ALL OF the Xbox 360s in Wal-Mart shops around the US have been switched off due to wireless interference.
Microsoft has admitted that the console is interfering with Wal-Mart's hand held scanners but has also said that the problem is minor and that a software fix is in the works. Wal-Mart's headquarters in Arkansas has instructed all branches to shut down the console until a fix is available.
Microsoft's statement says that their kiosk program has "encountered some minor wireless interference issues that are specific to some retail environments". The Xbox's 2.4 GHz wireless is much like that used in cordless phones and wireless routers. Since the implementation of these signals some retailers have had problems with network based stock systems suffering interference. Microsoft said it had identified the problem and within 24 hours had deployed a fix to Wal-Mart kiosks. More information
here. It is still unclear whether or not the 360 will cause interference with other wireless devices possibly already in use. When questioned a Microsoft spokesman s confident that this would not be the case, stating that: "The issue is specific to the equipment used in a few retail environment". It continued: "Xbox 360, like portable phones, wireless network routers, and Bluetooth devices, emits radio frequency in the 2.4GHz band. It is possible that devices that do not comply with FCC/ETSI rules of operation in this band may not properly handle interference from other 2.4GHz sources. Such devices would be extremely rare in a home environment."
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