform this sharing function through Network Address Translation (NAT).

Note:

NAT is sometimes called Network Address and Port Translation (NAPT).

It is important to understand the influence of NAT on Xbox Live. NAT makes it difficult to establish peer-to-peer sessions between devices attached to routers using this translation protocol. It is critically important to us that users not need to configure their NAT device in order to access all of the features of the Xbox Live service. As a result, we have gone to great lengths to ensure that all Xbox Live service features work through the majority of NAT devices.

Note :

This information is primarily intended for use by networking professionals who provide broadband service, or who create home routers and want to know how to ensure that their products and services work well with Xbox Live. End users who want to select a home router that works well with Xbox Live should consult the Xbox Live Routers page. End users who already have a router and want to know if it works properly with Xbox Live should also visit the Xbox Live Routers page for any information regarding their particular router model.

How NAT Works

A NAT allows multiple devices to share a single IP address. To perform this function, the NAT must remap the UDP or TCP ports in the packets that flow through the NAT.

Example:

  • The NAT is assigned a public, routable IP address of 24.1.1.1 by the Internet Service Provider (ISP).
  • Device 1 is assigned a private, non-routable IP address of 192.168.0.2 by the NAT.
  • Device 1 sends a UDP packet to 60.1.1.1:10000 (IP address 60.1.1.1, UDP port 10000) from UDP source port 20000
  • The NAT receives this packet. It must change the “source” IP address from 192.168.0.2 to the NAT’s source IP address 24.1.1.1 or the computer receiving the UDP packet will not know where to reply to. The NAT also changes the source UDP port to 35000 and remembers that UDP port 35000 on the public IP address of 24.1.1.1 equals UDP port 20000 on 192.168.0.2.
  • When the program listening at UDP 60.1.1.1:10000 replies, it replies to UDP 24.1.1.1:35000. This of course relays the packet to the NAT. The NAT remembers that UDP port 35000 equals UDP 192.168.0.1: 20000 modifies the IP and UDP headers appropriately, and forwards the packet.
  • This NAT technique allows Device 1 to have a UDP conversation with the program listening at UDP 60.1.1.1:10000, even though Device 1 does not have a public IP address.
  • Furthermore, if Device 2 is assigned private IP address 192.168.0.3 by the NAT, it too can send a UDP packet from UDP port 20000 to UDP 60.1.1.1:10000. The NAT will assign a different public port, for example 35001, to Device 2, and remember that UDP port 35001 on the public IP address of 24.1.1.1 equals UDP port 20000 on 192.168.0.3.
  • This is what allows multiple devices to “share” the public IP address, although neither has a public IP address, and both are using UDP port 20000.
Port Assignment Policy

When a NAT receives a UDP packet from a client device, it must decide what UDP port to assign to that UDP source port on that client device. There are two techniques the NAT can use to do this.

1)The NAT can assign one UDP port to each UDP source port used by a client device, regardless of the destination of the UDP packet. We call this “minimal port assignment policy” because it results in the minimum number of UDP ports being assigned by the NAT. This is also sometimes called a “cone” NAT.

2)The NAT can assign a different UDP port for each UDP destination. We call this an “aggressive port assignment policy” because it results in the NAT assigning many ports. This is also sometimes called a “symmetric” NAT.

Symmetric NATs make it very difficult to establish peer-to-peer connectivity between two devices behind NATs. Symmetric NATs are not supported by Xbox Live. A user behind a symmetric NAT will be able to connect to the Xbox Live service and will be able to join some games, but will sometimes encounter problems related to the difficultly of establishing peer-to-peer connectivity, such as problems with in-game voice communication, or the inability to join some game sessions.

Port Filtering Policy

Some NATs apply filters on incoming traffic. There are three possible filtering policies: