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How much does XSquawkBox cost?

XSquawkBox does not cost any money; you do not have to pay for XSquawkBox to use it. The main networks it is intended for (IVAO and VATSIM) also both do not require payment, and I suspect no other networks require payment either.

XSquawkBox does come with legal restrictions, however; please read the EULA carefully before downloading it. In particular, you may not redistribute XSquawkBox; other users who want XSquawkBox must download it from this site.

What Version of X-Plane can I use XSquawkBox with?

XSquawkBox works with X-Plane 6, 7 and 8. Make sure to update to the very latest version of X-Plane!

Does XSquawkBox work on the new Intel DuoCore Macintoshes

XSquawkBox will only work on these machines if X-Plane is forced into emulation mode under Rosetta. You can do this using the Get Info dialog box on x-plane itself, but running X-Plane under emulation kills framerate. I do plan to make a universal version of XSquawkBox, but it will take a while to finish it.

What networks does XSquawkBox work with?

XSquawkBox 1.0 works with the VATSIM and IVAO networks, and probably most others too.

Do I need broadband to use XSquawkBox

No. You can use XSquawkBox on a modem, as long as it doesn't disconnect frequently. (Being disconnected mid-flight is no fun for anyone.) But since XSquawkBox requires the last X-Plane 6 update or one of the XP7 release candidates, you may have to download the latest x-plane for your version series, which can be a 100+ MB download.

When will XSquawkBox be released?

I do not know. Currently there are only two remaining issues: a licensing agreement with VATSIM (work on this is progressing) and addressing instability in the Mac version audio code. I do not have a time frame from VATSIM on licensing yet, and I am still working with users to isolate the Macintosh bugs. Unless told otherwise by VATSIM I am planning to extend the public betas until a final release can be completed.

How do I use voice-over-IP with XSquawkBox

For VATSIM, configure your microphone and speakers using the Audio Setup dialog box. Voice features will work automatically as you tune your Com1 radio to controllers that are using voice.

For IVAO and other networks, you must use a separate program for voice; the built-in voice features are VATSIM-specific.

What ports do I have to open in my firewall to use VATSIM voice?

In order to reliably use voice on VATSIM, you need to open port 3290 for UDP traffic in your Firewall, and forward this port if you have a NAT router. To check if you are correctly forwarded, check the web page of a voice server while flying. If your port is listed as 3290 you are correctly forwarded. If your port is some high number in the ten-thousands range, your port is not forwarded correctly. If your port is not forwarded correctly then you may experience voice disruptions based on your firewall's firmware.

To see your port in a voice server room, use the URL:

http://server.ip.address:18009/?opts=-R-D

After disconnecting from the network on VATSIM, I still hear ATC voice audio. Is this a bug?

This is actually intentional. Occaisionally there is a server crash or network failure on VATSIM. If you are disconnected when this happens, you will still be in the controller's voice room and will be able to communicate briefly with the controller and tell him or her what happened. When you reconnect or change frequencies the voice connection is closed.

Can I use XSquawkBox's voice-over-IP capabilities with networks other than VATSIM?

No. For other networks, use whatever supported voice-over-IP technology that network uses, TeamSpeak, Roger Wilco, etc.

Can I extend XSquawkBox or make add-ons for it?

Yes. XSquawkBox supports interplugin communication. By writing your own X-Plane plugin you can communicate with XSB. If you are a programmer, please email me to receive the XSB communication APIs.

My friends and I don't want to fly on VATSIM or IVAO, can we just fly by ourselves?

Not easily. To run XSquawkBox with your friends, you will need your own copy of the FSD server. I do not have a copy that I can distribute. Previously there was a copy of FSD available from IVAO's web site, but I do not know if it is still there.

There are a few FSD servers run by various organizations that you can fly on without all of the regulation that VATSIM and IVAO have. Check out x-plane.org or avsim.net; both run FSD servers. Also, X-Plane 740 features a LAN-based multiplayer that will provide faster update rates than XSquawkBox.

Why don't I see the right airplanes out the window.

XSquawkBox can only load 8-10 models into memory at once. It will pick the closest model it can find for any given plane, but with only 10 models there may not be a good model to pick from. XSquawkBox does not attempt to match liveries.

If a user is not using the CSL on Microsoft flight sim or has flight sim misconfigured, you may see them with the same plane model as you have, regardless of what plane they are flying. The XSquawkBox manual (which comes with the plugin download) features some trouble-shooting tips that can help resolve most of these issues.

Can I customize the set of aircraft models?

You can hack the configuration text files, but this is not supported nor recommended. I may make a tutorial on this in the future, but for now you are on your own. Some users have made a lot of progress doing this, and there are some good discussions in the forums about hacking the model sets. I recommend reviewing the forums and then posting any questions if you feel compelled to try this.

Will there be a CSL library or more models for XSquawkBox in the future?

I hope so, but cannot guarantee this, and this will not be done for XSB 1.0. In the long term we would like to do a common-shapes-library-type approach with many models for XSquawkBox, each with multiple liveries.

Some aircraft appear to float above the ground.

This is a limitation of the network protocol; since there is no clear standard for drawing models from different flight simulators at the same level (i.e. with wheels touching the ground), you may see aircraft from other flight sim appear to hover or be buried in the ground. This will be addressed in a future version of XSquawkBox.

VATSIM/IVAO's weather is not up-to-date? Can I use another weather source?

No. It is important to the purpose and functioning of the various online flight networks that all pilots and controllers have the same weather. For example, if the wind from your alternate weather source did not match the winds online, would you be able to land the same runways as other aircraft at the same airport?

Can you add labels or callsigns to the multiplayer planes?

No. I want to address this question because it is one of the most common feature requests. Many people are using XSquawkBox for informal group flying on local servers or X-Plane.org and want to be able to see who their friends are, so they ask for an ID above the planes, similar to what MSFS has.

I recognize the importance of IDing aircraft in a LAN gaming situation, but XSquawkBox was never meant for this! Such a feature would be completely unrealistic on a global network, where the goal is realistic flight, and this is XSquawkBox's intended use. On VATSIM we have cases where pilots report traffic in sight by name. I am against adding this feature because it would take away from the realism of XSquawkBox. In real life traffic is extremely difficult to spot, especially small single-engine aircraft. A quick read of some of the literature on collision avoidance will open your eyes (so to speak).

What is needed is a small-scale multiplayer system specifically for X-Plane that features high speed updates and other realism that only an X-Plane only network can get. Fortunately Austin is adding this to 7.40.